Gordon Ramsay Scotch Pancakes Recipe

Gordon Ramsay’s scotch pancakes are thick, fluffy griddle pancakes made with buttermilk, vanilla, and whipped egg whites, served with fresh blueberries and maple syrup. They come together in about 20 minutes and make 12 small pancakes.

Ramsay doesn’t publish a recipe called “scotch pancakes” by name, but his buttermilk pancakes from Bread Street Kitchen (2015) follow the same small, thick format. He describes them as “light and fluffy American-style pancakes” that are “moreish and filling without being too sweet,” and suggests topping them with seasonal fruit or crispy smoked bacon.

The technique that sets his version apart: he separates the eggs and whisks the whites to soft peaks before folding them into the batter. Most scotch pancake recipes just mix everything together, which gives you a denser result. Folding in whipped whites traps air through the batter so each pancake puffs up lighter on the griddle.

FAQs

Why does Ramsay separate the eggs instead of adding them whole?

Whole eggs mixed straight into batter give you a flat, dense pancake. Separating the eggs lets you whisk the whites into soft peaks, which creates thousands of tiny air pockets.

When you fold those whites into the batter gently, the air stays trapped. On the griddle, those pockets expand with heat, so the pancakes rise thicker and lighter than they would with a standard mixed batter.

How is this different from his ricotta hotcakes?

The Bread Street Kitchen ricotta hotcakes take a completely different approach to getting fluffiness. Instead of buttermilk, they use ricotta cheese and whole milk as the liquid base, which gives a richer, slightly denser texture.

The hotcakes also whisk the whites to stiff peaks rather than soft peaks, and use less flour (75g versus 160g), so they hold together differently. They’re served with stem ginger butter and bananas rather than blueberries, pushing them toward dessert territory.

Why buttermilk instead of regular milk?

Buttermilk is slightly acidic, which reacts with the baking powder to create extra lift. Regular milk doesn’t trigger that same reaction, so you’d get flatter pancakes with less rise.

The acidity also tenderises the gluten in the flour, which keeps the pancakes soft inside rather than chewy. That tangy flavour balances the sweetness of the maple syrup on top, so the whole thing doesn’t taste one-note. If you’re looking for another way Ramsay uses buttermilk to add tang and tenderness, his buttermilk fried chicken uses the same principle.

Can these be made without buttermilk?

Ramsay doesn’t offer a substitute in the recipe, but the standard swap is regular milk with a squeeze of lemon juice. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 1/4 cups (300ml) of whole milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until it curdles slightly.

It won’t taste identical because real buttermilk is thicker and tangier from fermentation. The lemon version works in a pinch, though, and still reacts with the baking powder for lift.

Why does he cook them in butter and oil together?

Butter alone burns quickly over medium heat because of its milk solids. Oil alone gives you no flavour. Combining the two solves both problems.

The oil raises the smoke point so the butter doesn’t scorch during the 2-3 minutes each batch needs. The butter gives each pancake those golden, slightly caramelised edges that taste better than what oil alone produces. Ramsay uses this same butter-and-oil technique across his scrambled eggs and many pan-fried dishes.

What toppings work besides blueberries?

Ramsay suggests “any seasonal fresh fruit” and specifically calls out “crispy smoked bacon and maple syrup for that classic salty/sweet combination.” So he clearly sees these as flexible.

His Ultimate Cookery Course version of a similar recipe pairs ricotta pancakes with Greek yoghurt and honey instead of maple syrup. That’s a lighter finish if you find maple syrup too sweet. Stone fruit like peaches or plums work well in summer, while sliced bananas with a squeeze of lemon are a solid year-round option.