Flapjacks vs Pancakes: What's the difference?

Flapjacks and pancakes – both are delicious and often confused. The confusion is due to the fact that the two words have different meanings in the US and the UK.

In the US and Canada, flapjacks and pancakes refer to the same food, while in the UK they are completely different.

This is understandably confusing, and many of us are left wondering:

What is the difference between flapjacks and pancakes?

The difference between flapjacks and pancakes will depend on where you are from. In the UK, flapjacks are tray-baked bars made from rolled oats, while pancakes are thin pastries made from batter, which are deep-fried in a pan or saucepan. In the US, both pancakes and flapjacks refer to the latter.

But it is not just about that, and to understand the difference between the two, we will have to delve into what they are made of, how they are prepared and how they are served.

Flapjacks and pancakes in the United States

As stated above, flapjacks and pancakes are used interchangeably in the US. Both refer to thin, round pancakes made with dough that is pan-fried or pan-fried on both sides.

The main ingredients of pancakes are milk, flour and sugar. A leavening agent, such as baking powder, is often used to make a fluffier, taller pancake.

Pancakes and flapjacks are often laid flat or stacked on top of each other and drizzled with syrup or other flavoring agents.

Flapjacks and pancakes are usually served for breakfast or dessert, and most are served sweet, with maple syrup, honey, sugar, cream, caramel or chocolate syrup, jam, or fruit.

Ingredients are often added to the dough itself, such as berries, bananas, apples, nuts, or chocolate chips.

However, pancakes and flapjacks can also be served as a savory dish. Savory toppings on pancakes and flapjacks vary widely and can include toppings like cheese, beef, or chicken.

In some parts of the US, these thin pastries are called flapjacks, and in others, pancakes. The southern and southeastern regions of the US are often called flapjacks.

In some parts, flapjacks and pancakes are also called pancakes and gridlecakes, so it can be quite confusing if you don’t know the different terms.

But don’t confuse any of these terms with waffles, they are not the same thing! In fact, we have dedicated an entire article to explaining the difference between waffles and pancakes.

Waffles and pancakes in the UK

Pancakes

In the UK, pancakes are the same as pancakes in the US, thin pancakes made from batter.

However, in the UK, pancakes are thinner and have a bit of a crispy edge.

They are more like crepes than American crepes, but are thicker, less sweet, and made with slightly different ingredients than crepes.

While in the US pancakes are laid out flat or stacked, in the UK they are served in a different way.

British pancakes are covered with a filling and then rolled. The filling can range from sweet ingredients like syrup, honey, jam, and fruit, to savory fillings like cheese, beef, chicken, or even eggs.

flapjacks

Next, British flapjacks, which are completely different from American flapjacks.

Again, in the US, flapjacks and pancakes are the same, but not in the UK.

In the UK, flapjacks are pan-baked or oatmeal slices that are cut into sticks. They are very similar to granola or muesli bars, and their main ingredients are rolled oats, butter, and brown sugar.

Various fillings can be added, such as dried fruit, nuts, coconut or chocolate.

In the UK, flapjacks are served with tea or as a dessert, or even as a quick breakfast on the go. They are quite easy to make and you can use some extra ingredients from your pantry to give them more volume. Also, once cooked, they last quite a long time.

different ingredients

If you’re looking outside of the US and thinking about the difference between pancakes and crepes, let’s dig into the actual ingredients that separate these two delicious breakfast treats.

pancake ingredients

The main ingredients of pancakes are flour, eggs, milk, butter, and sometimes a leavening agent. Of course, you can always substitute or remove ingredients, as we have done in our butterless pancake recipe.

You can add a little sugar to give the pancakes a sweeter taste, and you can also sprinkle a little salt, just to bring out the sweet flavors a bit more.

There are also those who choose to add vanilla essence, which is usually done when pancakes are made to accompany sweet foods, and not so much when pancakes are made to accompany salty foods.

Instead of butter, you can also use oil. You can also substitute buttermilk for the milk, which gives them a lighter texture and stronger flavor.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also add chocolate chips or fruit to the pancake mix for an extra sweet touch. You can choose between milk, dark or white chocolate, or a combination of both.

pancake ingredients

Flapjacks, of the UK type, are oat sticks that are baked in the oven. The most common ingredient is rolled oats. Along with oats, flapjacks include butter, sugar, and golden syrup.

Brown sugar or demerara sugar are the most popular, as they give flapjacks a more intense flavor. To give the pancakes more flavor, or to make them healthier and enjoy them for breakfast, you can include some of the following ingredients:

• Chocolate chips
• Nuts, such as cranberries or raisins
• desiccated coconut
• Nuts, such as almonds or walnuts
• Peanut butter
• chia seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• grated apples
• Goji fruits
• Berries

You can also find healthy flapjack recipes that use apples and bananas to bind the mixture together, which eliminates the processed sugar.

After the flapjacks are baked, they are sliced and allowed to cool.

As a treat, you can also cover the pancakes with a sauce or dressing. One of the most popular toppings for pancakes is chocolate frosting, made with icing sugar, cocoa, and a little hot water.

It is drizzled over the top of the pancake to form a hard layer of frosting. You can be very creative with the ingredients.

flapjacks vs. Pancakes - Final Comparison

These are the main differences between flapjacks and pancakes. This of course includes the British version of flapjacks and pancakes, which are two different things.

• Pancakes are made with a thin crust, while flapjacks are made with oats, sugar, and butter.
• The flapjacks are baked in the oven, while the pancakes are fried on the stove.
• Pancake ingredients include flour, milk, butter, eggs, and baking powder. The ingredients for flapjacks are oats, brown sugar, butter, and syrup.
• Flapjacks are not served with any additional fillings or toppings, although they may be covered in frosting or baked with additional ingredients. Pancakes are rarely served plain, but rather drizzled with honey or syrup, or rolled with fillings such as syrup, sugar, lemon juice, cheese, chicken, vegetables, etc.

difference table

To keep things simple, here’s a quick table summarizing all the differences between pancakes and flapjacks.

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Related questions

How do you make perfect American pancakes?

Pancakes can be difficult to make. The batter has to be the perfect consistency to roll out and you have to know when to flip the pancakes.

To make a pancake pan, heat it over medium-high heat on the stove. Add a drop of butter and check if it sizzles. If the butter sizzles, lower the heat and add the batter from the first pancake.

You will have to see how it is cooked before proceeding. If the edges of the pancake start to cook and brown, and bubbles form, then the pancake should be ready to flip and the bottom should be golden brown.

Here are some extra tips for perfect pancakes:

• You can substitute buttermilk for the milk to make a fluffier, crispier pancake. You can substitute milk for the buttermilk in the same ratio, but you will need to substitute 1 teaspoon of baking soda for the teaspoon of baking powder.
• Microwave the milk until lukewarm before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
• To prevent further clumps and to achieve a lighter pancake batter, sift the dry ingredients into the bowl before mixing the rest of the ingredients.

The buttermilk is important because it contains an acid that helps kick start the baking soda, to give the pancake more height.

The buttermilk also breaks down the gluten strands, which give the pancake a thinner, butterier consistency. Buttermilk is the secret to fluffy, light and soft pancakes!

How do you make perfect British pancakes?

Making flapjacks (the British kind) is pretty easy, and you can’t mess them up if you follow a recipe.

However, to help you out, here are some tips for making perfect flapjacks:

• Don’t cook the pancakes too long. If you leave them in the oven longer than they should, they will dry out, harden, and be unpleasant to eat.
• Add more flavor to the pancakes by adding dried fruits, nuts and coconut.
• For healthier pancakes, you can use applesauce or banana to bind the oats together, instead of sugar.

What is a Johnnycake?

Another addition to the confusion between pancakes and flapjacks are Johnny cakes.

Johnnycakes are very similar to pancakes, but made with cornmeal instead of flour, and are more common in the United States, especially on the Atlantic coast.

Johnnycakes can be served sweet or savoury, topped with different toppings, depending on what you eat them for: breakfast, lunch, snack or dessert!

Johnnycakes are slightly denser and have a different flavor than pancakes, but are still super delicious and easy to make.

What are crumpets?

Along with flapjacks and pancakes, you’ve probably also heard of crumpets!

Crumpets are closely related to English muffins and are considered pretty much the same thing in the US, but they are nothing like madeleines.

All of this may seem quite confusing, but simply put, crumpets are griddle cakes, made with flour, water, milk, and yeast or other leavening agent.

They are smaller, but much thicker than pancakes. They are served hot, with butter, syrup, honey or jam on top.

Like flapjacks and pancakes, crumpets can be eaten for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. They traditionally come from the UK, but are a fairly common food all over the world.

You can also find ready-made and packaged crumpets to sell in stores, which can be popped in the toaster, oven, or microwave to heat up and enjoy.