One of the things I like most about Christmastime is observing our favorite holiday traditions! I cherish the time we spend together as a family during the holidays, whether we’re laughing, talking, relaxing, playing, or (maybe most especially) eating! ;-)
We’ve instituted quite a few traditions over the years when it comes to our holiday meals. Ever since I married my Norwegian husband, we have had Norwegian Meatballs for dinner on Christmas Eve. But it wasn’t until about 10 years ago that we added Norwegian Pancakes (or Pannekaker) to our traditional Christmas morning breakfast!
These thin pancakes are so easy to make, and are endlessly customizable. You can make them really thin and crepe-like, which is the traditional Norwegian way, or you can make them a little thicker in the Swedish tradition. (Mine are never quite crepe-thin, mostly due to the fact that the thicker ones are easier to flip!)
Another option for customizing these Norwegian pancakes is that you can use a GF baking mix instead of regular flour to make them gluten-free. This is one of those recipes that tastes just as good when made gluten-free as it does normally! Here’s how to make them.
Add the eggs, water, and vanilla to a blender or stand mixer. Blend or mix to combine. Then add the remaining ingredients one at a time, blending after each addition until smooth.
Add a bit of butter to your pan or griddle, and preheat it over medium heat. Once the pan is warm and the butter has melted, pour about 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the cooking surface.
Cook the pancake for about one minute, then flip it over and cook for one more minute. Stack the finished pancakes on a covered plate to keep them warm until serving.
And then comes the best part… eating them! You can top them with whatever you typically like on pancakes or crepes. If you want to go the traditional route, you can’t go wrong with a simple combination of butter and sugar, or a heaping scoop of lingonberry jam. :-)
For a less traditional approach, the sky is the limit! We’ve tried a lot of different types of toppings, like maple syrup, whipped cream, brown sugar, powdered sugar, sliced strawberries, sliced bananas, Nutella, and more. These pancakes taste great topped with just about anything!
Does your family have a traditional Christmas morning breakfast?
Eating a big stack of these Norwegian Pancakes is a Christmas morning tradition at our house!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 296 kcal
Add eggs, water, and vanilla to blender. Blend. Add remaining ingredients, blending after each addition until smooth.
Butter a saute pan or griddle with some butter. Heat pan to medium; then pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Cook for about a minute, then flip it and cook about another minute.
Stack the pancakes and keep warm until serving.
Nutrition Facts
Norwegian Pancakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 296 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 140mg 47%
Sodium 150mg 6%
Potassium 122mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 33g 11%
Sugars 13g
Protein 7g 14%
Vitamin A 10.8%
Calcium 6.9%
Iron 9.6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.