Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (2024)

They somehow taste way better than American pancakes — which, I guess, isn't that hard to beat considering some box pancake mixes can actually taste like cardboard. That said, these "drop scones" taste the way pancakes SHOULD taste.

by Jen Shiori AdamsBuzzFeed Staff

Ever since Queen Elizabeth II died last week, I have been thinking a lot about her life.

Giphy / Via giphy.com

Her Majesty lived for 96 years and reigned for over 70 of them. And I feel like even though she was a monumental figure in history for so long, I didn’t really know too much about her day-to-day “normal” life. So, it got me thinking, what were the Queen’s favorite recipes? Like, what did she like to eat daily?

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (3)

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My curiosity was satiated when I came across this recipe of hers on Reddit for "drop scones," also called Scotch pancakes. They're apparently very similar to American pancakes, but thicker and smaller in diameter.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (4)

u/Twizzyu / Reddit / Via reddit.com

The Queen purportedly gave president Eisenhower this recipe 63 years ago, in 1959. For context, that's the year Hawaii became a state, and the year The Twilight Zone aired its first episode. Anyway, this is a photo of the two from that year.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (5)

Fox Photos / Getty Images

I figured that seeing an old recipe of hers floating around the internet was the universe's way of telling me to give the drop scones a try. Plus, I thought it would be the perfect way to honor Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (6)

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I gathered all the ingredients the recipe called for, which included flour, caster sugar, milk, eggs, cream of tartar, butter, and bi-carbonate soda, also known as baking soda.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (7)

Jen Adams

First, I cracked two eggs into a bowl.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (8)

Jen Adams

Next, I measured out 4 tablespoons of caster sugar and added it to the eggs. Caster sugar is also referred to as "superfine sugar," although it doesn't seem to be as common in the US as it is in the UK. The size of each sugar grain is smaller than "regular" granulated sugar but larger than confectioner's sugar.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (9)

Jen Adams

I followed that with 1 1/2 cups of milk, equal to 2 teacups, which is the first half of what her majesty's recipe calls for.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (10)

Jen Adams

After mixing the wet ingredients together, I added 3 cups of flour, and then the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (11)

Jen Adams

I then added 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 3 teaspoons of cream of tartar.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (12)

Jen Adams

Last but not least, I melted 2 tablespoons of butter and added it to the batter.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (13)

The mixture blended nicely together and — shocker — smelled exactly like pancake batter...in a really good way? It made me really hungry.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (14)

Jen Adams

The batter was smooth but definitely a bit on the thicker side, or at least not as runny as American pancake batter.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (15)

Jen Adams

There were no actual cooking instructions on the recipe, but after consulting the BBC and some comments on Reddit, it seems as if you're supposed to cook them like you would American pancakes. Drop scones are supposed to be small, so I decided to use a 1/4 cup measuring tool to scoop the batter into my butter-greased pan.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (16)

Jen Adams

My pan was on medium heat, and I let the pancake sit for a few minutes until I saw a few tiny bubbles rise to the surface.

Don't worry, everyone's first pancake is always terrible.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (17)

Jen Adams

Luckily, the second one looked way better.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (18)

Jen Adams

And the third was perfectly golden.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (19)

Jen Adams

There was a lot of batter, so it ended up making around 10 pancakes. (I will admit I ended up throwing out a few since I burned them so badly.) The recipe actually says it makes enough for 16 people, so I guess these were supposed to be even smaller than I made them. For reference, the drop scones pictured below are about five inches in diameter.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (20)

Jen Adams

At last, it was time to give them a try. I would estimate that the cook time took around 35 minutes, including the preparation for the batter.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (21)

Jen Adams

Per the suggestions of redditors, I decided to eat them with strawberry jam and butter.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (22)

Jen Adams

After cutting them open, I noticed they were definitely thicker than the average American pancake. They smelled buttery and looked moist.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (23)

Jen Adams

After taking the first bite, I was honestly a bit surprised by how delicious these were. They somehow taste way better than American pancakes — which, I guess, isn't that hard to beat considering some box pancake mixes can actually taste like cardboard. With that being said, these drop scones taste the way pancakes SHOULD taste.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (24)

Jen Adams

They are delightfully chewy with a dense, pound cake–like consistency. They were great with some dollops of butter and jam. I would highly recommend everyone start making these instead of traditional American pancakes.

I guess I'll never know much about the Queen's personal life, but at least I now know that she had great taste in pancakes.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (25)

Print Collector / Getty Images

Have you tried drop scones before? Let me know in the comments.

P.S. I also made aTikTokof this entire process, if you want to check that out.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Famous “Pancake” Recipe Just Resurfaced, And They’re Better Than American Ones (2024)

FAQs

What is Queen Elizabeth's pancake recipe? ›

Beat two eggs with 4 tablespoons of sugar and about one teacup (or 3/4 of a cup) of milk. Add 4 teacups of flour and mix in another teacup of milk "as required" Mix in 3 teaspoons of cream of tartar and 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate soda (baking soda) Fold in 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

What's the difference between American pancakes and Scotch pancakes? ›

Also called Drop Scones, Scotch pancakes are enjoyed for breakfast and as a snack in the United Kingdom. The main difference between Scotch and American pancakes is that the Scotch version is simpler. Ingredients include self-rising flour, salt, caster sugar, and eggs. Caster sugar provides a more caramelized taste.

What were the original pancakes? ›

In ancient Greece and Rome, pancakes were made from wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk. Ancient Greek poets Cratinus and Magnes wrote about pancakes in their poetry.

When did pancakes come to England? ›

The pancake has a very long history and featured in cookery books as far back as 1439. In the UK, pancake races form an important part of the Shrove Tuesday celebrations – an opportunity for large numbers of people, often in fancy dress, to race down streets…

What was Queen Elizabeth's favorite dish? ›

Queen Elizabeth adhered to a daily teatime meal; her preference for delicate sandwiches with the crusts cut off was well-publicized. Her favorite version was reported to be smoked salmon with cream cheese. If the old adage is true, one should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper.

What is the Favourite dish of Queen Elizabeth? ›

Chocolate perfection pie was one of her favourite dishes. It's layers of cinnamon cream and chocolate with a really crisp sugar pastry crust. She also liked chocolate mousse,” he said. Apart from her Earl Grey tea, the monarch also enjoyed indulging in scones, Gin and, of course, cake.

What's the difference between British pancakes and American pancakes? ›

And British pancakes are endlessly adaptable. Unlike their puffy, cake-like cousins, there's no sugar in the mix meaning they work for savoury toppings as well as sweet. And yes, I know the Yanks like theirs with bacon alongside the maple syrup, but that's down to an intense sweet-salt obsession.

What are American pancakes called in England? ›

What the English call a pancake is what Americans would call a crepe, and American pancakes, which are fluffier and more leavened, are called "American pancakes." (Scottish pancakes, on the other hand, are fairly close to American pancakes.)

What's the difference between American and British pancakes? ›

The main difference is that American pancakes are thick and fluffy, and they usually have baking powder as part of their ingredients. What is this? British pancakes are thin and larger, and they're usually rolled up or folded into triangles.

What is the oldest pancake? ›

600 BC - The first recorded mention of pancakes dates back to ancient Greece and comes from a poet who described warm pancakes in one of his writings. 1100 AD – Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) becomes a traditional way to use up dairy products before lent – the pancake breakfast is born.

Why are American pancakes so thick? ›

In North America, a leavening agent is used (typically baking powder) creating a thick fluffy pancake.

Do British people have pancakes for breakfast? ›

Pancakes not usually a UK breakfast item, either at home or in caffs. As TAG mentioned, some places in town will offer waffles & pancakes to tempt the transatlantic visitor. Most pancakes in the UK are usually part of Shrove Tuesday ritual or pudding/treat.

Why do British eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? ›

Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? It was the last chance for a spot of indulgence before 40 days of fasting, and also an opportunity to use up food that couldn't be eaten during Lent. This included eggs, fat and milk, which were made into pancakes and eaten on that day.

What country invented pancakes? ›

The first written records of pancakes come from the ancient Greeks and Romans.

What is Queen Elizabeth cake made of? ›

Queen Elizabeth cake is a lightly sweet, moist, and low-fat date cake, topped with a brown sugar, butter and broiled coconut mixture. "Queen Elizabeth cake" is named after the Queen of Canada, Elizabeth II, and may have first been made in 1953 for her coronation.

What is the queen of England eat for breakfast? ›

For breakfast she keeps things simple. Royal biographer, Katie Nicholl, has previously said: "HRH typically starts with a simple cup of tea and biscuits, followed by a bowl of cereal." (The Guardian previously reported she likes to keep it in Tupperware to preserve its freshness.)

What was Queen Elizabeth's favorite breakfast food? ›

Breakfast. Queen Elizabeth prefered to keep it simple when it came to breakfast. A bowl of Special K with some assorted fruits was apparently her go-to meal to get the day started the right way. On special occasions, she allegedly treated herself to some scrambled eggs and smoked salmon if she felt like it!

What cake does Queen Elizabeth have? ›

Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Cake: Chocolate Biscuit Cake.

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