Published: · Modified: by Petra Kupská
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Our family loves palačinky, and I'm sure it's the same in other Czech households! The basic batter for palačinky tastes neutral on its own, because it contains no sugar. Therefore, this rolled delicacy can be made with both sweet and savory fillings.
Table of Contents hide
➜ What Are Palačinky
➜ Ingredients
➜ Instructions with Photos
Serving
➜ Cook’s Tips
➜ FAQ
➜ What Are Palačinky
Czech palačinky resemble classic French crepes or Austrian Palatschinken. Palačinky are created by spreading smooth batter in a thin layer on a round-shaped pan, and then frying it on both sides until slightly brown. Fried pancakes are then variously filled, rolled up, or folded, and served.
Slovaks, our eastern neighbors, have a similar recipe made with potato dough called lokše.
In this recipe, I present to you a traditional way of filling: palačinky brushed with strawberry jam, rolled, and finally dusted with icing sugar.
TIP: Try out lívance, Czech pancakes covered in cinammon-sugar combo!
➜ Ingredients
Here you’ll find ingredients for Czech homemade palačinky crepes, an easy to follow and foolproof recipe:
- All-purpose flour; ideally sifted
- Milk
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter; melted
- Pinch of salt
- Vegetable oil; for frying
- Strawberry jam; for filling
- Icing sugar; to dust the rolled palačinka
In my experience, palačinky batter is better if you use eggs and milk warmed to room temperature.
✅You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
➜ Instructions with Photos
STEP 1: In a bowl, whisk the eggs with milk, add the melted butter, salt, and gradually whisk in the flour until a smooth semi-liquid batter is created.
Set aside and leave the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes. I let the batter rest on the kitchen counter; I never put it in the fridge because it contains melted butter.
STEP 2: Brush a non-stick pan with the oil. You don't need a large amount; just a little is enough.
Place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Allow the pan to heat sufficiently.
STEP 3: Remove the pan from the stove. Pour in some of the rested batter with a ladle. Let it spread evenly over the entire surface of the pan with a circular motion of the hand. Put the pan back on the stove.
Tip: The amount of batter necessary for one palačinka will depend on the size of the pan used. Allow approximately one ladle of batter for a 10 inches pan.
STEP 4: Once the palačinka is firm and can be moved while you shake the pan, flip the crepe carefully.
STEP 5: Fry the palačinka on the second side until slightly golden. It takes less time than to fry the first side – one minute, and you're done.
Serving
Place the fried palačinky on a plate, spread with jam, roll up and sprinkle with icing sugar. Instead of rolling up, fold the palačinka simply twice into a triangle shape.
Enjoy Czech palačinky warm or cold; both variants taste great.
If you store the remaining palačinky in a fridge, wrap them in foil to prevent the surface from drying out.
➜ Cook’s Tips
- Let the batter rest for at least half an hour before frying the pancakes. You can also prepare the batter the day before, then cover and refrigerate.
- Grease the pan with a pastry brush dipped in vegetable oil. The fat will be evenly distributed everywhere, and the pancakes will fry well. Repeat before each palačinka is fried.
- Stir the batter in the bowl thoroughly each time before pouring it into the pan. The flour tends to settle on the bottom and separate from the rest of the dough.
➜ FAQ
How to make the palačinky batter correctly?
You'll make the palačinky batter quickly by mixing all ingredients in a large bowl. I always grab a hand whisk, which whips everything perfectly and prevents lumps from forming. Another option is to use a blender and let it prepare a smooth palačinky batter without any effort.
The resulting pancake batter should have a semi-fluid texture, be smooth, and free of lumps or other solid particles.
Which is the best pan for palačinky?
Preferably use a special pancake pan. It has a non-stick surface and low beveled edges, so the palačinky don't stick and turn very well. The ideal pan size for frying Czech palačinky is around 10 inches (25 cm).
Why do my palačinky tear while flipping?
If you find that the palačinky tear too much when you flip them, it means only one thing - the batter is too thinned with milk and needs to be thickened with flour. Conversely, batter that is not spreading well needs to be thinned. Add a little milk to the bowl (about three tablespoons) and mix thoroughly.
More Czech desserts:
- Apple strudel – roll pastry filled with apples
- Kaiserschmarrn – shredded pancake aka trhanec
- Plum streusel cake – easy coffee cake
- Puffed pancakes – Czech svítek
Czech Palačinky Recipe
Palačinky are perhaps a favorite dish in every Czech household. The batter for palačinky tastes neutral on its own contains no sugar. Therefore palačinky can be filled with both sweet and savory fillings.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Resting Time:: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 10 pieces
Author: Petra Kupská
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Czech
Keyword: crepes, palatchinken
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cups (200 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 and ¾ cups (420 ml) milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- pinch of salt
- vegetable oil for frying
- strawberry jam for filling
- icing sugar to dust finished palačinka
Instructions
In a bowl, whisk the eggs with milk, add the melted butter, salt, and gradually whisk in the flour until a smooth semi-liquid batter without lumps is created.
Set aside and leave the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Brush a non-stick pan with the oil. You don't need a large amount; just a little is enough.
Place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Allow the pan to heat sufficiently.
Remove the pan from the stove. Pour in some of the rested batter with a ladle. Let it spread evenly over the entire surface of the pan with a circular motion of the hand. Put the pan back on the stove.
Once the palačinka is firm and can be moved while you shake the pan, flip the palačinka carefully.
Fry the Czech crepe on the second side until slightly golden. It takes less time than to fry the first side – one minute, and you're done.
Notes
- Makes about 10 pieces.
- Place the fried palačinky on a plate, spread with jam, roll up and sprinkle with icing sugar. Instead of rolling up, fold the palačinka simply twice into a triangle shape.
- Grease the pan with a pastry brush dipped in vegetable oil. The fat will be evenly distributed everywhere, and the pancakes will fry well. Repeat before each palačika is fried.
- Stir the batter in the bowl thoroughly each time before pouring it into the pan. The flour tends to settle on the bottom and separate from the rest of the dough.
- If you store the remaining palačinky in a fridge, wrap them in foil to prevent the surface from drying out.
DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:
Conversion chart
Nutrition Disclosure
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