Forget Winter, Pancake Day is Coming

‘Winter is coming’, states the House Stark motto. But winter is already here – in fact, we’re getting a little tired of it and believe the rulers of the North need to update their motto to suit.

Yes, technically winter is always coming at some point, but there’s loads of other stuff happening before next winter. Spring! Summer! Autumn! Pancake Day!

We think ‘Pancake Day is coming’ is a much more apt motto for House Stark at this time of year, before it is changed to spring is coming, Easter is coming, summer is coming, and so on and so forth.

Pancake Day is indeed just around the corner – Tuesday February 13th, to be precise. It’s one of the best days of the year in our eyes, and we’ve even brought out a brand new pan that lets you make squirrel-shaped pancakes (because what else could you possibly want?!) to celebrate.

Squirrel pancakes are our current favourite thing, but there are so many other weird and wonderful ways to eat pancakes that we couldn’t resist putting together a few of our fave ideas for you. A new woodland animal-themed pan and a list of pancake recipes? Don’t we spoil you?!

Pancakes don’t just have to be for breakfast or dessert; they can make a pretty tasty savoury main course or snack too. And what is the second best round food next to pancakes? Not cake – we’re talking savoury here, remember! – pizza. Have you ever thought about turning your pancakes into a pizza base? Well, you should.

That’s exactly what Mummy Mishaps has done, topping quick pancakes with a homemade pizza sauce, cheese and sausages (of course, you can use any toppings you want from pineapple to anchovies and we’ll try not to judge you too much) to make an easy but delicious snack to suit all the family. Remember, if you have this for your main, you can have sweet pancakes for dessert too. What a Tuesday.

Unicorns are a real ‘thing’ right now. Yes, we know they’re a magical fantasy creature, but people everywhere are claiming they’d ‘rather be a unicorn’ or that they want to ‘sparkle like a unicorn’ in every little thing they do. Unicorn lattes, unicorn hair dye, inflatable unicorn horns for your cat…unicorns are everywhere. They’re even taking over pancakes.

If your kid – or yourself even – refuses to eat something unless it’s pastel-coloured, covered in sprinkles and highly Instagrammable, then these unicorn pancakes from She Who Bakes are a must-make for you. They might take a bit more time than your bog-standard lemon and sugar-sprinkled crepes, but just think how many Instagram likes you’ll get (and how great they’ll taste…)

If you want to use pancakes for a main course that’s a little more sophisticated than pizza for a Shrove Tuesday dinner party or an early Valentine’s meal perhaps (pancakes are the way to everyone’s heart), then these savoury crepes from Holly Cooks are a great option.

Filled with ham, cheese, cherry tomatoes and spinach, they’re super simple to make from ingredients you’ve probably already got in your fridge anyway, they’re quick and, most importantly, they taste gorgeous. Melted cheese, soft pancake and the bonus of not one but two of your five a day. Winner winner pancake dinner.

Finding the perfect fluffy pancake recipe can be a bit of a challenge for vegans, as the majority contain milk and eggs, while any alternative ones tend to rely on mashed bananas. But if you’re a vegan who hates bananas, you don’t have to miss out on the Pancake Day fun, as Wallflower Kitchen has created a recipe that’s dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free, gluten-free and, best of all, fluffy!

The recipe calls for dairy-free milk (like soy, for example), vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar and warming spices – we recommend stocking up on these as the pancakes are so moreish you’ll want to make them time and time again.

If you’re a lemon and sugar or chocolate spread only kinda traditionalist, that’s absolutely fine, but if you’re on the hunt for some new options for your sweet tooth, look no further than Not Just A Pretty Plate’s recipe for fruity pancakes with a salted caramel sauce.

These would make a great dessert any night of the week and a brilliant treat breakfast at the weekends. The salted caramel sauce is so dreamily good, our top tip is to make a big batch and keep it in the fridge. Spread it on your toast, top your Tefal Snack Collection waffles with it or use it as a sticky drizzle for homemade chocolate cake or sticky toffee pudding *wipes away drool*.

If you’re throwing a pancake party for Shrove Tuesday – great, but where’s our invite?! – go one step further than just serving up alcohol alongside your pancakes and incorporate it in your batter.

Chorizo & Thyme has an excellent recipe for strawberry and amaretto pancakes that are sweet yet subtly boozy all at once. For a grown-up cherry bakewell-inspired pancake stack – because why wouldn’t you want such a thing? – swap the strawberries for cherries.

Feel free to experiment with different types of alcohol and fruit combinations, taking inspiration from your favourite fruity cocktails. We like the sound of adding a little rum to your syrup before topping the pancakes with pineapple chunks and thick coconut yoghurt for Pina Colada pancakes. Or add a little vodka to your syrup and serve with fresh orange segments and cranberries for a Sex on the Beach-inspired stack. Yes, we know it’s February, but what’s stopping you?!