Swedish Pancakes

My mom was born in Finland, but left Finland to live in Sweden when she was around 5 years old. One of my favorite meals as a child, and remains so today, is Swedish pancakes. I’m not a big fan of American pancakes, but these…oh my goodness. Sometimes we would just eat them with butter and some sprinkled sugar, sometimes with maple syrup (the real stuff only), or with homemade blueberry jam.

I’m not really sure if there is any difference at all between Swedish pancakes and French crepes except when they make them in a different country everybody wants to claim them as their own.

Now this, not surprisingly, has become one of my children’s favorite meals, and they particularly like them for dinner. As I’ve mentioned before, my husband cannot stand these for dinner, or any other meal that is ‘supposed to be’ breakfast. Don’t ask me why.

Tonight my husband was going to be away on business, and it was my younger children’s first day of school. I decided to surprise them with these for dinner. When Maia was texting me on the way home from school I told her I was making them for dinner. She said “Am I crazy or are you pulling my leg!?!?!?” To which I said “Why crazy?” and she replied “Because that is a SPECIAL dinner. I LOVE Swedish pancakes! I am so excited! From a hard day is is great to come back to that!”

It’s the little things in life that can make your day.

I wrote this recipe down when I was probably 16 as my mother dictated it to me. It’s stayed pretty clean over the last 32 years! That’s because I take good care of it.

I make it in a blender. I’ve never made it any other way, but I suppose you could just whisk it up in a bowl.

Swedish Pancakes

3 eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups flour
2-1/4 cups milk (I used 1% but I think any kind will do)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons oil

Put the eggs, sugar and salt to the blender and blend.

Note the difference in the color of the egg yolks. My chicken's eggs are at the bottom and a store-bought egg yolk is at the top left. See how deep orange my chicken's yolks are? Happy chickens.

With blender stopped, add the flour all at one time and blend again, scraping down sides of blender once. The mixture will be quite thick.


Add the milk all at once and blend again.



Add the oil and vanilla and blend one final time to combine.


Pour into a container and refrigerate.

Now there is some debate here. I always make my batter at least several hours before I’m going to make them — preferably I let it sit overnight. My father makes his and uses it right away. I feel that if you let the batter rest the pancakes have a deeper, richer flavor. I don’t know who’s right.

And you always roll your Swedish pancakes. Grab it between the tines of your fork once you’ve put your preferred topping on it, and roll it up.