Spongy pancakes riddled with thousand tiny holes, this is Baghrir my friends. When you are craving some sweet fluffy pancakes dipped in honey or syrup, here’s the recipe you need to make hassle-free authentic Moroccan pancakes at home.
Baghrir is a very airy and spongy kind of pancakes. A Moroccan traditional recipe that is unbelievably light.
I rarely make pancakes, I am not a fan either!!.
When my kids want pancakes, they usually make it themselves. They open the ipad, search for a recipe, gather ingredients and make it. I need to post a photo of the kitchen after they are done making it, complete mess :/.
Baghrir is a Moroccan twist to the pancakes, but let me tell you it is very easy to make and very light. It is spongy to the point that when you drizzle it with honey it soaks up all the honey and becomes succulent and so delicious. And it is so easy to make, much easier than the regular pancakes, let me show you.
First: put all the ingredients except the baking powder in a blender and mix well.
Then add the baking powder, mix again. Let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Heat an 8" skillet, pour the batter until it spreads all over the skillet. You'll notice lots and lots of tiny bubbles forming on the surface, much like the Atayef but even more in bubbles. Cook only on one side. Let it cool down and serve.
Batter should be runny, easily pourable and spreads easy to the edges of the pan. It should not be lumpy as the pancake one.If yours is not runny enough add more water by a Tablespoon at a time.
I was first introduced to the savory form of baghrir, my friend rolled them over hard boiled eggs cut into pieces, it was very good. She said they used to make it by hand back in the old days and it required lots and lots of mixing, but today's blenders made it super easy to make baghrir.
What I like most about baghrir - besides its spongy characteristic - is that it is very easy and that no guessing is required. I always hated the " do not overmix" word on the pancake boxes or recipes. With baghrir a twirl in the blender and it is done and successful too.
My kids ruined the Moroccan heritage by eating Baghrir with maple syrup, but at least they were kind enough to eat it with the pure natural one :). I enjoyed mine the traditional way, with honey.
This is a great recipe for breakfast/treat , easy, simple and you can make it for a change to your everyday pancakes. You can freeze and reheat just as you do with pancakes.
Have you ever tried Baghrir before? where did you try it? and what was your best way to enjoy it? If not, I hope you'll like this recipe and probably make it soon... Until next recipe, have fun in the kitchen.
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Watch this "how to make it" video:
Moroccan pancakes (Baghrir)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups warm water.
- ½ Tablespoon dry yeast.
- 1 cup semolina.
- ½ cup All purpose flour.
- a dash of salt , about ⅛th teaspoon.
- ½ Tablespoon baking powder.
Instructions
- In your blender, combine water, yeast, flour, semolina and salt, pulse until everything mixes well together.
- Add the Baking powder and mix again.
- Place in a container and cover to rise, will take approximately 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, the batter should be thin and not thick as the usual pancakes.*
- Heat an 8” skillet over medium heat, pour about ½ cup of the batter into the skillet. Batter should spread to the edges of the skillet, if not then thin it with more water . see notes for clarification.
- Small holes should appear all over the surface, continue cooking until no obvious uncooked surface appears. Took me 2 minutes to be completely cooked.**
- Let them cool down a bit before serving.
- Serving suggestions: Traditionally, these are enjoyed with butter and honey. Also for a savory twist, sometimes can be rolled over olive oil and hard boiled eggs( cut into small pieces. Practically, this can be enjoyed with your favorite syrup.
- Enjoy!!
Vandana
Never heard of this before but very fascinated. will definitely try!
Anna
I made these this morning and they were delicious...but mine stuck quite badly to the pan. I actually sprayed with oil then realised there was no oiling of pan. I wiped excess out with paper towel, but will they be less likely to stick if I don’t oil at all? (I use your website all the time, by the way! Love your recipes)
Amy Samida
Hi Anna
I had the exact same problem with my first pancake. I was using an ungreased nonstick. I turned the heat up just a wee bit and it was perfect! No sticking at all.
Judith
Came across this a while ago, and finally tried it last night! Amazing! So tasty and easy to make, I like that you don't have to oil the pan or worry about flipping the pancakes. Had them for breakfast today with butter and jam(me) and butter and honey(hubby). Will definitely make them again, can't wait to try them with olive oil and eggs.
Amira
Thank you so much Judith for your feedback, I am so glad you liked it. These are the only pancakes I like honestly :).
learnenglishwiththeteflqueen
I am so excited to try this recipe! This was one of my favourite things to eat when I lived in Rabat! Yum yum yum!
Can I ask why you use a mix of flours? Does this make it lighter than just using semolina?
Thank you!!
Amira
I am so happy that you'll give this recipe a try. Thank you so much. Regarding the flours, this is how it is made as it is not the usual American style pancakes.
Tami
Why does my pancake come out dense and doughy, no holes at all.
Amira
Tami, this is really strange!! my first thought goes to the levelers. I guess one or both is expired or not working properly. Here is how to test them for freshness.
Bushra
maybe the water was not warm enough?