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Recently we were with some married friends who were explaining that he cooks all the special meals for the family, and she cooks all the every-day food that keeps that family alive on a daily basis.

That got me to thinking about how it worked in my family when I was growing up. Mom was a great cook (she doesn’t do much cooking these days). All my favorite recipes were originally hers!

But Mom never did breakfast. She liked her “beauty sleep,” as she called it. And Dad was more than happy to be her beauty-sleep enabler. So if we ever had a special breakfast, that was Dad’s go-time.

Dad’s favorite breakfast to cook for us kids was his German Pancakes. Dad’s German Pancakes are crepes brushed with lemon juice and dusted with cinnamon-sugar, and then rolled. My brothers would eat them with maple syrup, but I like to be different so I always went with (Mom’s homemade) strawberry jelly as a topping.

Now that I’m the mom of my own household I’m not much different from my own mom. I like my beauty sleep. I expect everyone to get their own breakfast. But I often make BFD – breakfast for dinner.

And the plus side to making these German Pancakes is that you get to flip them like a boss!

Nailed it! (If you’re wondering what the jell-o boxes are for, they were there to help balance my skillet, which always sits crookedly on the burner.)

Here’s how you make them:

Dad’s German Pancakes Digest

In a blender, mix 4 eggs, 1 cup flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 1/3 cup milk. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides, if needed.
Warm an 8-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Pour in 1/4 cup of the batter and tilt the skillet to coat the bottom evenly. Cook until the edges appear dry. Shake the skillet to loosen the pancake (crepe). Flip confidently! Go all in on the flip. Don’t hesitate; just do it!
…Or use a spatula to flip. (If you must.)
Cook for just 20-30 seconds longer. Then slide onto a plate.
When the crepes come off the heat one by one, brush them with lemon juice and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon-sugar, and roll them up. Keep warm under a towel until all the crepes are cooked.

(Note: As you cook, your skillet might continue to heat to higher temperatures. Adjust the heat and the cooking time to make sure that you are cooking them through, but not browning them.)
Serve with jam or maple syrup (or Nutella, or…)

Here’s the recipe! Comment below with your rating!

Print Recipe

Dad’s German Pancakes

These crepes are brushed with lemon juice, sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar, and rolled. Serve them with jam or maple syrup.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Brunch

Keyword: Brunch, kid-friendly

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 cup flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1⅓ cup milk
cooking spray
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tbsp cinnamon-sugar
jam or maple syrup for serving

Instructions

In a blender, mix eggs, flour, salt, sugar, and milk. Blend until smooth.
Heat an 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add ¼ cup batter and tilt and tip skillet to evenly distribute the batter on the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the sides of the pancakes/crepes look dry. Flip (like a boss, or with a spatula – your call). Cook for about 30 seconds. Remove the crepe to a place. Continue with the remaining batter.
Brush the finished crepe (the one on the plate) with lemon juice and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon-sugar. Roll. Continue with the remaining crepes as they finish cooking.
Serve with jam or maple syrup. (Or Nutella!)

Notes

*As you cook, the skillet will likely get too hot. Turn the heat down and adjust cooking time as needed so that the crepes are cooked completely, but not crispy.

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