Pancakes differ mainly in their ratio of liquid to flour and their leavening: thin, egg-rich batters make crêpes; thick batters with baking powder make fluffy American and Scotch pancakes; yeast or fermentation gives blini, beghrir and injera their holes and tang.
How to use the Perfect Pancake Calculator
- Pancake
- Servings
Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.
How it works
Choose the pancake and enter the number of servings.
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Pancake | Choose one: Britain – pancake, Scotland – drop scone, France – crêpe, Hungary – palacsinta … |
| Servings | A number |
Example values
How the main result changes when Servings changes and everything else stays at the example values above:
| Servings | Flour (g) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 70 |
| 3 | 105 |
| 4 | 140 |
| 5 | 175 |
| 6 | 210 |
| 8 | 280 |
Formula
Ingredient = base amount for 4 servings × servings ÷ 4
Batter thickness: liquid ÷ flour × 100 (higher = thinner batter that spreads into bigger, smoother pancakes)
Worked example
Inputs — Pancake: Britain – pancake; Servings: 4.
Results — Flour = 140 g; Liquid (milk, water, buttermilk…) = 400 ml; Eggs = 3; Butter or oil (tbsp) = 1.3; Liquid-to-flour ratio = 286 %; Method = Rest 30 min; cook 1 min per side; serve with lemon and sugar; Calories per serving (approx.) = 284 kcal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a pancake and a crêpe?
Crêpes use a thinner batter with more liquid and no raising agent.
Why rest pancake batter?
Resting lets the flour hydrate and bubbles settle, giving tender, even pancakes.
What makes blini and injera tangy?
Yeast or natural fermentation of the batter.