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!
I’m a 7th generation kiwi and i think pikletes is one of the well known recipes of the European settlers that first migrated to New Zealand. Its a one bowl and pan meal. Back in the day im sure the women cooked them up in the hot skittle ontop of rangewood fire every morning enjoyed by all with butter and strawberry jam. Also eaten savery with cream cheese and smoked salmon are awesome. Or marmite if your bold.
I leave out the vanilla eassence and only use 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Its about tasting the egg and butter to.
So cheap, fresh, fulfilling and easy.
Great to read about them and getting the word out…flap jakes, pancakes, whateva same recipe, concept! get into it lol
I know!!! Who knew our humble pikelets are all around the world!!! 🙂 N xx
Hi,
can I use other type of flour, such as cake flour or top flour? if I do not have plain flour.
Thank you.
Hi Rachel, that will be fine. In fact, with cake flour, they will probably be the softest pikelets ever!! 🙂
In South Africa they are called Flapjacks and I have been eating them since the 60’s. Yummy. Will rate the recipe when I have made some…?
I love hearing the different names for this! 🙂
The best topping for pikelets is thickly sprinkled sugar and fresh lemon juice dripped straight onto the sugar from the lemon.. my mouth is watering at this old memory, I’ve got to make this recipe this weekend!
Oooh YES to sugar and lemon juice!!!
Had the sugar and lemon juice tonight. Everyone said it was yummy.
Hi Nagi
I’m Carolynn from Mauritius.
I tried the pikelets yesterday. Please can you advise for the cup of flour how much is it in grams please?
Thank you
Keep it up!
Hi Carolynn! Just added it to the recipe! 🙂
Don’t let my husband see these cute pancakes or he will ask for some everyday, and I don’t think I’ll ever mind 🙂
Te he he!!! Can you blame him? 🙂 N x
Nagi your pikelets, mine actually made with your recipe, were a huge hit. Took some to a neighbour mainly so I wouldn’t eat them all. The pikelets are are not fattening but the jam and cream??
Another easy and successful recipe thank you.
Hi Helen! I’m so glad you enjoyed these, thanks for letting me know!! Agree – the pikelets themselves are not fattening but when loaded up with jam and cream they are not so healthy! 😉 N x
Hi Nagi! Let me tell you the story about this recipe; so this morning i want to make this for hubby and the kids. While i made it, hubby (who happen to love cooking as well) kept commenting about the batter consistency, telling me that’s not how pancake batter looks like! I told him that i follow your recipe exactly and shows the pictures in this recipe. He still had doubt and kept wanting to put extra milk to make it runny until i told him to just let it go and see how the first batch looks like, if its looks like what he thought it would be, he can adding whatever he wants. So you know how it ends, he likes it, the kids liking it and so was i. Its the best pikelet recipe i’ve made so far! This is definitely going to be our regular pancake/pikelet batter! Hubby kept saying “this is good!” And i kept teasing him everytime he add more pikelet to his plate “.. And you had doubt for the recipe.. ?”. Oh it was hilarious ?. Anyway, as always thanks for the recipe Nagi! ? xoxo Tash
BA HA HA!! I LOVED reading this message Tash, I felt like I was right there with you, watching the scene!!! I am so glad hubby enjoyed the spikelets Tash, thank you SO MUCH for coming back and letting me know! N xx
See I thought I was a sadly deprived of pikelets American, but if they are mini pancakes, I can do that.
Everything in mini form is better, and these are no exception. Perfect, golden brown and my hands are ready for them! With copious amounts of jam and cream please. 🙂
Dozer literally made me laugh out loud. Too cute…. I know that face. Ollie! 🙂
Hey! I thought your boys were not allowed HUMAN FOOD! 😉
Oh they’re not, but that look is the same if I drop something in the kitchen. One eye on me and the other on the dropped piece of food. So funny.
Dozer is SO,the bomb.com!!So chill in every pic!?So are the pikelets,which at first glance I thought they were PIGLETS!Will be a piglet and make your pikelets!Just died,lol.Is like 10,000 degrees in Az.so am getting a fried brain!?.
BA HA HA!!!! Dozer IS the bomb! 🙂 Stay out of the heat Teri!!! Don’t look at the recipe I’m emailing you tonight because it’s one for the poor sods like ME here in WINTER!!!
Hi Nagi!
I made these today and brilliant!!!!!! See I have tried probably every pancake / pikelet recipe known to man. Never found “the one”. Now I have! And the butter tip – yes!! I could never figure out how much butter to put in. Always would burn and go acrid. And the amount of batter in this recipe is great. I made 9 pikelets. Perfect. Some recipes makes so much that your standing there cooking for about half an hour. So yes yes yes. Thanks again for doing the experimenting so we don’t have to.
Isn’t it funny they are crumpets in South Africa!
Thank you jules xxxx???
YAAAAY!!! So glad you enjoyed these Jules! These are such a staple in my “go tos” repertoire!!! I know – crumpets??? So confusing!!!
I used to eat pikelets as an after-school snack when I was a kid – I’d put them in the toaster and then eat them!
OMG ME TOO!!!! I STILL do that!! 🙂
Love your recipes, but you are wrong. these are crumpets in South Africa and is well known.
I didn’t know that! I love hearing that, thanks for sharing that Ingrid! N x
Lovepikelets and so do my children and grandchildren, so whipping up a big batch for tomorrow!
Oooh! Hope you do Tina! N x
Nagi, I am a new subscriber to your blob and I look forward to your recipes in my inbox!
You are making my dinner menu so easy these days. I love to cook and its unusual for me to cook up the same meal twice, and with your recipes always looking so delicious and beautifully presented, my choices are made for me, plus they’re delicious!
I love your food photography!
Well done on a wonderful resource!
Thanks for reading Belinda! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes! N x
Pikelets are all over the world. They just aren’t actually called pikelets all over the world. So, being from Canada and very familiar with mini pancakes, but a total tyro when it comes to pikelets, I have to ask: how to you pronounce “pikelets”? Is it “pike” + “letts”, or is it “pickle”+”etts”? I realize that the pronunciation doesn’t affect how deliciously light and fluffy and decadent yet guilt-free-feeling these piklelets were for breakfast with fresh strawberries under fresh blueberry compote and some nice, smoky, salty bacon on the side, but inquiring minds want to know. 🙂
It’s pike + letts, Shalryn. 🙂
You are so sweet Eva, I’m grinning like an idiot reading this!!! LOVE IT! N x
I chuckled when I read Shairyn comments because being a fellow Canadian I just call them pancakes. I love the name pikelets but I am afraid my friends and vistors would think I am serving them a meal of freshly caught pike fish from the lake where we live by. My recipe is similar to Nagi except I frequently add half buttermilk and half milk with my mixture. I just mix the liquid to wet the flour mixture to smooth out the big lumps and let set for a few minutes. I then add the amount of mixture to the size I want to the wipe buttered pan. They alway turn out fantastic and many of my guests go home with a full tummy and the recipe to keep as a souvenir of their visit here in Northern Ontario
I keep hearing about pike fish from other Canadians!! I never heard of pike fish before 🙂 Ooh, buttermilk always makes brilliant pancakes / spikelets! I bet no one ever leaves your house with an empty stomach…… 😉 N x
“pike” + “letts”!!!! I ADORE that you asked that Shalryn!!! N x
Hey Nagi, I LOVE making pikelets for brekky on a flat nonstick teppanyaki grill pan over my gas stove. Your photos are always so beautiful, I am drooling just looking at them…. the piketlets are so thick and fluffy… My variation of this recipe contains icing sugar in lieu of plain sugar which gives it a more stretchy consistency due to the cornflour I think ? so they never come out fluffy. I will be trying your recipe for brekky for sure , some will go straight to my kids school recess / little lunch as they taste great at room temperature also with some strawberry jam in between like a sandwich. 🙂 You are totally right about store bought pikelets. I think they are foul with an artificial after-taste and not to mention the added preservatives in them. I am SO very impressed by Dozer’s determination to ignore the totally irresistible pikelet loaded with cream and jam right below his nose. I reckon Albert will fail this test even before the pikelet reaches the floor. He would have gobbled it up straight off my hands in 1 second flat. My boy has no table manners or self control when it comes to food and feeding ! Dozer is one very amazing & well trained pup !! axx
Oooh! I will bring some of these to the beach one weekend!!! PS Alby can totally learn this. Dozer is much more of a pig than him!!!!
Whoops, I didn’t know the first batch were stigmatized. I’ve always called them “cook’s treat”! Mmmm, excess butter.
These are handy for anything. I’ve even made ham and cheese sandwiches out of pikelets. .
I never complained about the first dodgy batch!!! I’m always for “cook’s treats”!!! N x
Pikelets are known in the British Isles since time began methinks. First mentioned in writing in 1382 by a bible translator. The word originated from Welsh and change to anglo saxon. The pikelet was a poor mans version of crumpets.
The yummy recipe you have is known to us as drop scones in England, strange how words move around 🙂
Woah! I love reading the history, thank you! 🙂 Totally happy having this poor mans version of crumpets! N x
, WOW, Nagi — I am so happy for this pikelets it’s a wonderful and easy to make it quickly
thank you so much for this recipes>
They sure are super fast and easy!! N x