Pancakes Around the World: 15 Types of Pancakes to Try

👉 Almost every food culture in the world has its own pancake: a simple batter of flour, liquid and sometimes eggs, cooked on a hot surface. Some are paper-thin and rolled around sweet fillings, others are thick and fluffy, crispy with potato, or soft and spongy for scooping up curry. Here are 15 pancakes from around the world – what makes each one special and how people eat them at home.

🥞 Thin Pancakes

1. Blini (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus)

Thin golden pancakes brushed with butter and eaten with sour cream, jam, honey or red caviar. They are the symbol of Maslenitsa, the spring festival before Lent. 👉 Russian blini recipe

2. Crêpes (France)

The famous Breton pancakes – very thin and delicate, sold from street stands with sugar and lemon, chocolate spread or chestnut cream. Savory buckwheat versions are called galettes.

3. Palačinke (Balkans and Central Europe)

Thin pancakes rolled with jam, walnuts or sweet cheese, loved from Croatia and Serbia to Hungary (palacsinta) and Austria (Palatschinken).

4. Msemen (Morocco)

Square, flaky pancakes made by folding oiled dough into layers, cooked on a griddle and eaten with honey and butter or mint tea. 👉 Moroccan msemen

🥞 Thick and Fluffy Pancakes

5. American Pancakes (USA and Canada)

Thick, fluffy pancakes made with baking powder and buttermilk, served in tall stacks with butter and maple syrup, often with bacon or berries.

6. Japanese Soufflé Pancakes (Japan)

Extra tall, wobbly pancakes made with whipped egg whites and cooked slowly under a lid – a café favourite in Tokyo and Osaka.

7. Syrniki (Ukraine and Russia)

Small, golden pancakes made mostly of farmer’s cheese with a little flour and egg – soft and creamy inside, served with sour cream and jam. 👉 Ukrainian syrniki

8. Poffertjes (Netherlands)

Tiny puffy pancakes made with yeast and buckwheat, cooked in a special pan with round dimples and dusted with powdered sugar and butter.

🥔 Savory Pancakes

9. Placki Ziemniaczane (Poland)

Crispy potato pancakes with lacy edges, served with sour cream, apple sauce or mushroom sauce. In Belarus they are called draniki. 👉 Polish potato pancakes

10. Okonomiyaki (Japan)

A savory cabbage pancake with pork or seafood, topped with sweet sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed and dancing bonito flakes. 👉 Okonomiyaki recipe

11. Pajeon (Korea)

A crispy pancake full of green onions, often with seafood, dipped in soy-vinegar sauce – a popular rainy-day snack with makgeolli rice wine.

12. Dosa (South India)

A huge, thin and crispy pancake made from fermented rice and lentil batter, filled with spiced potato and served with sambar and coconut chutney.

13. Injera (Ethiopia and Eritrea)

A large, spongy and slightly sour flatbread-pancake made from teff flour. It is both plate and spoon: stews are served on top and eaten by tearing off pieces.

14. Bánh Xèo (Vietnam)

A crispy yellow pancake made with rice flour, coconut milk and turmeric, filled with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts and wrapped in lettuce and herbs.

🇬🇪 15. Georgian Pancakes – Blinchiki and Mchadi

In Georgia, thin blinchiki filled with sweet cheese or minced meat are a common breakfast, while the cornmeal cakes mchadi are eaten with cheese and lobio.

💡 Tips for Better Pancakes at Home

• Rest the batter for 15–30 minutes so the flour can absorb the liquid – pancakes become softer and tear less.
• Heat the pan properly before the first pancake. If the first one sticks, the pan is not hot enough.
• Use little fat – a thin layer of oil or butter wiped with paper is enough for thin pancakes.
• Keep them warm in a low oven (about 90°C / 200°F) or under a clean towel while you cook the rest.

❓ FAQ

What is the difference between pancakes and crêpes?
Crêpes are thin and made without raising agents; pancakes (in the American sense) are thick and fluffy because of baking powder or whipped egg whites.

Which country invented pancakes?
No single country – flat cakes of grain and liquid cooked on hot stones are among the oldest foods in the world, and every region developed its own version.

What is the healthiest pancake?
Pancakes made from whole grains or legumes, such as buckwheat crêpes, dosa or cheese-based syrniki, are more filling and higher in protein or fibre than plain white-flour pancakes.

👉 Hungry for more? See breakfast around the world, street food around the world and dumplings around the world.