IHOP Swedish Crepes

This homemade IHOP Swedish crepes recipe makes a delicious breakfast and after-dinner dessert treat. The delicate and soft pancakes are served with tangy lingonberry jam and sweet, creamy lingonberry butter. You’ll love it!

What are IHOP Swedish crepes?

IHOP Swedish crepes are a thin style of pancakes served with a sweet and tart lingonberry preserve, lingonberry butter, and a dusting of powdered sugar.

My easy copycat recipe allows you to recreate these flavor-packed pancakes in the comfort of your kitchen. They are easy to make and taste just as good, if not better.

For more IHOP goodness, try my IHOP New York cheesecake pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, and cupcake pancakes.

Ingredients

With simple kitchen ingredients, you’ll be able to create this yummy IHOP Swedish crepes recipe at home too. Please refer to the recipe card at the end of the post for specific measurements.

Swedish crepes

• All-purpose flour provides structure to the pancakes. Be sure to measure the flour with kitchen scales or use the spoon-and-level method.
• Whole milk is an essential addition to these lingonberry crepes. You could also use 2% or skim milk if that is what you have.
• Eggs bind the batter together. Let them warm to room temperature so they incorporate better.
• Powdered sugar: You’ll only need a touch for sweetness.
• Vanilla extract adds a bit of extra sweetness and flavor.
• Butter keeps the crepes soft, and we also need it to grease the pan. I like to use salted butter, but unsalted butter + a pinch of salt is fine too

Topping

• Lingonberry jam: The slightly sour taste of lingonberry jam contrasts beautifully with the delicate crepes. You can find lingonberry jam in the preserve aisle at most supermarkets or order it on Amazon.
• Lingonberry butter is made by combining softened butter and lingonberry jam. To make it check out my super easy lingonberry butter recipe.
• Powdered sugar: We dust our crepes with powdered sugar as a finishing touch.

How to make Swedish crepes IHOP

IHOP Swedish pancakes are easy to whip together, but the recipe takes some time to put together. Nevertheless, you will be rewarded with a restaurant-worthy meal. Here’s an in-depth explanation of the process:

#1: Mix crepe batter

• Combine wet ingredients. Whisk together the milk, eggs, cooled melted butter, and vanilla extract in a large glass measuring cup.
• Mix crepe batter. Place the all-purpose flour and powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Gradually pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth and lump-free.
• Rest batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour or overnight.

#2: Cook pancakes

• Preheat pan. Heat a crepe pan or non-stick frying pan over medium heat on the stovetop for a minute. Lightly grease with butter, whipping away any excess with a paper towel.
• Cook crepes. Take the batter out of the refrigerator and give it a quick whisk. Add 1/3 cup of batter into the pan and swirl around to cover the bottom of the pan. Fry until the edges begin to curl and the underside looks golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the crepe and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the crepe from the pan and repeat with the remaining batter. Grease the pan with more butter as needed.
• Keep crepes warm. Stack the crepes on top of another and cover the stack with tin foil to keep warm and soft.

#3: Serve

• Make lingonberry butter. Whisk together 4 tbsp lingonberry jam and 1/4 cup softened butter until smooth in a small mixing bowl. If too tart, sweeten mix with 1 to 2 teaspoons powdered sugar.
• Serve. Arrange 3 crepes on a plate. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with 2 tablespoons lingonberry jam and 2 tablespoons lingonberry butter. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tips for success

Making IHOP Swedish crepes is pretty straightforward, but having a few tips and tricks up your sleeve is always helpful. Here’s how to get perfect pancakes every time:

• Smooth batter: To achieve a smooth, lump-free batter, add the liquids to the flour in small increments and whisk until completely smooth before adding more. This avoids large lumps in the batter.
• Rest the batter: You can whip up the batter a day ahead of time and keep it in the fridge overnight. Resting the batter allows the flour to hydrate and the gluten to relax, resulting in more tender crepes.
• Heat the pan: Crepes will stick if the pan is too cold. So be sure to preheat your pan completely before adding batter. You also want to grease the pan with butter so the outside of the crepes becomes crispy.
• Swirl pan: After pouring batter, swirl the pan around to distribute to coat the base of the pan. If it doesn’t coat fully and you have some holes, simply drip some batter to fill up the gaps.
• Know when to flip: You know it’s time to flip when the edges start to curl up, the surface looks mat, and the underside is golden brown before attempting to flip. Then use a rubber spatula, slide under the crepe and flip it over.

Variations

• Lemon zest: For a lemony twist, add the finely grated zest of 1 organic lemon to the batter.
• Buttermilk: You can swap out regular milk for buttermilk. It will give the pancakes a subtle tang. We also have this tasty buttermilk crepes recipe.
• Cranberry sauce: If you can’t find lingonberry jam, use cranberry sauce instead. Both berries are similar in taste and can be substituted for one another.
• Different preserve: Feel free to serve your pancakes with another preserve in case you don’t care for the slightly tart taste of lingonberries. Blueberry, strawberry, cherry, blackberry, and apricot jam are all delicious options.

Storage instructions

How to store IHOP Swedish crepes

Swedish pancakes store well and will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Be sure to place them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly with plastic to ensure they don’t dry out. I also recommend storing the crepes and lingonberry jam separately.

Reheat Swedish crepes

When you want to eat, reheat the pancakes in a frying pan until crispy or warm them in the oven.

Can I freeze IHOP lingonberry pancakes?

Yes, you can freeze Swedish crepes. Once cooled, keep your pancakes between layers of wax paper (sandwich paper) in an airtight container.

You can freeze the crepes for 1 to 2 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave.

FAQ

Crepes vs. Swedish pancakes – Are Swedish pancakes crepes?

Swedish pancakes and French crepes use more or less the same ingredient and appear very similar. They are both thin, delicate pancakes rather than thick and fluffy American-style pancakes.

The difference lies in the ratio of ingredients. The Swedish pancake batter is a bit thicker than its French counterpart. As a result, Swedish pancakes are slightly thicker and chewier than ultra-thin French crepes.

Swedish pancakes are traditionally served with lingonberry jam or strawberry preserve and whipped cream. French crepes can be stuffed with both sweet and savory fillings.

Do I need a special pan to make Swedish pancakes?

No. You can cook Swedish pancakes in a traditional crepe pan just as well as in a regular non-stick frying pan. It helps if the sides of the pan are low so it’s easier to flip the pancake.

What can I do if my batter is lumpy?

You can easily fix a lumpy crepe batter. If there are only small lumps, simply pass the batter through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the chunks of flour.

And if you experience a lot of lumps, pour the batter into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Reasons to love Swedish crepes IHOP

• Kitchen staples: All ingredients in this Swedish crepe recipe are basic refrigerator and panty staples, making these crepes an easy breakfast option. The only special ingredient, lingonberry jam, is easily found at most supermarkets.
• Family favorite: Your family will love lingonberry pancakes! They are a delicious breakfast, brunch, and dessert recipe and can be made mid-week or at weekends.
• Stores well: IHOP crepes keep well and are great to have handy for a quick breakfast or snack.
• Versatile: IHOP crepes are super adaptable. You can customize them with any variety of sweet and savory fillings and enjoy them at any time of the day.