Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) On A Budget
Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) is upon us again, where we all get to enjoy crispy, golden delicious pancakes drizzled in syrup and other tasty toppings.
With just a couple of simple ingredients, you can make yummy pancakes that the kids will absolutely love. If they are old enough, you could even include them in the cooking stage, especially the part we all want to do - the pancake flipping!
Best of all, with Pancake Day there’s no need to flip your finances upside down too, as here are our top tips from the Fair For You team on enjoying Pancake Day on a budget.
P.S. Reading this post at any other time of the year? That’s okay, pancakes are equally delicious at any time!
When Is Pancake Day?
Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) falls on Tuesday, 13th of Feb for 2024.
Easy (And Cheap!) Pancake Day Recipe
The beauty of pancakes is that they are easy to make, taste delicious and really don’t cost the earth to produce either.
All you’ll need for the pancakes are:
175g Plain flour
3 large eggs
450ml Milk
Sunflower oil
Toppings
Step #1 - Weigh out the flour in a bowl and add in the eggs along with half of the milk. Whisk the mixture until it forms a smooth batter. Then add in the rest of the milk and set the mixture aside for half an hour.
Step #2 - Gently warm up the pan and add in a drop of the oil. Once the pan is coated, remove any excess oil using a kitchen paper towel. Allow the pan to get hot before adding enough batter to cover the surface of the pan. Ideally, the coverage should be thin as you’ll need to be able to flip the pancake.
Step #3 - As the pancake starts to cook, look for when the edges begin peeling away from the base of the pan. Give the pan a little shake to see if it’s ready to flip, or if it needs a few seconds longer. Once ready, flip the pancake and give the other side a couple of minutes to equally cook.
Step #4 - Transfer the cooked pancake onto a plate and add on your chosen toppings!
Step #5 - Give it 30 seconds until the kids ask for another one. We say this in jest, but actually your mixture should make several pancakes so that you’re already on this!
Pancake Topping Ideas (Cheap, Popular & Tasty Suggestions!)
The traditional way to top a pancake is to use sugar and lemon juice.
Be aware that around Pancake Day, supermarkets often increase the price of Jif lemon juice, maple syrup and similar famous pancake toppings. A single fresh lemon costs around 30p, so if you shop smart for the rest of your ingredients you can keep the cost as low as possible.
In general, here are some pancake toppings ideas to try depending on your budget:
Bananas and chocolate chips
Caramel sauce
Coconut flakes
Fresh fruit
Honey
Ice cream
Jam
Lemon
Maple syrup
Nutella
Nuts
Savoury toppings
Strawberry syrup
Sugar
Whipped cream
If you can use whatever you have in your cupboard, this is going to offer you the cheapest way of topping your pancakes without having to spend any extra money. Plus, decorating pancakes makes for a fun free activity for the kids!
Fair For You - Discover Our Money Saving Tips
Fair For You helps those on a low income afford the things they need for their home and family. As a non-profit lender, we are different from other lenders because we’re on your side.
Take a look around our website to see the products you could purchase from Fair For You including how much your items would cost to pay back depending on what you can afford.
For instance, for cooking those tasty pancakes, we sell a range of cooking appliances including hobs from leading brands including Hotpoint, Indesit and Whirlpool.
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