Super Easy Croatian Pancakes Recipe (Palačinke)

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Post author SJ

Written by our local expert SJ

Sarah-Jane has lived in Croatia for 10+ years. SJ, as she is known, has been traveling the Balkans & beyond since 2000. She now shares her passion for traveling with her husband & kids.

Palačinke…hmmm. Everyone loves pancakes and crepes, and whether they are sweet or savory, they are always a winner! Croatian pancakes are a big favorite in our house. Here is an easy Croatian palačinke recipe for you to enjoy!

Croatian Recipes_Receipe in English_Palacinke Recipe

From street foods to snacks at home, palačinke are a big favorite food here in Croatia.

I used to spell it palachinke – so don’t be ashamed if that is how you write it. This palachinke recipe, oops, I mean the palačinke recipe, is so easy you can make this with everything you already have in your pantry.

Palačinke are also served in Croatian and Serbian homes, and you’ll find them in both countries. Heck, they are found in some form all over the Balkans – and around the world. For example, I know Hungarians call them palacsinta.

Croats and Serbs make these in more of a crepe style than the USA-style thicker pancake (equally as good if you ask me!). But unlike the thicker pancakes, palačinke can be served either sweet with lashings of jam, Nutella, and cream or plated savory with ham and cheese. You’ll also find various ways to serve them across the Balkans.

When I joined my Croatian family, palačinke was one of my new favorite dishes my mother-in-law would just whip up at the drop of a hat – and nothing has changed.

 

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Palačinke, a popular pancake-like dish, beautifully presented on a wooden table.

Palačinke Recipe (Croatian Pancakes)

Palačinke...hmmm. Everyone loves pancakes and crepes, and whether they are sweet or savory, they are always a winner! Croatian pancakes are a big favorite in our house. Here is an easy Croatian palačinke recipe for you to enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 2-3 whisked eggs (I use 2 medium or 3 small)
  • 2 cups of whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons sparkling water (club soda)
  • 2 teaspoons rum, dark (optional)
  • Butter or oil non-salted butter for frying (you could also use shortening if you prefer)

Instructions

  1. Sift the flour, and slowly mix in the milk and whisked eggs
  2. Add the salt and rum if you are using it, then continue to mix with a hand mixer until the batter has no more lumps (if you need a little more flour or milk, add it very little-by-little), and finally add the sparkling water
  3. In a non-stick pan, over medium-high heat, melt a little butter or oil, ensuring that the butter/oil covers the whole surface of the pan
  4. Add 1/2 a cup of the mixture (I actually use a soup ladle to make it super easy) to the pre-warmed pan and swirl the batter around in the pan until it fully coats the pan (but is thin, the key here is for it to be a thin layer)
  5. When the underside is light brown, flip over the palačinke and cook the other side (approx two mins on each side on a low-med heat). You may need to cook 1 or 2 to find the right heat for your stovetop
  6. Place each one on a plate, and continue until you finish the batter
  7. Then add your desired filling, roll them up, and enjoy!

Notes

We love Podravka jam or Nutella - but you can add anything you like including whipped cream or icecream!

Rolled Palacike - Croatian Palacinke Recipe

In our house, our favorite fillings are rose-hip jam Nutella!

More Croatian And Balkan Recipe Ideas

Comments (18)

  1. My grandmother made crepes/palacinke for us all the time – what a delicious treat rolled up with sweet jam. My older cousins remember when she would fill them with toasted bread crumbs, butter and when available finely chopped walnuts. Once rolled, she would bake them in a bath of cream/milk or on holidays, would thin down a bit of wine to cover the palacinke before baking. I cannot find her recipe, nor much like it on the internet. I believe she called them “pece-maugers” or something similar (don’t go by the spelling, it is as phonetically as accurate as I recall. Any ideas?

    1. Hi Jill. I don’t know if this is what you are looking for google “Palačinke s orasima u vinskom umaku”

  2. was just looking for the way to spell palachinko or whatever, but you don;t let me copy the text…. so instead i took a screenshot of your recipe and am going to pass it off as my own on my website. thanks dick

    1. Wow

      Did your mother not love you enough? Do you wanna talk about you issues with someone? This isn’t the place for your mother issues to be dealt with but i am willing to help since you seem like a little lost bitch.

      1. I love palachinkes. My Grandma just made them with flour milk eggs with a pinch of salt and a little bit of sugar. She would get the oil hot and fry them up. I love them crispy on the edges. And thicker than crepes. They are so delicious. We eat ours with strawberry or apricot jam or just plain. My favorite croatian dish. Well that and Sarma. My Grandma has passed away but she taught her daughter in law(mom) very well. There are a few dishes I would like to attempt like a Christmas favorite. Walnut Torta. I just made polachinke with my son and He loved them. Thanks for the recipe. It jogged my memory after watching Grandma make it for many years. She really never measured any thing and she was very consistent putting out the Best food ever.

    1. Wow they are amazing!.I am Croatian and grew up eating them.maybe u should should have tried. Them before making that comment.

  3. I’m hurt that Croatians and Serbians are cited for this recipe but Bosnians are completely excluded. We grew up on palačinke and eat them too…

    1. I can’t tell if this is a joke or not… am I supposed to list every country in the world that eats pancakes?

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