Pannukakku, also known as Finnish Oven Pancake, has a crisp exterior and falls between a pancake and a custard. It puffs up like a Yorkshire pudding and can be served sweet or savory—this may become your new favorite for breakfast-for-dinner.
There’s a certain weather that makes you want to warm the oven and mix together simple, comforting ingredients: flour, butter, eggs and milk. Cold, rain, or snow seems to demand baked food, and Pannukakku is one of those easy, satisfying solutions that fits the bill.
Pannukakku is a regular, if sometimes forgotten, favorite in our house. I make it often enough to know it works, but not so often that I never need a reminder. When the kids beg for hot, unplanned breakfasts (or lunches or dinners), this is the recipe I pull out. It’s simple, quick and crowd-pleasing.
My stepmother, Val, is the source of the recipe I use. Over the years we’ve repeated the same short phone conversation: me admitting I forgot the proportions, and her patiently reciting them—four eggs, one cup flour, one cup milk, a pinch of salt, and sugar if you like. I call her about this recipe often enough that writing it down now means I can stop bugging her for it every season.
Pannukakku comes from Finnish cuisine and is especially common in areas of the U.S. with sizable Finnish communities, like the Upper Peninsula. It’s essentially a large pancake with custard-like qualities: a crisp edge, a tender interior, and a dramatic puff while baking. It’s delicious served either sweet or savory.
The texture is structured—not soggy—yet soft. You can make it barely sweet or quite sweet and pair it with a wide range of toppings: a dusting of sugar and lemon, fruit jam, sweetened whipped cream, Nutella, sausage gravy, stewed game, or sautéed mushrooms. It’s a flexible base that adapts to breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
At our table the kids like it with confectioners’ sugar or brown sugar and a squeeze of lemon. My husband prefers it with sausage gravy, calling it “SOS, but much classier.”
The ingredient list is short and likely already in your kitchen: eggs, all-purpose flour, milk (whole milk preferable), butter, and a pinch of salt. Sugar and a splash of vanilla are optional, depending on whether you want a sweet or savory result.
Finnish Oven Pancakes a.k.a. Pannukakku
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put 4 tablespoons (about 1/2 stick) of butter, cut into pieces, in an 8- or 9-inch cake pan or a 10-inch pie plate and place it in the oven to melt while the oven finishes heating. The butter should melt without browning.
In a blender combine 4 large eggs, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup milk (preferably whole), a pinch of salt, up to 4 tablespoons sugar (optional), and a splash of vanilla if desired. Blend on high until completely smooth, scraping the sides once or twice if needed.
When the oven is fully heated and the butter is melted, carefully pull the oven rack out and pour the batter into the hot pan. Return the rack to the oven and bake 30–40 minutes, until the pancake has puffed high and turned deep golden brown. Test doneness by inserting a butter knife into the center—if it comes out clean, the pancake is done.
Remove from the oven, cut immediately (it will deflate somewhat), and serve with your favorite toppings.
Suggested toppings if you add sugar to the batter:
- Powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon
- Fresh or frozen berries
- Brown sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup
- Fruit jam
- Sautéed apples with butter and caramel
- Sweetened whipped cream
Suggested toppings if you omit sugar:
- Sausage gravy with chopped green onions
- Beef or venison stew
- Rich savory gravy with mushrooms
Finnish Oven Pancakes (Pannukakku)
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons butter (about 1/2 stick, cut into pieces)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk (preferably whole)
- Pinch of salt
- Up to 4 Tablespoons sugar (optional)
- Splash of vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place an 8- or 9-inch cake pan or 10-inch pie plate with the butter in it into the oven when it reaches about 300°F so the butter melts while the oven finishes heating.
- Blend the eggs, flour, milk, salt, sugar and vanilla (if using) on high until smooth. When oven and butter are fully heated and melted, carefully pull the rack out and pour the batter into the hot pan. Return to the oven and bake 30–40 minutes until puffed and deep golden brown. A butter knife inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Remove from the oven, cut immediately (it will deflate), and serve topped as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 27 g
Protein: 10 g
Fat: 17 g
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use if needed.