Pikelets are as Australian as meat pies and Lamingtons. Quick to make – less than 20 minutes from start to finish – these mini pancakes are a delightful breakfast, or as a snack at any time of the day. These are really EASY Pikelets, I promise! Serve them with copious amounts of strawberry jam and cream for the true Aussie experience!
PIKELETS – an Aussie favourite!
It wasn’t until I was in my 20’s that I learned that pikelets are actually a very Aussie thing. I grew up thinking that kids all over the world were snacking on pikelets and begging their mums to make them for breakfast.
But actually, while they are well known in Australia and New Zealand (and apparently in Scotland???), the rest of the world is sadly deprived of pikelets.
Do you know what pikelets are? They are just mini pancakes! I don’t play favorites, I LOVE my pancakes, but the great thing about pikelets is that they can be eaten with your hands. It would be weird to daintily eat pikelets with a knife and fork. Just plain wrong!
The other little thing I want to share with you other than a little intro to essential Aussie grub is this very important cooking tip 😉 :
HOW TO MAKE THE FIRST PANCAKE PERFECT
Anyone who has made pancakes before would know that the first pancake comes out quite splotchy and sometimes a tad soggy, rather than perfectly light and fluffy and a beautiful golden brown. In fact, I even saw an episode of Brunch with Bobby Flay where he spoke of this exact problem.
It’s so childish of me, but I felt immense satisfaction with the knowledge that I knew something about cooking that Bobby Flay doesn’t know – that you can make the first pancake perfect, every single time.
All you need to do is melt butter in a non stick skillet, then wipe it off with a paper towel before putting the batter in the skillet. It’s a little trick I picked up from the clever folk over at America’s Test Kitchen. The pikelets in the skillet in the photo above are the first batch. They came out perfectly, just like this:
Pikelets are so popular in Australia, they are actually sold at supermarkets. It baffles me why anyone would ever buy them! I tried them once out of curiosity and they actually taste artificial. They have a weird fake vanilla-egg flavour.
But putting that, they cost a few dollars for a pack of 6 or so, whereas it would cost maybe $1 to make a dozen at home, with the added bonus that they taste so much better. And they are so fast to make, plus easier to handle in the skillet than pancakes.
An essential part of experiencing pikelets the true Aussie way is to serve them with copious amounts of jam and cream. Or lashings of butter. I’m partial to the jam and cream myself. 🙂
So whether for breakfast, for a snack, or a treat for company, I hope you give these easy Pikelets a go! And I hope you have a great weekend! – Nagi x
More Aussie favourites
-
Scones – and Lemonade Scones 3 ingredient shortcut scones!
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Pikelets
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups / 185g plain flour (Note 1)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup / 185ml milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extra (optional)
- 2 tsp butter
To Serve
- Strawberry jam and cream (heavy cream, whipped) or butter
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, add egg, milk and vanilla. Whisk until the batter is almost lump free - a few small ones is ok. The batter should be the consistency in between maple syrup and tomato sauce - see photo above in post.
- Melt butter in a NON STICK skillet over medium high heat. Then WIPE all the butter off with a paper towel so there are no visible drops of oil. This is how the first batch comes out beautifully golden instead of splotchy.
- Place 2 tbsp of batter (or 1/2 filled ice cream scooper which is what I use) into the skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface (see photo) then flip and cook the other side until golden (usually around 1 - 1 1/2 minutes). Repeat with remaining batter.
- Serve warm with jam and cream, or butter!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
I spy with my little eye….evidence that Dozer’s been snacking on pikelets…… 😉 Actually, I was training him to not touch food until I give the command. He absolutely hates practicing that which is why his face is turned away, refusing to look at the pikelet or the camera. Usually he just gets up and walks away from the food, that’s how much he detests it!
Pikelets and pancakes are a bit like muffins: over mixing makes them tough. Instead of whisking, use a wire whisk to SLOWLY stir the mixture until most lumps have gone. Leaving it sitting for a while once it’s half mixed makes it easier to get the lumps out.
Perfect recipe, but I add an egg as well as some vinegar to the milk (any kind of milk – I use soy) and no sugar (it’s not needed once you’ve added toppings). I spent my Australian youth in the early 80s taking plates of these with jam and cream to friends’ houses – who knew the history is actually Welsh, and they were called bara pyglyd – the English changed them to pikelets! 🙂
I also add a teaspoon of vinegar to the milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. It mimics the action of buttermilk in the pikelets. I like a small amount of sugar in mine because quite a few of my family eat them without a topping and it makes a nicer tasting pikelet.
Growing up in the UK pikelets were what you call crumpets!
Best pikelet recipe I’ve tried! Cooked these up for day 6 of my covid iso. I love all your recipes Nagi, and love the pictures of Dozer. thank you so much for sharing!
Came out perfect first time with your little trick 😉
Simply love your recipes , haven’t tried all but every recipe we’ve tried we love.
Hello, just wondering if you can make the batter ahead of time Ngairi?
What utter nonsense. Pikelets existed long before Australia was even colonised. And meat pies.
Absolutely beautiful recipe my granddaughters love them and they love Dozer so em i thanks Nagi.
The first batch mystery is finally solved! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Wiping out the butter in the non-stick worked at treat 🙂
Scotland is where many New Zealanders came from according to my mum. Her clan the Dow clan from Scotland moved to New Zealand long ago.
That’s good to know Isobella!! N x
Hi, can you freeze these ?
Yes you can Nicole! N x
I for the life of me can’t make pancakes, gave these picketers a go and fool proof. Amazing, kids gobbled them all up in no time.
I don’t think I’ve ever met a kid who didn’t like a pikelet!! N x
Can one use this Pikelet recipe to make waffles?
Thank you again Nagi for another wonderful recipe. I normally use my late Nanna’s recipe, thought today give yours a try, I would say your both equal. Thanks again.
We call them pancakes and we make them really big and cover them in syrup
We’ve got pancakes here too!! Pikelets are smaller – I think Americans call them Silver Dollar pancakes! N x
Loved the pikelets. Was always intimidated to do any “baking”, but starting small and with this bullet-proof recipe, approach and tips – it was child’s play. Loved the treat and Dozer pics 😎
Took me straight back to childhood again! I love your recipes (well, at least all those I’ve tried so far). X
THANK YOU!!!
I love a good Pikelets and these were great
Found out about these, while following another recipe here. So I had to try them right away, wasnt even done with the Crumpets, that I had started the pikelets 😅
Glad I did, discovered something delicious!
Bisous from Geneva, Switzerland ☺