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Great British Chefs' Favourite Pancake Toppings

Great British Chefs’ inspiration for perfect pancakes

by Great British Chefs 11 May 2015

Pancakes aren't just for Shrove Tuesday, however we used that as the perfect excuse to examine how to make the perfect pancake and to explore the wonderful world of pancake topping ideas, including some from our very own chefs.

Great British Chefs

Great British Chefs is a team of passionate food lovers dedicated to bringing you the latest food stories, news and reviews.

Great British Chefs

Great British Chefs is a team of passionate food lovers dedicated to bringing you the latest food stories, news and reviews.

Every Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day the world goes flipping crazy for crêpes and pancakes. Supermarket shelves will be groaning with pancake mixes, lemons and eggs. Across the country there's a whole host of pancake races and challenges to see who can make, eat, toss and run with the most pancakes.

So, how to make the most of the day? The joys of a freshly-flipped pancake shouldn’t be confined to a token gesture – breakfast, lunch or dinner; main, dessert or snack – the adaptable pancake can be sweet or savoury, a decadent treat or a meal in its own right.

Simple as 1, 2, 3 . . .

1) Firstly, master the basic techniques of how to make pancakes, from making the batter to that all important (and potentially dangerous) flip.

2) Then decide the thickness. You can go wafer thin as with French crêpes or fatter like American or Scotch pancakes, or somewhere in between.

3) Finally, you'll be looking for the perfect topping. You can go classic and simple with lemon and sugar, or let your creative juices run wild and experiment with fruit, chocolate, jam, cream and sauces galore. For savoury options, start the day with bacon and maple syrup for breakfast, or fold with gooey cheese for a comforting lunch.

Special diet? No problem. A basic pancake batter is just flour, eggs and milk – which can easily be made gluten-free or dairy-free with alternative flours or plant-based milks, and topped with healthy fresh fruit toppings, or simple poached egg and grilled asparagus if calories are the main worry.

Our favourite toppings

This year we're branching out and going for some decadent pancake topping ideas here at Great British Chefs... these are our pick of some delicious sauces and toppings for pouring, spooning and swirling over...

Pancake toppings: Sauces galore

Launch Gallery

Our chefs' favourite toppings

We asked some of our Great British Chefs for their all time favourite toppings…

Adam Stokes

To satisfy Adam's sweet tooth, he chooses to top his pancakes with gloriously sticky golden syrup.

Chris Eden

Chris opts for a more indulgent option, taking the topping to new heights... 'Thunder and lightning of course… clotted cream and golden syrup, it’s very healthy!’

Matt Tomkinson

Finding it hard to choose his favourite, Matt either sticks with tradition and tops his pancakes with lemon and sugar, or goes for a dessert version of ‘caramelised apples, vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce’.

Pancakes with sugar and lemon

by Dominic Chapman

Crêpes Suzette

by Paul Heathcote

Lisa Allen

Lisa adds fresh berries to her perfect pancakes, choosing strawberries topped with vanilla ice cream.

William Drabble

William shares his recipe for his easy pancake suzette: 'Rb some lemon zest and orange zest on to sugar cubes, then add some butter to a frying pan and melt the sugar into it. Flambé it with Grand Marnier, then add orange juice to make a sauce. Place the cooked pancake in a pan, flip it, fold it in half and then into quarters until fully coated in the sauce. Serve two pancakes per person with Chantilly cream on top.’

Lemon and raspberry crêpes

by Pascal Aussignac

Creme Egg pancake stack

by Jacqueline Meldrum

Laurie Gear

Laurie's choice of pairing 'fresh blueberries with a sharp buttermilk ice cream and a warm salted caramel sauce' offers a perfect balance of flavours and textures.