Pannenkoeken

Pannenkoeken are large, thin batter cakes fried whole in a single pan, big enough to fill the plate. Unlike a short stack of small pancakes, a Dutch pannenkoek is one single large cake per portion, often with bacon, cheese or apple baked directly into the batter rather than added afterward, and it's treated as a full meal rather than a breakfast side.

What it really is

A thin batter of flour, egg and milk pours into a wide, hot pan in one go, covering the entire surface to cook as a single large disc rather than several small rounds. Savoury add-ins like bacon or cheese, or sweet ones like apple slices, scatter directly onto the batter while it's still wet in the pan, so they cook baked into the pancake itself rather than being folded in or topped on afterward. It fries until set through and lightly browned, then flips once to finish the other side.

A single large pancake, not a stack of small ones, is the defining format. Where many pancake traditions serve several smaller cakes together, a Dutch pannenkoek is one substantial pancake per plate — the size and single-serving format are part of what separates it from a crêpe or a short stack.

How it's served

• Whole, on its own plate, cut into wedges at the table.
• With syrup for a sweet version, or as the full savoury filling for a bacon-and-cheese one.
• As a main meal, common for lunch or dinner rather than strictly breakfast.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the wheat, egg and dairy.
• Say what's baked into the batter, since bacon-cheese and apple versions are both common and very different orders.
• Note the size, since one pannenkoek is typically a full portion rather than a small side.