Queen Elizabeth's Pancake Recipe

In the wake of her passing, Queen Elizabeth's pancake recipe (as shared with President Dwight D. Eisenhower) has gone viral.

In the days since her passing, the late Queen Elizabeth II's famed pancake recipe has resurfaced thanks to Reddit and a bunch of pancake enthusiasts.

Of course it is only natural that in the wake of her death, while the late monarch lies in state, that there's a resurgence of interest in the royal and her life.

Her legendary pancake recipe is the stuff of folklore - pancakes said to be so delicious that they were a favorite of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Why Are Queen Elizabeth’s Pancakes Famous?

Back in 1960 President Eisenhower and his wife Mamie were invited to visit Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle in Scotland as her personal guest.

Many years later on September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II would later pass away peacefully at Balmoral Casttle at the distinguished age of 96.

Some time after President Eisenhower's visit to Balmoral in the 60s, it is said that he raved about the Queen's pancakes being the best he'd ever had.

Following the visit, Queen Elizabeth II sent the sitting U.S. President a personal letter sharing her pancake recipe, which now lives in the National Archives.

Thanks to a generous internet sleuth who shared the recipe with fellow Reddit users, we can now share Queen Elizabeth's pancake recipe with you!

What Ingredients Are in Queen Elizabeth’s Pancake Recipe?

While largely a standard pancake recipe, Queen Elizabeth's pancake recipe has a few characteristics that are decidedly in keeping with British cuisine.

Notably, a few of the measurements are not those you'd generally see in the States, so in the full recipe below we have adapted those measurements.

To make Queen Elizabeth's pancake recipe, you will need:

• Flour - As with all pancake recipes, Queen Elizabeth's pancake recipe rests on a foundation of flour. All purpose flour will work perfectly. If you are gluten free, try our gluten free blueberry pancake recipe instead!
• Caster sugar - Also sometimes spelled castor sugar, you can technically swap out granulated sugar for caster sugar if need be. Caster sugar is simply a finer sugar, but not so fine as confectioner's sugar. Add your granulated sugar to a food processor and pulse it until it's a bit finer and you effectively will have made caster sugar.
• Milk - Like any good homemade pancake recipe, the Queen calls for milk, not water in her recipe.
• Eggs - While Queen Elizabeth's pancake recipe doesn't specify the size of eggs, we always default to large eggs for baking.
• Baking soda - To be precise, the Queen's pancake recipe calls for bicarbonate soda, but this adjustment is easy as it's simply another term for baking soda!
• Cream of tarter - An acid that will help activate the baking soda, cream of tarter makes for beautifully light and fluffy pancakes that aren't flat or dense.
• Butter - The Queen used melted butter in her pancake recipe, a move we stand behind - melted butter emulsifies with the eggs and milk creating a wonderful texture.

How to Make Queen Elizabeth’s Pancake Recipe

The basics for making Queen Elizabeth's pancake recipe are just that — basic! The process is very simple, yielding delightfully light and fluffy pancakes.

These steps are much like any of our other beloved pancake recipes, like our cinnamon roll pancakes recipe or zucchini bread pancake recipe.

1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and cream of tarter in a mixing bowl either by sifting or whisking well to combine.
2. Add the eggs, milk and melted butter then fold just until the dry ingredients are incorporated - do not over mix or the pancakes may be tough and chewy.
3. To cook, scoop 1/4 of batter onto a pre-heated, greased griddle.
4. Cook each pancake until bubbles form and pop on the surface, then flip and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. 
5. Repeat with the remaining batter.