Chocolate Marshmallow English Pancakes

These Chocolate Marshmallow English Pancakes are so delicious, you’ll never want to make them any other way on Pancake Day again! Growing up my mother would always make English Pancakes for Pancake Day, sprinkled with lemon juice and sugar. I loved them that way, still do, but they just don’t cut it for my two chocolate obsessed kids.

So I wanted to start a new Pancake Day tradition and create a version that they too would love. I happened to be thinking about this on a day I made the kids their 50th hot chocolate of the winter season - I was inspired! I melted chocolate, marshmallows and cream into a velvety decadent ganache that is so good you’ll want to eat it right off the spoon - forget about the pancakes!

When it comes to the English Pancake batter, I’ve kept the recipe simple but the flavour and texture on point. You don’t need to rest this batter or make it hours in advance, but you can if you want too. 

Have a little one in your family? They can enjoy these pancakes too, see how here >

What is an English Pancake?

An English pancake is very similar to a French crêpe, and is often made with the same ingredients and in the same way, except for English Pancakes you add a little more batter to the pan than you do with crêpes, so the pancake turns out a little thicker. They are usually 2-3mm thick, where as a crêpes is around 1mm. They both have no leavening agent in like fluffy American style pancakes so they are a lot thinner in comparison. Unlike thick American Pancakes, English pancakes and French crêpes allow you to fill them with a sweet or savoury filling and fold or roll them up.

Making my Chocolate Marshmallow English Pancakes

The Batter

Start by measuring your milk into a large measuring jug, followed by the cold water and then the eggs. Once that’s done, melt your butter in the microwave, 20-25 seconds is all it needs, followed by a good stir to melt it fully and set aside. Add your flour and salt to a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the wet ingredients from the jug, followed by the melted butter. Be sure to start whisking the batter as soon as you’ve done that, so the melted butter doesn’t have time to harden in the cold liquids. Then, just whisk on low until well combined.

Making the Batter in Advance

This batter doesn’t need to rest and thicken, but it’s fine if it is so it can be made ahead of time. You can make it up to two hours ahead, cover and leave at room temperature. Or you can make it the day before, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook. Either way, you will need to give it a quick whisk again right before you make the pancakes. The batter will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Making the Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache

Now you can do this in a bain-marie over a low heat, stirring often until melted, but I tend to do it in the microwave - it’s just a little easier! Make sure you use a medium microwave-proof bowl. You’ll want to add the chocolate to the bowl first. Now, you can use a bar of dark chocolate broken up into squares, or dark chocolate chips - either works. Then add in your mini-marshmallows. Finally, drizzle the cream all over the marshmallows so they get coated a little. 

Then transfer to the microwave, and to start, heat for 1 minute. Usually you’d melt chocolate in the microwave at 20 second intervals, but we have added cream and marshmallows to the bowl so this timing will be fine. Then you’ll want to remove the bowl and give the mixture a good stir. Return to the microwave and heat in 30 second bursts, stirring very well between each go, until the marshmallows have fully melted and you have a smooth ganache. 

Stopping the Ganache Setting

If you make the ganache just before you start cooking the pancakes, over time it will start to set. If you decide to cook all the pancakes in one go and keep them warm in the oven, it’s best to make the ganache once they are all done. 

Alternatively, if you are going to cook a pancake, spread it with ganache and serve straight away or then keep the filled pancakes warm in the oven, the ganache should be fine. Every time you go to add the ganache to a pancake, just give it a stir first. If at any point the ganache starts to set, just pop it back in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and then give it another good stir. 

You can also add a ½ tablespoon of coconut oil to the chocolate before you melt it, to help stop it setting and to keep it glossy.

Cooking the English Pancakes

You’ll want to start with a nice hot pan so the first pancake turns out well. Go for a medium frying pan (around 11 ½ inches / 30cm in diameter) and heat over a large burner, on a medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Then use a silicone brush to coat the pan in a little butter or flavourless oil and immediately spoon in some batter.

The best way to add the batter to the pan is with a ladle. You’ll need to work out the right amount to add for your pan and ladle, you want the pancake nice and thin. For me, I fill each ladle to almost but not quite full. Add the batter to the pan in a quick motion and immediately and carefully swirl the pan around so the batter thinly and evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Then start to time it. The first side of each pancake will need the longest, between 1 minute 30-45 secs. Then flip and cook the other side for around 45 seconds - 1 minute.

If you are cooking all the English Pancakes in one go, you’ll want to stack the pancakes on a plate and keep them warm in the oven. Preheat the oven to 70ºc/160ºf. I like to line the plate with a piece of baking paper and then put a small square of baking paper in between each pancake to eliminate sticking. You don’t have to do that, but some of the pancakes may stick a little to each other.

Alternatively, you can also spread them with the ganache one by one, fold and keep warm in the oven. I tend to just make them one by one and serve as I go, but that’s just me!

Assembling my Chocolate Marshmallow English Pancakes

One at a time, place a pancake spotty side up. Add a large spoonful of the ganache to the centre and using a cake spatula (or back of a spoon) spread it in an even layer across the entire pancake. Then carefully fold in half and then fold that in half to form a quarter pancake.

Kids Cook Too

Enlist the help of your little ones to make these, they’ll enjoy helping to measure out the ingredients and they can also help make the ganache. Just be careful if the bowl starts to get hot from the microwave.

Feed a Crowd 

This recipe will make 10-11 English Pancakes and plenty of ganache to fill them with. If you need more, or want plenty of leftovers, by all means the quantities can be increased by adjusting the servings below in the recipe.

Storing My Chocolate Marshmallow English Pancakes

The batter can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days (day of make + 1). You will need to give it another quick whisk before you add it to the pan.

The cooked English Pancakes can be stored in the fridge, in an air-tight container for up to 3 days (day of cook + 2). This is also true of the pancakes once you have filled them with the chocolate marshmallow ganache. When storing them, separate with a small square of baking paper so they don’t stick together. Just reheat them in the microwave. How long you reheat them for will depend on how many you are reheating.

You can also freeze the pancakes, plain and flat, or filled with the ganache and folded. You can cook them in the microwave straight out of the freezer, again, how long will depend on how many you heat at a time. Once done, leave to cool off a little.

If you have any left over ganache - don’t waste it! Pop it into a mini bowl, cover and refrigerate. Doing this will cause it to set and it will leave you with an indulgent pudding pot! That can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 3 days (2 days + make day).

For more on safe food storage and reheating read here >

Diet Details

My Chocolate Marshmallow English Pancakes are nut-free, just make sure the chocolate and marshmallows you use don’t say “may contain nuts” on the packs.

Making My Chocolate Marshmallow English Pancakes Suitable for Baby Weaning  

If you have a little one who is weaning, or a toddler, they don’t need to miss out! When you make the batter, leave out the pinch of salt. Then, once cooked, leave their pancake plain and cut into strips. I used to fold pancakes in half and then cut with scissors. You could also bump up the day’s intake of vitamin C by squeezing over the juice from an orange, Crépes Suzette - baby style! I used to do this when my two were little.

I’ve also added these notes to the bottom of the recipe so you have them to hand when you come to cook. For more info on how I keep my family meals suitable for baby weaning, read here >

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