Norwegian Pancakes have been bringing joy to our family for three generations –soon to be four! Whether it’s birthdays, holidays, or finals week, this breakfast is requested more than any other.
History
When I was 10, my brother went to serve a religious mission in Norway. We’re fairly proud of our Norwegian ancestry and were thrilled for him to share the culture when he returned. Little did we know one of the recipes he made for us would become a family favorite for generations to come. My mother, her children, and their children have all made Norwegian Pancakes with love. Now the fourth generation is getting married. I hope the tradition continues.
You can jump to Irene’s recipe or Grandma’s Recipe and skip tips and other interesting tidbits.
Where’s the Recipe?
I do not know if my brother made the recipe from memory, but there was never a recipe brought out that I remember. I’ve looked in the famed recipe box and there is no trace of one. When I asked my mom how to make them, she’d say:
Put a bunch of eggs in a bowl and add some sugar. (For my mom, everything was better with a little sugar — even lettuce.) Mix that together well and start adding flour with a bit of salt in it till it’s like banana bread batter — nice and thick. Then add milk a little at a time until it is runny, thinner than cake batter — more like a thin gravy. If it starts to thicken up as you’re cooking, add some more milk.
That was it. It was a visual art that you picked up from watching her for years. You knew what a bit and some and consistency was from watching and doing. She cooked by feel. My brother showed her once and she went from there.
When I had a family, and they wanted me to write it down for a cookbook, I had to guess. I also started adding vanilla. I lived with this particular brother, and he noted that he liked to add nutmeg. So I did, too.
How It’s Served
My brother ate his with brown goat cheese, which tastes peanut butterish to me. He’d also spread caviar on them, but I never developed a taste for that. I know that it’s eaten as a dinner dish quite often in Norway. We always served it for breakfast. My favorite way to eat it as a child was cinnamon sugar. I enjoy powdered sugar with lemon now. My kids always ask for strawberries and cream. Peanut butter and maple syrup is also a staple (since it reminds me of the brown goat cheese).
Grandma’s “Written” Recipe
With Facebook as a great sharing platform, I was thrilled when one of my many nieces posted pictures of a batch and some sweet memories. I love her darling handwriting. It means so much. She wrote:
“. . . when my mom moved and cleaned out cabinets, we found the little paper plate where I recorded the recipe from my Grandma Winsor after she made them for us. It was always special when mom or grandma made them because it took so long to do (a batch that size anyway)!
K.B.E.
“Women cooking for their families is such a special thing . . . I’m happy that I’ve made this recipe a tradition for my kids and I will do the same for grand babies too! Everyone needs some cinnamon sugar crepes in their formative years.”
As far as I know, that is the only time the recipe was written — at least from my Momma’s mouth. You can see that she always made huge batches because you can’t eat just one. I think her recipe would probably make at least 50 pancakes.
I made her recipe both recipes to compare them. They are very much the same, though I like it with vanilla and nutmeg better.
Traditions
This dish is truly a wonderful tradition that’s carried on in many of our families. Growing up, my kids got to choose what they wanted to eat for their birthday breakfast. More often than not, Norwegian Pancakes was chosen. Now when they come to visit with their families, they want Momma to make them their favorite. They fix them at their homes. The foster kids have picked up on this, too. Finals week, I asked what special breakfast I could make for them, and they chose this dish. That request prompted this post.
NORWEGIAN PANCAKE RECIPE
Grandma’s Original Norwegian Pancakes for a Crowd
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 cups of flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 cups of milk
Instructions
Mix sugar and eggs good. Add salt and flour. Mix real good. Add milk. Cook on frying pan on medium high heat.
What she didn’t write, you’ll find in my recipe as follows:
Irene’s Recipe (guessed from years of watching and tweaking)
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1/3 c. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 c. flour
- 1 1/2 c. milk
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cube butter for the pan
Instructions
With a blender, mix eggs and sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Blend well. Let sit about 30 minutes to thicken a bit. Batter should be thin. Heat a thick frying pan on medium to medium-high heat. I recommend a flat iron skillet. Rub the cube of butter on the hot skillet (or dab some with your spatula). Ladle batter onto hot skillet and spread to a thin layer by lifting and turning in a circular motion. When the batter isn’t shiny anymore, flip over with spatula. There should be golden brown lacing to indicate it’s done correctly. Cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Top with desired toppings.
Watch me do Grandma’s (Mom’s)
Music from #uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/hometown License code: IDVRGVBWKHMCXFZG
traditions and food bring joy
I hope you enjoyed this post and will give this recipe a try. Whatever your traditions are, remember to fill them with love. I know that every time I make or eat Norwegian Pancakes I feel my Momma’s love and joy fills my heart.
Your Turn
Norwegian Pancakes have been bringing joy to our family for three generations –soon to be four! Whether it’s birthdays, holidays, or finals week, this breakfast is requested more than any other.
History
When I was 10, my brother went to serve a religious mission in Norway. We’re fairly proud of our Norwegian ancestry and were thrilled for him to share the culture when he returned. Little did we know one of the recipes he made for us would become a family favorite for generations to come. My mother, her children, and their children have all made Norwegian Pancakes with love. Now the fourth generation is getting married. I hope the tradition continues.
You can jump to Irene’s recipe or Grandma’s Recipe and skip tips and other interesting tidbits.
Where’s the Recipe?
I do not know if my brother made the recipe from memory, but there was never a recipe brought out that I remember. I’ve looked in the famed recipe box and there is no trace of one. When I asked my mom how to make them, she’d say:
Put a bunch of eggs in a bowl and add some sugar. (For my mom, everything was better with a little sugar — even lettuce.) Mix that together well and start adding flour with a bit of salt in it till it’s like banana bread batter — nice and thick. Then add milk a little at a time until it is runny, thinner than cake batter — more like a thin gravy. If it starts to thicken up as you’re cooking, add some more milk.
That was it. It was a visual art that you picked up from watching her for years. You knew what a bit and some and consistency was from watching and doing. She cooked by feel. My brother showed her once and she went from there.
When I had a family, and they wanted me to write it down for a cookbook, I had to guess. I also started adding vanilla. I lived with this particular brother, and he noted that he liked to add nutmeg. So I did, too.
How It’s Served
My brother ate his with brown goat cheese, which tastes peanut butterish to me. He’d also spread caviar on them, but I never developed a taste for that. I know that it’s eaten as a dinner dish quite often in Norway. We always served it for breakfast. My favorite way to eat it as a child was cinnamon sugar. I enjoy powdered sugar with lemon now. My kids always ask for strawberries and cream. Peanut butter and maple syrup is also a staple (since it reminds me of the brown goat cheese).
Grandma’s “Written” Recipe
With Facebook as a great sharing platform, I was thrilled when one of my many nieces posted pictures of a batch and some sweet memories. I love her darling handwriting. It means so much. She wrote:
“. . . when my mom moved and cleaned out cabinets, we found the little paper plate where I recorded the recipe from my Grandma Winsor after she made them for us. It was always special when mom or grandma made them because it took so long to do (a batch that size anyway)!
K.B.E.
“Women cooking for their families is such a special thing . . . I’m happy that I’ve made this recipe a tradition for my kids and I will do the same for grand babies too! Everyone needs some cinnamon sugar crepes in their formative years.”
As far as I know, that is the only time the recipe was written — at least from my Momma’s mouth. You can see that she always made huge batches because you can’t eat just one. I think her recipe would probably make at least 50 pancakes.
I made her recipe both recipes to compare them. They are very much the same, though I like it with vanilla and nutmeg better.
Traditions
This dish is truly a wonderful tradition that’s carried on in many of our families. Growing up, my kids got to choose what they wanted to eat for their birthday breakfast. More often than not, Norwegian Pancakes was chosen. Now when they come to visit with their families, they want Momma to make them their favorite. They fix them at their homes. The foster kids have picked up on this, too. Finals week, I asked what special breakfast I could make for them, and they chose this dish. That request prompted this post.
NORWEGIAN PANCAKE RECIPE
Grandma’s Original Norwegian Pancakes for a Crowd
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 cups of flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 cups of milk
Instructions
Mix sugar and eggs good. Add salt and flour. Mix real good. Add milk. Cook on frying pan on medium high heat.
What she didn’t write, you’ll find in my recipe as follows:
Irene’s Recipe (guessed from years of watching and tweaking)
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1/3 c. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 c. flour
- 1 1/2 c. milk
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cube butter for the pan
Instructions
With a blender, mix eggs and sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Blend well. Let sit about 30 minutes to thicken a bit. Batter should be thin. Heat a thick frying pan on medium to medium-high heat. I recommend a flat iron skillet. Rub the cube of butter on the hot skillet (or dab some with your spatula). Ladle batter onto hot skillet and spread to a thin layer by lifting and turning in a circular motion. When the batter isn’t shiny anymore, flip over with spatula. There should be golden brown lacing to indicate it’s done correctly. Cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Top with desired toppings.
Watch me do Grandma’s (Mom’s)
Music from #uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/hometown License code: IDVRGVBWKHMCXFZG
traditions and food bring joy
I hope you enjoyed this post and will give this recipe a try. Whatever your traditions are, remember to fill them with love. I know that every time I make or eat Norwegian Pancakes I feel my Momma’s love and joy fills my heart.
Your Turn
Is there a food that your family traditionally makes just for the joy? Do your birthday traditions include food. I know – I know – cake and ice cream. Anything else? What food makes you feel loved?
Is there a food that your family traditionally makes just for the joy? Do your birthday traditions include food. I know – I know – cake and ice cream. Anything else? What food makes you feel loved?
I love this recipe and it is such a sweet thing to enjoy with family!!
Thanks for sharing the love!
Rarely do I eat breakfast foods. I love these pancakes though. Super easy to make. I always have to scrap my first few attempts tho. Until I get the hang of it. Then they fly off the pan like… Well hot cakes.
That’s funny! For some reason that happens. You must be related to my mom. Haha Luckily, no matter how ugly the first few “scrapped ones” look, they still taste great. We used to hover to see who could nab the scrap pile, then we’d cover them in cinnamon sugar and pig out.