Perfect Nigerian Pancakes

perfect nigerian pancakes

Perfect Nigerian Pancakes

If you eat these perfect Nigerian pancakes, iree ute gi which means, you sell your mat and buy ingredients for pancakes! When something makes you sell that which you use to lay down to rest, it means that thing is so worth it.

Nigerian Pancakes are moist, supple and delicious. They are not dry and bread-like like their western counterparts.

Perfect Nigerian Pancakes [Video]

Recipes Related to Perfect Nigerian Pancakes:

Nigerian Pancakes Ingredients

  • 500g (1lb, 3.5 cups) all purpose flour
  • ½ cup evaporated milk
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Dry ground cayenne pepper (to your taste)
  • 1 litre (4.2 cups) water
  • Vegetable oil (for frying)

Notes on the Nigerian Pancake Ingredients

  1. To get the perfect Nigerian pancakes texture, all purpose flour (plain flour) must be used. Please do not use self-raising flour for Nigerian pancakes, you will get the dry, foamlike, bread-like testure of oyibo pancakes. If that’s what you want, this is not the recipe for you.
  2. The quantity of sugar stated above is perfect for us. If you like more or less sugar, adjust accordingly.
  3. To get smooth pancakes with no “obstacles”, use ground dry cayenne pepper. If you do not mind a bumpy pancake, add chopped habanero pepper.
  4. Nigerian Pancakes should be light hence why I used one litre of water. If you want it thicker (not enjoyable lol), add less water.
  5. For the classic taste of Nigerian pancakes, use tasteless and odourless vegetable oils. Vegetable oils sold in Nigeria are great for this. I used sunflower oil in the video below.
  6. Some people like onions in their pancakes, for that you can use onion powder (for a smooth result) or chopped red onions (for a bumpy result). Pancakes with “obstacles” are known as DIET in Nigeria. Chai o, the lady that sold Diet during my secondary school days made lots of money from me and my fellow students.

Directions for making the Nigerian Pancakes

  1. Break the eggs into a big enough bowl. See video below for important recommendations on breaking several eggs when preparing anything.
  2. Beat the eggs very well and add one third of the water. Stir till well combined.
  3. Sift the flour into the bowl.
  4. Mix by stirring the middle till everything is well combine. Crush any lumps that form.
  5. Add the evaporated milk, sugar and salt.
  6. Add a bit more water, mix very well, add a bit more water mix and keep doing that till all the water has been used up. If you mixed correctly (watch the video below), you should not have lumps but if you have lumps, pass the mix through a sieve with a wire mesh or use a handmixer to whisk it.
  7. Pour a tiny amount of oil into a frying pan. When it heats up, pour in a thin layer of the pancake mix into the pan. See the video below for the technique I use to get the perfect layer that is smooth at the edges.
  8. When the top of the batter cakes (I fry on medium heat), flip the pancake with a spatula to fry the other side.
  9. When the bottom side becomes golden to your liking, take it off and place in a flat plate. Fry the remaining pancake mix the same way.

Serve with youghurt, jam, Akamu, Ogi or Pap, Oatmeal, Smoothies, Hot Chocolate, Juices etc.