Icelandic pancakes (pönnukökur)
Icelandic pancakes (pönnukökur) are thin, crêpe-like pancakes, often flavoured with vanilla and sometimes cardamom. They’re rolled up with sugar or folded with jam and whipped cream, and often served with coffee at weekends and family gatherings.
How are Icelandic pancakes served?
The everyday way is to sprinkle sugar on a warm pancake and roll it into a tube. For a party, they’re spread with rhubarb or berry jam, topped with whipped cream and folded into quarters.
Many households have a dedicated pancake pan, the pönnukökupanna.
Easy Icelandic pancake recipe
Makes about 15 thin pancakes on a 20 to 22 cm pan. Treat the quantities as a starting point and adjust the milk until the batter is thin.
- 250 g plain flour
- 2 eggs
- 500 ml milk (add more for thinner batter)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 50 g melted butter
- ½ tsp baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla sugar)
- a pinch of ground cardamom (optional)
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and half the milk and whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in the rest of the milk, the vanilla and the melted butter. The batter should be thin, like single cream.
- Heat a crêpe pan over medium-high heat. Pour in a little batter and swirl it round to cover the pan thinly.
- Cook until the edges lift and the underside is golden, then flip briefly.
- Serve rolled with sugar, or with jam and whipped cream.
Making them at home
Pönnukökur are mostly made at home. The first one or two often don’t come out right while the pan heats up, which is normal. For other Icelandic baking, see our guide to Icelandic food.
Quick answers
What is the difference between Icelandic pancakes and crêpes?
Very little. Both are thin and pan-fried. Icelandic pancakes are often flavoured with vanilla and sometimes cardamom, and served rolled with sugar or with jam and whipped cream.
What do Icelanders put on pancakes?
Sugar, or rhubarb or berry jam with whipped cream.
When do Icelanders eat pancakes?
With coffee at weekends, birthdays, confirmations and family gatherings.
Sources
Written by Elfar Tjörfi Steinason. We checked the facts in this article against these sources on 19 October 2026:
