Wild Garlic Pancakes -An Easy Spring Recipe With Ramps

Golden brown pancakes filled with fresh green wild garlic goodness, these Wild Garlic Pancakes are the perfect springtime meal. They’re ready in minutes and are a luxurious yet incredibly simple meal to enjoy any time of the day! 

 I adjusted the ingredient amounts of a Swedish Pancake Recipe to make a thicker batter. The traditional method of cooking the pancakes is the same and the result is a soft, garlicky pancake that melts in your mouth! 

Ingredients

2 Eggs 

2 Bunches Wild Garlic Leaves – rinse and pat dry using kitchen paper or a clean towel 

You can find wild garlic at many farmers markets in the spring, well stocked supermarkets or forage your own of course! 

1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour—You can substitute 1/4 of the all-purpose flour for fine-ground whole wheat flour. If you add more than that, you will need to add a little more liquid, such as a splash of cold water or milk. 

1 1/4 Cups milk – you can use regular full-fat cow milk or plant-based milk, like oat milk, if you prefer. The added fat in cow’s milk helps to create soft pancakes, like the ones you’ll find served at Ikea.

Pinch of salt

For frying: Butter, coconut oil, olive oil, or a neutral vegetable oil 

optional: freshly ground black pepper

Makes 6-8 pancakes

Equipment

• A large mixing bowl
• Hand mixer
• Ladle
• Large skillet or frying pan – preferably non-stick.

Instructions

1. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl.

2. Add the salt, black pepper if using,  and half of the milk to the whisked eggs, mixing until well blended.

3. Add the flour and mix thoroughly to create a clump-free batter without overworking. Gradually add the remaining milk, mixing until fully incorporated.

4. Roughly chop the wild garlic leaves and fold into the batter using a wooden spoon or spatula.

5. Heat a teaspoon of butter or a little oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. The pan is ready when small bubbles form in the butter or oil.
Pour approximately ½ cup of batter into the hot pan, depending on the size of your pan. Be sure to include the wild garlic in each scoop, which can otherwise sink to the bottom of the batter.

-Carefully swirl the pan to distribute the batter evenly. If needed, use a fork to spread the wild garlic leaves in a single layer.

If you find that the batter is too thick to swirl around the pan then you can add a splash of cold water or milk to the batter and mix thoroughly.  

6. Flip the pancake when the edges begin to curl, the batter sets, and the underside is golden brown. Cook the second side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes total.

It’s time to flip when the edges of the pancake start to curl upwards, the batter starts to set, and if you peek, the underside of the pancake should be a golden brown. 

Repeat until the pancake batter is used up.

​Serving suggestions

Serve hot with a knob of butter, a splash of lemon juice, or some sweet chili sauce. 

These pancakes remind me of Chinese scallion pancakes, which feature Chinese chives,(wild onions similar to spring onions) as a key ingredient and are traditionally served with a side dish of soy sauce. 
I often make a quick dipping sauce that combines soy sauce, lemon juice, and grated ginger, and it’s always a hit.

Variations 

I sometimes like to add other wild edibles like wild mustard or dandelion leaves. Some of which taste better when sauteed in a little garlic and butter first before adding them to the pancake batter.