Pancakes are soft and fluffy cake-like foods that are a staple in ornate breakfast spreads as well as extravagant brunch banquets. These versatile foods are also savoured as desserts. Typically crafted by combining milk, eggs, and butter, pancakes come in various sizes and forms. For example, American pancakes are characterised by their thick texture and succulent taste; they’re quite large as well. On the contrary, French pancakes called crepes are extremely thin and crispy. The Desi dosa, too, is a type of savoury pancake!
A common thread that binds most sweet pancakes together, regardless of whether they are American or French, is the use of toppings. By themselves, pancakes can sometimes be dry. Therefore, they’re frequently drizzled with condiments, such as the classic maple syrup to enhance their flavour. Similarly, a host of toppings, including fresh fruits, nuts, and yoghurt, all of which will be covered below, can be used as pancake garnish to further enrich the beloved round-shaped treats.
Check out 7 popular pancake toppings.
Greek Yoghurt
Infuse your pancakes with a healthy spin by topping them off with creamy Greek yoghurt. The yoghurt will also help elevate the taste of the pancakes by giving them a burst of tangy flavours and adding a refreshing punch to them. For an added layer of sweetness and lusciousness, drizzle some honey onto the yoghurt-topped pancakes, and enjoy a filling and an enticing eating experience.
Nuts
Nuts are superfoods that are not only packed with vital minerals, but they are also versatile, combining well with numerous foods. To use them as pancake garnish, chop them up and add them on top of the pancake stack. Use any nut of your choice, such as walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans, and more; the list is endless! Nuts are treasured pancake toppings as they give much-needed crunch to soft pancakes.
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Caramel Sauce
Like maple syrup, the inclusion of caramel sauce as a pancake topping makes these breakfast treats even more delectable. This sauce imbues the pancakes with extra layers of sweetness, making the marriage of caramel sauce and pancakes a highly indulgent and sinful affair that beckons sugar junkies. The dense and velvety texture of the sauce also gives pancakes some complexity and dimension, greatly elevating their taste profile.
Fresh Fruits
Fresh fruits, including sliced bananas, kiwis, peaches, and berries, work wonderfully as pancake toppings. Ensure to pick the ripest and freshest fruits as pancake garnish to experience the wonderful depth of freshness the fruits bring to the pancakes. Fruits like berries also undercut the sweetness of the pancakes, leading to the creation of a balanced dish. Additionally, fruits add a healthy twist to an otherwise sugar-heavy dish.
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Bananas and Dark Chocolate Chips
Bananas and chocolate chips are a classic combination, and adding them as pancake toppings greatly improves the texture and flavour of flat cakes. The chocolate chips act as balancing agents, counteracting the sweetness of the pancakes and bananas to give the dish some edge and complexity of taste. You can also drizzle melted chocolate sauce on the pancakes for an added burst of chocolate.
Image Credits: Freepik
Peanut Butter
The nutty and salty flavours of peanut butter blend exceedingly well with the intrinsic sweetness of pancakes to help form a balanced and a delightfully sweet-salty tasting dish. Warm up the peanut butter before spreading it on top on the pancakes; the warmth of the butter plus the sponginess of the pancakes will enhance one’s eating experience by producing a soothing and comforting feeling in the mouth.