This South African Flapjacks pancakes recipe is for easy to make delicious, light and airy mini pancakes that can be served as a sweet treat or dessert topped with whipped cream, jam or fruit curd.
These mini flapjacks are very different to the British granola type of oat based flapjack bars, that are similar to Crunchies Oat and Coconut cookies that were left out to soften.
Breakfast flapjacks are similar to American buttermilk pancakes, hotcakes or griddle cakes usually served for breakfast, although more delicate in texture. Strangely enough, even though it is the perfect pancake recipe my mother never made these for us as breakfast pancakes.
When I was little, I was the official ‘barakat’ deliverer during Ramadhan, and went every night to our neighbours with a gift of sweet or savoury snacks before iftar.
The first iftar snack that my mother allowed me to make myself was her fluffy Flapjack pancakes recipe. It was the easiest recipe she could teach me while preparing the evening meal and keeping one eye on me.
My mother loved to make her recipe for Flapjacks, and although we mostly served it during Ramadhan, there were occasions when she would make it for unexpected guests as a quick afternoon tea recipe. Even as a teen and adult it was always a very quick recipe that we could whip up whenever we had nothing special to serve with tea.
How to make flapjacks pancakes
- This recipe for Flapjack pancakes is very versatile and can be eaten as sweet with flapjack toppings of caramel and banana or strawberry jam, berries and whipped fresh cream.
- For savory flapjacks we served it with butter and grated cheese.
- The eggs and sugar are whisked together until pale and creamy then added in two batches to the dry ingredients with the milk, melted butter and buttermilk.
- The flapjacks pancakes are cooked on medium high and the most important visual indicator that they are ready to flip are the tens of tiny bubbles that pop up on the surface.
- When serving with jam and cream the flapjacks pancakes do not require a smear of butter before the toppings are added. I do like to add butter though when having it with cheese.
You can also find more pancake recipes below:
- Cape Malay Pancakes with berries
- Almond and Coconut breakfast pancakes
- Cape Malay Banana pancakes
- Sweet corn and polenta fritters
South African Flapjacks
Ingredients
Flapjack batter
- 140 grams cake or fine sponge flour approximately 250 ml or 1 cup
- 7 grams baking powder approximately 7.5 ml or 1 1/2 level teaspoons
- 1.25 ml salt approximately 1/4 teaspoon
- 13 grams fine granulated sugar approximately 15 ml or 3 teaspoons
- 1 extra large egg
- 125 ml buttermilk approximately 1/2 cup
- 60 ml milk approximately 1/4 cup
- 30 grams butter melted (approximately 35 ml or 7 teaspoons melted butter)
Decoration
- 250 ml fresh whipping cream
- 125 ml fruit jam or lemon curd
- 200 grams Fresh raspberries or strawberries
Instructions
- Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt together in bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar until pale and thick.
- Gradually add the buttermilk and milk and whisk until combined.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add half the egg mixture.
- Next whisk in the cooled melted butter.
- Stir to combine adding the remainder of the egg mixture until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.
- Heat a heavy bottom frying non-stick pan or crepe pan to medium hot and drop tablespoon fulls of the batter to make circles approximately 5m in diameter. I used a 20ml ice cream scoop to measure.
- When the bubbles form on the top it is ready to turn. Do not flip over until the bubbles appear as it will not be fully cooked.
- Allow the flapjacks to cool then pipe rosettes of fresh cream and fill the indentation with jam or lemon curd.
- Decorate with fresh berries.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information for the recipe is an approximation and varies according to the ingredients and products used.
Help me to provide you with more delicious recipes by sharing this recipe with your family and friends, and please remember to like and comment if you enjoyed this post.
Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for more updates. Don’t forget to #tantalisemytastebuds if you share something you made on Instagram!
Want more? To get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to Tantalise My Taste Buds.
This recipe was originally refined and published for my guest post on the Gheza e Shiriin website, for their annual global Ramadhan round-up in 2016 called Ramadan – An Event to Share 2016
55 Comments
David Elliott
May 19, 2019 at 5:59 pmThose look ilke such a lot of fun and very delicious. I would love to get them a taste. We will have to try out making them here.
Alyssa Dawson
May 19, 2019 at 9:46 amThank you for the recipe! These look delicious! I know what I’m having my husband make tomorrow!
Kathy Kenny Ngo
May 19, 2019 at 9:06 amThe strawberry kept calling out to me. This looks really delicious!
Kaycee Enerva
May 19, 2019 at 3:29 amOoooh! This is such a creative idea compared to ordinary Pancakes!
Jackline A
May 19, 2019 at 2:48 amOmg those flapjacks look very tasty and are adorable. Thank you for sharing.
Tushar
May 19, 2019 at 2:34 amThese flapjacks look so pretty and would make the perfect accompaniment for afternoon tea.
Dana Brillante-Peller
May 19, 2019 at 12:56 amWhat a pretty treat. This would be great for when we have guests.
Razena Schroeder
May 19, 2019 at 1:27 pmAnd it’s so quick and easy to make it will be done in no time at all.
Melissa
May 18, 2019 at 11:04 pmWow, these look amazing!! I am going to have to try these!!!
Madhurima Maiti
May 18, 2019 at 7:00 pmI have never had flapjacks but these look very tempting. I am surely trying this out this weekend.
Alexandra Cook
May 18, 2019 at 4:57 pmThis looks nice and simple to put together but so delicious ! Perfect for a weekend treat!
Danielle
May 18, 2019 at 2:02 pmOh my gosh these look so so yummy. I will have to make them for my family ASAP.
Sophia
May 18, 2019 at 6:49 amThese look heavenly. I have never heard of this dish before.
Diana Dominguez
May 18, 2019 at 2:08 amWow…these look so yummy! I’ll have to try to make these!
Lydia Smith
May 18, 2019 at 1:31 amThis looks so tasty and delicious. I just wish to have a taste.
Nina Cochingco
May 18, 2019 at 1:12 amThis South African goodies really looks good. I love the presentation and I’m sure it taste great too.
Stefani Tolson
May 17, 2019 at 9:43 pmI LOVE mini pancakes. I bet my kids would love it I made these.
Owen G.
May 17, 2019 at 9:42 pmThese flapjacks are so cute. I really loved the presentation. Looks so yummy and indulging
Joanna
May 17, 2019 at 6:58 pmWhat a delicious recipe! I am used to the British flapjacks, which look nothing like these. I like that yours are so soft and look similar to pancakes. Love the toppings as well. 🙂
Razena Schroeder
May 18, 2019 at 10:57 pmI realised when I walked into a station convenience store in Guildford one day that the British flapjacks are a soft version of our South African Crunchies. I felt I needed to include the South African bit in the title to differentiate it somehow 🙂
Crystal Carder
May 17, 2019 at 1:59 pmThese mini pancakes are adorable! I would love to try this recipe for the kids, they would get a kick out of the mini pancake with the yummy toppings!
Monidipa Dutta
May 17, 2019 at 2:46 amThey look sumer delicious and easy to make. I’ll try them next week on my birthday.
Chad
May 17, 2019 at 2:16 amI drooled a little reading your post! I want this now please. I will try to make it in the next few days, ahhh i can’t wait.
Razena Schroeder
May 18, 2019 at 10:58 pmThanks for that, you made my day!
Kisha Stewart-Harris
May 17, 2019 at 2:12 amOh my, these look heavenly. I’m so used to only having pancakes for breakfast, but I can see having these at a ladies tea or even for an evening dessert! Can’t wait to try these.
Razena Schroeder
May 18, 2019 at 10:59 pmMy mum often did that, or roped me in to do it, when we had unexpected guests and nothing special to serve with tea. A little bit of fancy goes a long way in this case 🙂
Linda
May 17, 2019 at 1:12 amOh I love food inspiration from other countries! Love flapjacks but this version looks so delicious! Will try it out this weekend
POOJA MITRA
May 30, 2017 at 11:31 pmThis is like perfect to have with tea. Its simple, elegant, yum and family would love to eat this. I am adding this in my this weeks recipe list.
Razena Schroeder
May 31, 2017 at 11:15 pmYou can make up a batch in no time at all… or take a leaf out of my mum’s book and get one of the children to mix it 🙂
Aarika
May 30, 2017 at 10:41 pmThis recipe sounds amazing! I’ve never heard of South African Flapjacks, and I cannot wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Razena Schroeder
May 31, 2017 at 11:14 pmThey are totally different from the British flapjacks 🙂
Liz
May 29, 2017 at 11:12 pmThese look so good! I’m going to have to give them a try.
Razena Schroeder
May 31, 2017 at 11:14 pmThey are so simple to make too 🙂
Kylie
May 29, 2017 at 11:06 pmI love flapjacks, but I must admit your version sounds much more delicious! I will give these a try
Razena Schroeder
May 31, 2017 at 11:14 pmI remember the first time I saw something called Flapjacks in the UK in 1999. It was nothing like the ones I knew and were more like a squishy oatmeal bar. I prefer our flapjacks 🙂
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
July 14, 2016 at 6:28 pmThese sound delicious. Love trying the flavours of the world!!
Razena Schroeder
July 14, 2016 at 10:54 pmI love how there are so many variations of similar ideas all over the world 🙂
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
July 13, 2016 at 7:29 pmMuch lighter than the flapjacks we have here, I like your South African flapjacks, they look simply delicious
Razena Schroeder
July 14, 2016 at 10:54 pmThanks Bintu. Simple to make but quite delicious 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
July 13, 2016 at 2:21 pmO these sound and look fantastic!
Razena Schroeder
July 14, 2016 at 10:55 pmThank you Rebecca, you are too kind 🙂
Florentina
July 12, 2016 at 11:49 pmSo nice to learn about new foods from around the world. Looking forward to trying these lovely treats.
Razena Schroeder
July 13, 2016 at 5:04 amThey are so easy to make that even baking phobics will adore them ?
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
July 12, 2016 at 2:16 pmI have never heard of these before, but I am loving all kinds of desserts at the moment.
Razena Schroeder
July 12, 2016 at 8:29 pmMy Aunt used to say, a meal is incomplete without dessert, and one should actually have dessert first 🙂
Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C
June 28, 2016 at 8:44 pmI love learning about food from different countries. These flapjacks look delicious and are so versatile!
Razena Schroeder
June 28, 2016 at 9:09 pmThanks Andrea 🙂 They are lovely when you want something sweet or savoury without overindulging 🙂
Tina Marie
June 28, 2016 at 6:47 pmThey sound very delicious and look amazing.
Razena Schroeder
June 28, 2016 at 7:21 pmThank you for the kind words 🙂
Christine | Vermilion Roots
June 28, 2016 at 6:47 pmThese are so pretty. Are they similar to pancake? What’s the difference?
Razena Schroeder
June 28, 2016 at 7:17 pmI have always known these as flapjacks but from what I can tell from American pancake recipes, the flapjack texture is much lighter and less dense and sweet than pancakes. It’s also much more delicate.
Azlin Bloor
June 28, 2016 at 6:22 pmI love that since I’ve joined the FBC group, I’m getting the chance to visit your blog and learn more about South African food! This is going on my list of things to do definitely – flapjacks that look like pancakes! Awesome!
Razena Schroeder
June 28, 2016 at 7:20 pmThus far I must admit, I’ve started with the easier items. There is so much more than appetisers, fritters and cakes in South African cuisine. I feel like I have barely scratched the surface but will start with the more time consuming dishes soon in shaa ALLAH 🙂
Aish
June 28, 2016 at 5:49 pmLove it
Razena Schroeder
June 28, 2016 at 6:05 pmThank you 🙂