With Shrove Tuesday coming our way, now is the time to serve up your pancakes with different toppings. Let lemon juice and crunchy sugar become a distant memory (albeit a good one though) and consider one of these recipes. First you need to consider what type of pancake you're going to make: fluffy American hotcakes, crispy thin French crepes, flourless ones.
Hot TikTok & Instagram trends for pancake toppings
These trending Pancake Day toppings range from indulgent, viral sweet combinations to elevated savoury options, with presentation being key. Biscoff continues to be popular, alongside Kinder Chocolate iterations.
• Biscoff Spread & Biscuits: A highly popular, creamy, caramelised spread.
• Pistachio Cream & White Chocolate: Pistachio cream is still enjoying the limelight. Melt the pistachio cream/butter and drizzle over pancakes. Pour over white chocolate, some chopped pistachios and raspberries.
• Caramelised Apples & Cinnamon: A warm, comforting option.
• Caramelised Banana & Rum: A popular, Instagrammable option involving pan-fried bananas with a sticky, spiced topping.
• Kinder Chocolate & Nutella: Trending, indulgent, and gooey.
• Salted Pecan Butterscotch: A rich, nutty, and sweet combination.
• Rhubarb & Custard: A nostalgic, seasonal, and trending flavour pair.
• Berry Compote & Chocolate Honeycomb: Homemade berry compote (berries, lemon juice, sugar) paired with crunchy, chocolate-coated honeycomb bites.
• Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate: A rich combination often served on crepes or thick American-style pancakes, frequently accompanied by fresh raspberries.
Top Trending Savoury Toppings
• Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese: A luxurious, popular brunch option.
• Ham & Gruyère Cheese: A classic, satisfying, melted topping.
• Bacon & Maple Syrup: A perfect mix of sweet and salty. Serve alongside blueberries.
• Spinach & Ricotta: A light, savoury option. Add a cheese sauce and you've got a light version of vegetable lasagne.
• Eggs Royale: A brunch-style topping using poached eggs, smoked salmon, and hollandaise sauce on savoury pancakes.
• Crispy Feta Fried Eggs: While a general egg trend, this has been applied to savoury pancake breakfasts for added texture.
• Duck Pancakes: A unique trend using Chinese-style hoisin sauce, shredded duck, and pancakes.
Popular Classic Toppings
• Lemon & Sugar: The number one, most popular choice. We like caster sugar to add a bit of crunch.
• Maple Syrup or Honey: A versatile classic.
• Nutella & Banana: A perennial favourite.
Popular Simple Toppings
These trends emphasise, above all, the visual 'drizzle' and 'layering' techniques that make for engaging social media content.
• Classic Refresh: Fresh fruits, yogurt, and seeds remain popular for aesthetic, healthy-looking videos.
• Peanut Butter & Jam: A classic combination frequently featured for its 'sticky' appeal.
Unconventional Toppings
• Baked Beans: A surprisingly popular choice among some.
• Vodka Lemon Drizzle & Blackberry Compôte: An adult-only, sophisticated option.
Create a pancake bar
If you're cooking pancakes for a crowd, consider creating a pancake bar so that your guests can choose to go down a savoury or sweet route, or both.
Presentation is key
TikTok pancake trends currently focus on visually striking, indulgent, and creative topping combinations that elevate the standard breakfast into a dessert-like experience.
TikTok pancake trends for presentation
• Pancake Cereal: Make mini pancakes and then put them in a cereal bowl and pour over maple syrup. Search for recipes using #pancakecereal.
• Pancake Spaghetti: Create long strands out of pancake batter and then serve with maple syrup. Find a recipe here.
• Pancake Tacos: Fluffy pancakes folded like taco shells and filled with various toppings like vanilla yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream.
@ellaroseee__ Pancake Tacos ???????????? countdown to pancake day ???? easy recipe idea!
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• Pancake Bowls: Pancakes served in a bowl format, allowing for layered toppings and easy eating.
• Pancake Stacks: Stack your pancakes high and then drizzle over your topping, creating a bit of drama, regardless of how tricky it is to eat.
FAQs About Pancake Toppings
1. What are the most popular pancake toppings in the UK?
The traditional favourites often include lemon and sugar, maple syrup or honey, and chocolate spread or Nutella. These classic toppings tend to top surveys of UK pancake preferences year after year.
2. Are people exploring unusual or creative pancake toppings?
Many people enjoy experimenting with more adventurous combinations, including sweet-savory pairings like bacon and maple syrup or even unconventional toppings like cheese, sauces, or fruit compotes.
3. What sweet toppings are trending for Pancake Day?
Sweet topping ideas range from classic lemon and sugar, fruit-based toppings like berries or banana with chocolate, to indulgent options like salted caramel and whipped cream.
4. Can pancakes be topped with savoury ingredients?
Pancakes aren’t just for sweet flavours. Savoury toppings like smoked salmon with cream cheese, sautéed mushrooms with Parmesan, or avocado and eggs are increasingly popular.
5. What should I consider when choosing toppings?
Think about balance: classic pairings like syrup and fruit offer sweetness, while savoury options can complement richer flavours. You can also mix sweet and savoury (e.g., bacon with syrup) for an adventurous twist.
6. Are there global or culturally inspired pancake topping ideas?
International flavours like matcha, sour cream combinations, or toppings inspired by other cuisines can bring variety to traditional pancake toppings.
7. How do I decide between sweet and savoury toppings on Pancake Day?
It’s entirely up to your preference! Many people enjoy starting with sweet options like lemon and sugar for dessert-style pancakes and then trying savoury toppings for brunch or lunch.
8. Are there any healthy pancake topping suggestions?
Lighter choices like fresh berries with Greek yoghurt or honey, or combinations involving avocado and eggs, can offer healthier alternatives to heavier sauces and spreads.
9. What toppings appeal to younger generations?
Younger foodies often embrace creative and bold combinations, from sweet-savoury blends like bacon with sweet sauces to more experimental choices that go beyond classic toppings. Let your kids choose their toppings and see where their imagination takes them.
10. Can I mix multiple toppings on one pancake?
Mixing toppings such as fruit with chocolate sauce, or combining syrup with nuts and whipped cream is a great way to personalise pancakes and make them more fun and flavourful. It's the kind of look you'll find in abundance on TikTok and Instagram. The whackier the combination, the better.
