Czech Palačinky Recipe - Cook Like Czechs (2024)

Published: Apr 22, 2021 · Modified: Jul 14, 2023 by Petra Kupská

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.

➜ 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

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