Swedish pancakes come sweet or savory – here, I’ll give you the run-down on sweet Swedish pancakes!

One very popular dish in Sweden is the pannkaka – the Swedish pancake. American readers might see the word “pancake” and think, “Oh! Swedish-style pancakes!”

Well, no. Swedish pancakes aren’t really just Swedish-style pancakes. They’re more like crêpes. In other words, while they do contain the most of the basic key ingredients of the American pancake, they do not include a raising agent, such as baking powder. As such, Swedish pancakes are flat and doughy.

Generally, people don’t mix any toppings into the batter of their pannkakor – they prefer to put them on top instead. In my experience, chocolate chip pannkakor aren’t really a thing, though maybe the odd Swede might do that.

What Swedes put on their pancakes varies, but one very common thing is fruit, especially berries, and especially lingonberries. For those of you who are unfamiliar, lingonberries (lingon in Swedish) are a type of berry which is very commonly found in the forests of Scandinavia. They are an important popular berry in the region, and in relation to the cost in other European countries, they are relatively cheap. When lingonberries aren’t available, or just as a matter of personal preference, many people have lingonberry jam on their pancakes instead. Lingonberry jam (lingonsylt) is never out of season, and if there’s an IKEA near you, you can find a jar in the food section!

As an alternative to lingonberries (or lingonberry jam), people often eat blueberries (blåbär) or blueberry jam (blåbärssylt), or strawberries (jordgubbar) or strawberry jam (jordgubbssylt). But it doesn’t stop there. Swedes don’t just put berries or jam on their pannkakor. Another key “topping” is cream. Sometimes it’s whipped, sometimes not – it’s a matter of personal preference (and what’s available to you in your kitchen!). Some people even replace their fruit and jam with hazelnut-chocolate cream.

What generally isn’t an acceptable topping is maple syrup. God forbid if you put maple syrup on your Swedish pancakes! Most Swedes, in my experience, think it’s way too sweet and unhealthy.

Pannkakor are generally eaten rolled up or folded rather than flat on the plate, something which obviously isn’t very practical with American pancakes. It is then sliced and eaten with a fork and knife. Since Swedish pancakes are generally presented on the table as a buffet of the pancakes themselves and their various toppings, the is done by each diner by themself on their own plate.

Swedish pancakes can be eaten either as a dessert or a main course. Many families eat pancakes with pea soup as a tradition on Thursdays. Some schools have picked up on this tradition and serve it for lunch on some Thursdays.

So, have you ever had Swedish pancakes? How do you make yours? What’s your favorite topping? Let us know in the comments!