Pikelets are as Australian as meat pies and Lamingtons. Quick to make – less than 20 minutes from start to finish – these mini pancakes are a delightful breakfast, or as a snack at any time of the day. These are really EASY Pikelets, I promise! Serve them with copious amounts of strawberry jam and cream for the true Aussie experience!
PIKELETS – an Aussie favourite!
It wasn’t until I was in my 20’s that I learned that pikelets are actually a very Aussie thing. I grew up thinking that kids all over the world were snacking on pikelets and begging their mums to make them for breakfast.
But actually, while they are well known in Australia and New Zealand (and apparently in Scotland???), the rest of the world is sadly deprived of pikelets.
Do you know what pikelets are? They are just mini pancakes! I don’t play favorites, I LOVE my pancakes, but the great thing about pikelets is that they can be eaten with your hands. It would be weird to daintily eat pikelets with a knife and fork. Just plain wrong!
The other little thing I want to share with you other than a little intro to essential Aussie grub is this very important cooking tip 😉 :
HOW TO MAKE THE FIRST PANCAKE PERFECT
Anyone who has made pancakes before would know that the first pancake comes out quite splotchy and sometimes a tad soggy, rather than perfectly light and fluffy and a beautiful golden brown. In fact, I even saw an episode of Brunch with Bobby Flay where he spoke of this exact problem.
It’s so childish of me, but I felt immense satisfaction with the knowledge that I knew something about cooking that Bobby Flay doesn’t know – that you can make the first pancake perfect, every single time.
All you need to do is melt butter in a non stick skillet, then wipe it off with a paper towel before putting the batter in the skillet. It’s a little trick I picked up from the clever folk over at America’s Test Kitchen. The pikelets in the skillet in the photo above are the first batch. They came out perfectly, just like this:
Pikelets are so popular in Australia, they are actually sold at supermarkets. It baffles me why anyone would ever buy them! I tried them once out of curiosity and they actually taste artificial. They have a weird fake vanilla-egg flavour.
But putting that, they cost a few dollars for a pack of 6 or so, whereas it would cost maybe $1 to make a dozen at home, with the added bonus that they taste so much better. And they are so fast to make, plus easier to handle in the skillet than pancakes.
An essential part of experiencing pikelets the true Aussie way is to serve them with copious amounts of jam and cream. Or lashings of butter. I’m partial to the jam and cream myself. 🙂
So whether for breakfast, for a snack, or a treat for company, I hope you give these easy Pikelets a go! And I hope you have a great weekend! – Nagi x
More Aussie favourites
-
Scones – and Lemonade Scones 3 ingredient shortcut scones!
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Pikelets
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups / 185g plain flour (Note 1)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup / 185ml milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extra (optional)
- 2 tsp butter
To Serve
- Strawberry jam and cream (heavy cream, whipped) or butter
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, add egg, milk and vanilla. Whisk until the batter is almost lump free - a few small ones is ok. The batter should be the consistency in between maple syrup and tomato sauce - see photo above in post.
- Melt butter in a NON STICK skillet over medium high heat. Then WIPE all the butter off with a paper towel so there are no visible drops of oil. This is how the first batch comes out beautifully golden instead of splotchy.
- Place 2 tbsp of batter (or 1/2 filled ice cream scooper which is what I use) into the skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface (see photo) then flip and cook the other side until golden (usually around 1 - 1 1/2 minutes). Repeat with remaining batter.
- Serve warm with jam and cream, or butter!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
I spy with my little eye….evidence that Dozer’s been snacking on pikelets…… 😉 Actually, I was training him to not touch food until I give the command. He absolutely hates practicing that which is why his face is turned away, refusing to look at the pikelet or the camera. Usually he just gets up and walks away from the food, that’s how much he detests it!
Hi Nagi
Have just made these yummy pancakes for my grandchildren and they’re disappearing very quickly just plain with no jam or cream!
Hi Nagi , can I make the mix today and save unused batter for tomorrow or will it not really work ?
Hi Sam, unfortunately you can’t, once you’ve mixed the wet ingredients you will have activated the raising agent and you need to cook them. You can always cook the pikelets ahead of time and then microwave to reheat the next day. N x
Hi Navi. Hope you and Dozer are coping ok.
I made these pikelets with only a smidge of sugar to use as base for smoked salmon and creme fraiche appetiser for Christmas Day. Topped with a little finely chopped chives They are the perfect texture. And they were wolfed down quickly. I do think these are the best ones I’ve made so thank you
I’ve been making these for over 30 years. I serve them more as a cross between an English muffin and a crumpet. Totally worth the effort and more
The only pikelet recipe you’ll ever need. They turn out perfect everytime.
Hi Nagi would you be able to let me know how much ingredients to make about 4-6 of these, for one person, using S.R flour? I’m not very good at working out how to cut down on ingreds to get less servings 🙈
Hi Lisa, you can click the servings and then scale it down. All the ingredients will adjust for you! N x
Just reread the recipe sorry I used bicarbonate instead of baking powder. Will try again!
Please disregard both comments.😊
Not a problem, I hope you try them and love them Carolyn! N x
Just wondering if the amount of bicarbonate is correct. 2 1/2 teaspoons seems a lot to me. Mine also had a very metallic taste.
I followed the recipe to a T and they taste fantastic. In Oz they are definitely called pikelets!
It was really good and mikayla said was dough and Toby farted on me when I was mixing the “dough” 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁🥞
Thanks for your help
Love this recipe, so fluffy and delicious.
Mmm.
I put cinnamon in my batch it gives a little more flavor cause otherwise mine taste disgusting
Hi Kylie – if you follow the recipe they should definitely not be “disgusting” but cinnamon, choc chips, fruit all can be added here – N x
Hello Nagi,
I’m not sure why, but when I don’t add cinnamon my pikelets taste like metal, is there any way to fix this?
I also followed the recipe.
Thanks for your help
Kylie, I have a similar issue with some foods & modern recipes. For me, simply adding a pinch of salt removes that metallic taste. I have no idea why the salt should make a difference or why only some of us notice a metallic taste. Cinnamon sounds like a nice variation to adding salt so I may try that, but know you are not alone in your taste.
Sounds like an issue with the soda. Old or packed down or gotten damp. Or using bicarbonate
Mmm! Divine 😋
Delicious 😋
These are lovely but in the UK we call them Scotch Pancakes. Pikelets are a thinner version of a crumpet. Great recipe though – thanks!
In South Africa we call them “plaatkoekies” (Afrikaans word for pancakes). Simply love them. So quick and easy to make.
Whereas I’m sure these are lovely, they ain’t pikelets – they look and sound rom the recipe more like scotch pancakes.
I am 72 years old and this is the same as my mother taught me. I’m from Queensland and we call them pikelets.
We put the jam first followed by cream but I have noticed that some times people put cream first then jan!