You could call it the world’s most flexible food. Sweet or savoury, thick or thin, street snack or sit-down meal – the pancake has done it all.
And it’s been around longer than you think.
Let’s flip back through time and see how this golden circle of joy became what it is today. Spoiler: it ends right here, in our kitchen.
From Ancient Grains to Griddle Gold
The earliest version of a pancake wasn’t exactly brunch-worthy.
Around 500 BC, the ancient Greeks and Romans were already mixing flour with water (and sometimes wine) to cook thin cakes on hot stones or metal plates.
No syrup. No toppings. Just a basic batter – the prehistoric power snack.
Fast forward to medieval Europe, and things start to sizzle. With the introduction of eggs, milk, and butter, pancakes became fluffier and richer.
They were eaten at feasts, fairs, and religious festivals – especially just before Lent, when people needed to use up their eggs and dairy.
The Pancake Goes Global
As trade, travel and colonisation spread across the world, so did the pancake.
Each region made it their own:
• In France, it became the elegant crêpe – thin, refined, and perfect for folding.
• In the US, the pancake got thick and fluffy – stacked high, drenched in syrup, and served at sunrise.
• In Asia, variations appeared with rice flour, mung beans, and scallions.
And in the Low Countries? We went big, flat, and bold.
The Dutch pancake – a hearty disc of batter, often the size of your plate (or bigger), and loaded with toppings – became its own culinary icon.
The Dutch Way: Bigger, Better, Bolder
By the 17th century, Dutch households were flipping pancakes with apples, bacon, or raisins. These weren’t desserts – they were full meals.
Pannenkoeken became a staple: cheap, filling, and endlessly adaptable.
Over time, they became tied to Dutch identity.
A birthday party? Serve pancakes.
A school trip? Stop at the pancake house.
A rainy day with your oma? Warm pancakes with stroop.
And then came the next chapter…
The Ultimate Evolution: Welcome to DPM
At Dutch Pancake Masters, we didn’t want to reinvent the pancake. We wanted to elevate it.
We took the traditions – the flatness, the toppings, the Dutch attitude – and pushed them further.
Think goat cheese with rucola and honey. Hot honey cheddar. Zalm, cream cheese, and herbs.
We kept the base, but turned up the volume.
The result? A pancake that’s rooted in heritage, but ready for today. Craveable, customizable, and unapologetically Dutch.
It’s not just a pancake. It’s the final form.
And you’ll find it here – home of the traditional Dutch pancake.
