Classic South African Buttermilk Plaatkoekies
Bakes

Classic South African Buttermilk Plaatkoekies

These thick and fluffy pancakes are a nostalgic tea-time staple in many South African households.

15 mins Serves 4Shared by gareth

Origin & History

Known as plaatkoekies in Afrikaans, they are traditionally served at gatherings with butter and golden syrup or jam.

Adjust servings:
4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp melted butter

Method

  1. 1

    Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl.

  2. 2

    In a separate jug, whisk the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter together.

  3. 3

    Create a well in the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the wet mixture while whisking.

  4. 4

    Heat a lightly greased non-stick pan over medium heat.

  5. 5

    Drop tablespoons of batter into the pan and flip once bubbles appear on the surface.

  6. 6

    Cook until golden brown on both sides and serve warm.

Top Tips

  • Don't overmix the batter to keep the texture light and airy.|Let the batter rest for 10 minutes before cooking for better lift.|Use a heavy-bottomed pan to ensure even heat distribution.|Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

Serve with

Traditionally paired with other South African classics:

Community Kitchen

Every South African family has their own version of this recipe — small tweaks passed down through generations. Do you make yours differently? Share your family variation with the community.

Share the recipe

Free email · no account needed

Recipes, braai days and match days — in one email

New South African recipes, SA events near you and every Springboks, Proteas and Bafana fixture with the UK channel. Free.

Email only, unsubscribe any time. Privacy notice

Analytics

We'd like to use Google Analytics to count visits and see which pages get read. It stores an ID on your device. Say no and the site works exactly the same — nothing here affects signing in, the match-day poll or the newsletter, which don't need your permission because they only do what you asked for.

You can change this any time on our cookies and storage page.