Easy

Scotch Pancakes (Drop Scones)

Prep 5 minsCook 20 minsServes 4£0.40/servingClassic British

Scotch pancakes are the thick, pillowy little cakes that distinguish British griddle cooking from the thin crêpe-style pancake most people associate with Pancake Day. About the size of a digestive biscuit, golden on both sides, and soft enough to split apart with a fork - they are a classic of Scottish and British afternoon tea, equally at home on a breakfast plate. The batter takes five minutes to mix; each batch cooks in under ten. Call them Scotch pancakes south of the border, drop scones anywhere, or girdle scones if you are being properly Scottish.

Scotch Pancakes (Drop Scones) - classic british pancake recipe served on a plate, photographed from above

Ingredients

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Method

  1. 1

    Sift the flour into a large bowl with the sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre.

  2. 2

    Break the eggs into the well and add half the milk. Beat from the centre outwards until you have a smooth, thick batter. Add enough of the remaining milk to give a batter that drops slowly from a spoon rather than running freely - you may not need it all.

    The batter should be noticeably thicker than a crêpe batter. If it pours freely, it is too thin - add a little extra flour.
  3. 3

    Heat a large heavy-based frying pan or flat griddle over medium heat. Brush lightly with melted butter - the surface should be barely greased.

  4. 4

    Drop heaped dessertspoon-sized rounds of batter onto the pan, spacing them well apart. Cook until bubbles appear across the entire surface and the edges look set and dry - about 2 minutes.

    Do not try to move them before the bubbles form - the pancakes will tell you when they are ready to flip.
  5. 5

    Flip once and cook for a further 1-1½ minutes until the underside is evenly golden.

  6. 6

    Transfer to a folded clean tea towel - covering them traps steam and keeps them soft. Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the pan lightly between batches.

  7. 7

    Serve warm with butter and jam, clotted cream, or golden syrup.

Pro Tips

  • →The batter should be thick enough to hold a gentle mound when dropped from a spoon - if it spreads immediately into a thin pool, add a tablespoon more flour.
  • →Keeping cooked drop scones wrapped in a clean tea towel while you finish the batch is not optional: it traps steam and keeps them soft rather than turning them dry and leathery.
  • →Medium heat, not high - too hot and the outside browns before the centre has time to cook through.

Topping Ideas

Butter and raspberry or strawberry jam - the traditional choiceClotted cream and jam (cream tea style)Golden syrup - a classic Scottish accompanimentButter and lemon curdSoft cream cheese and smoked salmon (turns them into a savoury canapé)

Learn More

Terms in this recipe

Pancake DayShrove TuesdayDrop sconeCrepe

Defined in the Pancake Day glossary.

Questions & answers

What is the difference between Scotch pancakes and regular pancakes?⌄
British pancakes (the kind made on Pancake Day) are thin, wide, and crêpe-like - poured from a thin batter and cooked one at a time in a large pan. Scotch pancakes are small, thick, and fluffy - closer in texture to American-style pancakes but more compact and less sweet. The batter is stiffer, they cook in batches on a griddle, and they are traditional to Scotland and the wider UK rather than specifically associated with Shrove Tuesday.
What is the difference between drop scones and Scotch pancakes?⌄
Nothing - they are the same food with two names. The method name describes the technique: the batter is thick enough to be dropped from a spoon onto the griddle rather than poured. In Scotland they are most often called Scotch pancakes; in England, drop scones is equally common. You may also hear girdle scones in Scotland, where the griddle is traditionally called a girdle.
Why are they called drop scones?⌄
The name describes the technique: the batter is thick enough to be dropped from a spoon rather than poured. Scone here is used in its older sense - a small, flat, griddle-cooked cake - making drop scones a direct relative of the oven scone, cooked on direct heat rather than baked.
Can I use plain flour instead of self-raising flour?⌄
Yes. Use 200g of plain flour plus 2 teaspoons of baking powder in place of self-raising flour. The result is identical - self-raising flour is simply plain flour with baking powder already mixed in.
Do Scotch pancakes need to rest before cooking?⌄
A 5-minute rest is beneficial - it allows the baking powder to activate and gives the flour time to fully absorb the liquid, resulting in a slightly more even texture. Do not rest the batter for more than 20 minutes, however, as the leavening will begin to exhaust.
How do I keep drop scones warm while I cook the batch?⌄
Wrap each batch in a clean folded tea towel as they come off the pan. The towel traps steam and keeps them soft and warm. A low oven (100°C / 80°C fan) also works - spread them in a single layer on a baking tray so they do not go soggy.
Can I freeze Scotch pancakes?⌄
Yes. Cool completely, then layer between sheets of baking paper and freeze in a zip-lock bag for up to two months. Reheat from frozen in a toaster, in a dry pan over low heat, or in the oven at 160°C for five minutes.
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