What To Serve With Pancakes: 12 Best Pancake Toppings

There's nothing that says weekend breakfast more than delicious fluffy pancakes, especially on lazy Sunday mornings!

I always turn to my trusted and easy buttermilk pancake recipe, but what are the best toppings to serve? Read on for 12 of the best side dishes to serve with pancakes!

Whether it's for a special occasion, pancake day aka Shrove Tuesday (when you're allowed to eat pancakes for main course!), or just a lazy weekend breakfast, serving sweet pancakes for your family always gets you in their good books!

I use buttermilk in my usual pancake batter to ensure my pancakes are light and fluffy, but sometimes I serve thin crepes with just lemon juice and sugar if I want something a bit more simple.

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Best Pancake Recipes
FAQs on Pancakes
What to serve with pancakes
12 Pancake Topping Recipes

Best Pancake Recipes

Before we discuss what to put on top of your pancakes, I'd first like to share my three favourite pancake recipes!

Easy Buttermilk Pancakes (UK weight measures)

An easy buttermilk pancakes recipe that produces the lightest, softest, fluffiest pancakes, with crisp golden edges!

Servings => 6

Takes => 20 minutes

Calories per serving => 414

Easy Buttermilk Pancakes

Scotch Pancakes (Drop Scones)

A plate of drop scones (scotch pancakes).

Scotch pancakes (also known as drop scones) are fluffy little pancakes made in a frying pan or traditional girdle. Much easier to make than traditional crêpe style pancakes, scotch pancakes are perfect for Shrove Tuesday, or any day of the week for that matter!

Servings => 15

Takes => 15 minutes

Calories per serving => 79

Scotch Pancakes

French Lemon Crêpes (Step by Step) - Emma Duckworth Bakes

Whip up a batch of these classic French Lemon Crêpes and serve them alongside a sweet lemon syrup and fruity Wild Blueberry Compote.

French Lemon Crêpes

I also have a soft spot for almond milk pancakes and cornmeal pancakes too!

FAQs on Pancakes

What is the difference between pancakes and scotch pancakes

Scotch pancakes are slightly sweeter than American-style pancakes, with a small amount of sugar in the batter mixture. In contrast, American pancakes generally contain fat as part of the batter mixture, usually melted butter, whereas scotch pancakes do not.

Where did the tradition of making pancakes come from?

The tradition of making pancakes came about to use up all the 'forbidden' foods before Lent in order to avoid spoiling and wasting food.

Does pancake batter need to rest?

If you can allow the pancake batter to rest for at least 5 minutes (up to 30 minutes if you have time) it will relax the gluten and ensure you get those fluffy, soft pancakes you've been dreaming of!

How long should pancakes cook on each side?

Heat a frying pan on a medium heat and lightly grease with oil or butter. Pour the batter to form pancakes of whatever size you like. Cook on the first side until small bubbles form on top (it should take between two and three minutes), then flip and cook on other side for between one and two minutes.

What to serve with pancakes

Some of the best pancake toppings!

Golden Syrup or Maple Syrup
Lemon Juice
White or Brown Sugar
Chocolate Chips
Peanut Butter
Fresh Berries
Banana Slices
Greek Yogurt
Fruit Compote
Blueberry Syrup
Sour Cream
Fresh Blueberries
Strawberry Syrup
Orange Zest
Dulce de leche
Ice Cream
Toffee Sauce
Fruit Curds

12 Pancake Topping Recipes

Easy Mixed Berry Compote

Frozen berry compote spooned over pancakes.

An easy mixed berry compote recipe made with three simple ingredients (including a bag of frozen mixed berries!).

Servings => 6

Takes => 12 minutes

Calories per serving => 61

Easy Mixed Berry Compote

Easy Blueberry Compote

An easy 3-ingredient blueberry compote recipe that can be made with fresh or frozen blueberries.

Servings => 8

Takes => 16 minutes

Calories per serving => 39

Easy Blueberry Compote

Stewed Rhubarb

A quick and easy stewed rhubarb recipe flavoured with warming ginger and zesty lime juice.

Servings => 4

Takes => 15 minutes

Calories per serving => 111

Stewed Rhubarb

Microwave Lemon Curd

An easy microwave lemon curd recipe made in under 5 minutes!

Servings => 20

Takes => 10 minutes

Calories per serving => 90

Microwave Lemon Curd

No Churn Honeycomb Ice Cream

An easy no-churn honeycomb ice cream recipe made with Cadbury Crunchie Bars, double cream, and condensed milk. All you need is an electric whisk and loaf tin to enjoy this summer-time treat.

Servings => 8

Calories per serving => 462

No Churn Honeycomb Ice Cream

Blackcurrant Coulis

An easy, 3 ingredient, blackcurrant coulis recipe. Great for using up a glut of blackcurrants from your garden. The tart, fruity coulis is delicious stirred through yogurt, spooned over ice-cream or served with a plain vanilla cheesecake.

Servings => 10 servings

Takes => 15 minutes

Calories per serving => 36

Blackcurrant Coulis

Easy Strawberry Coulis