Hungarian pancakes, known as Palacsinta, are a beloved part of Hungarian home cooking. Unlike thick American-style pancakes, palacsinta are thin, soft, and lightly golden, much closer to French crêpes.

They can be served sweet or savory, but sweet palacsinta filled with apricot jam, cinnamon sugar, ground walnuts, or sweetened cottage cheese is one of the most familiar Hungarian versions.

Simple ingredients, quick preparation, and endless filling possibilities make palacsinta a wonderful recipe for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon treat.

What Is Palacsinta?

Palacsinta is a thin pancake made from a simple batter of flour, eggs, milk, and sparkling water.

The addition of sparkling water helps create a light batter that spreads easily across the pan.

Once cooked, the pancakes are traditionally filled and rolled or folded before serving.

Popular sweet fillings include:

• Apricot jam
• Plum jam
• Ground walnuts
• Cinnamon sugar
• Sweetened túró
• Cocoa and sugar

One famous Hungarian variation is Gundel palacsinta, traditionally filled with a walnut mixture and served with a chocolate sauce.

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Ingredients

For the Pancakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup sparkling water
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Additional oil or butter for the pan

For Serving

Choose your favorite:

• Apricot jam
• Strawberry or raspberry jam
• Ground walnuts
• Cinnamon sugar
• Powdered sugar
• Sweetened túró or farmer cheese
• Chocolate sauce