These Christmas breakfast pancakes with sultanas, cranberries and festive spices are perfect for making on Christmas morning.
They’re very easy to make and, if you like, you can make the batter on Christmas Eve and store in the fridge over night, then give it a quick whisk before cooking the pancakes the next day – they’re actually better when you do this!
You can mix up the dried fruit as you like. I think sultanas and cranberries work nicely together, and cranberries are so festive, but you could add cherries, raisins, dates – any dried fruit you like.
Why You’ll Love These Pancakes
- Perfect for Christmas morning (or any festive breakfast).
- Make-ahead friendly – prep the batter the night before, very little effort in the morning (more time for unwrapping presents!)
- Light, fluffy, and full of warming spice.
- Easy to customise – swap in your favourite dried fruits.
- Delicious for kids and grown-ups alike!
Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations
- Plain flour, eggs, bicarbonate of soda, milk – these are your standard pancake ingredients. I’ve added bicarbonate of soda to give them a touch of fluffiness. You can use any milk – semi skimmed, whole and skimmed all work, as do dairy free milks.
- Dried cranberries and sultanas – as mentioned above, you can use other dried fruits. Just keep the actual volume of dried fruit the same (total 120g) if you do switch it up.
- Ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg – these combined make a beautiful, nostalgic festive flavour and you’re going to absolutely love it!
Method
- Make the batter:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and eggs until smooth. Gradually add the milk while whisking, then add the bicarbonate of soda. - Add the festive flavour:
Stir in the cranberries, sultanas, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until evenly distributed. - Cook the pancakes:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Spoon in the batter to make pancakes about 10cm wide (you’ll need to cook in batches). - Flip and finish:
Cook for 2–3 minutes on one side until golden, then flip and cook for another 2–3 minutes. - Serve warm:
Stack them high, dust with icing sugar and drizzle with honey or maple syrup.
Toppings
I like to top my pancakes simply with a dusting of icing sugar and a drizzle of honey (because they have no added sugar, these pancakes can take a sweet topping), but why not also try:
- Fresh fruit – orange, apple or pear would be lovely.
- Yoghurt – a thick Greek yoghurt would make a delicious topping.
- Ice cream/chocolate sauce/maple syrup – it is Christmas, after all!
Top Tips
- Make ahead: The batter can be made the night before. Cover and chill, then whisk before cooking.
- Keep warm while cooking: Stack the pancakes on a plate and cover loosely with foil while you cook the rest.
- Batch cook and freeze: Once cooled, freeze in layers with baking paper between them. Reheat in the toaster or oven.
- No bicarb? Use self-raising flour instead.
Other Festive Breakfast Ideas
Round out your Christmas morning spread with these festive recipes:
- Spiced Christmas Muffins with Cranberries and Orange
- Mince Pie Spirals
- Christmas Frittata with Pigs in Blankets and Brie
- Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough
- Christmas Chocolate Brownies — perfect for later in the day!
They all make wonderful additions to a Christmas breakfast buffet or lazy festive brunch.
Christmas Breakfast Pancakes
Light, fluffy Christmas breakfast pancakes made with cranberries, sultanas and festive spices. Perfect for Christmas morning, and the batter can be made ahead on Christmas Eve!
Start Cooking in Cook Mode
Ingredients
- 200 grams plain flour
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 300 ml milk
- 40 grams dried cranberries
- 80 grams sultanas
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour and eggs until smooth. Gradually add the milk, whisking all the time, then add the bicarbonate of soda.
- Tip in the fruit and spices: whisk together combine.
- Put the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add ladles of the mixture to the pan to make pancakes about 10cm wide. You will need to do this in batches.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden underneath, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and repeat with the rest of the batter.
Video
Notes
Variations
- Vegan version: Use a plant-based milk and swap the eggs for 2 tbsp apple purée or 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 2 tbsp water.
- Chocolate chip pancakes: Add a handful of chocolate chips to the batter for extra indulgence.
- Orange twist: Add the zest of one orange to the mix – the citrus pairs beautifully with the cranberries.
Storage & Make Ahead
Make ahead:You can absolutely make these pancakes ahead of time in two ways:
- Make the batter the night before (my favourite method). Mix everything together on Christmas Eve, cover and chill. The batter thickens slightly overnight which actually makes the pancakes fluffier. Give it a quick whisk before cooking.
- Cook the pancakes ahead and reheat on Christmas morning. Once cooked and cooled, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
These pancakes freeze beautifully.
Lay them flat on a tray first so they don’t stick together, then move to a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheating:
Reheat from chilled or frozen:
- Toaster: The quickest and easiest method — pop them straight in.
- Oven: 160°C for about 5–7 minutes.
- Microwave: 20–30 seconds (they’ll be softer this way).
Perfect for any time of the year, but especially Christmas!