Struwen: the best recipe for German Good Friday pancakes

Struwen is a classic pancake recipe popular throughout the Münster region (Münsterländer) of Germany. Struwen is traditionally made on Good Friday. These delicious pancakes are made with sweet, yeasty dough, raisins (or cranberries), and dusted in sugar.

They're perfectly sweet, fluffy, and thicker than regular German pancakes. All you need to make great-tasting struwen is flour, yeast, sugar, raisins, milk, and eggs. If you've ever made regular pancakes, making struwen at home will be a breeze for you. Stuwen are usually served with applesauce, but they'd be equally delicious with a dollop of butter or jam.

Tips for Making the Best Good Friday Pancakes

Try using orange zest instead of lemon zest for a tasty variation. Dried cranberries, currants, or other dried berries would also be delicious in addition to raisins.

You can warm your oven to 150F and keep your pancakes warm as you're frying all the batter.

Mix some cinnamon with sugar and dust your pancakes in cinnamon sugar.

Make sure to let the batter rest – this will ensure it is smooth and lump-free.

Don't let the heat get too high when you're making your struwen otherwise they might burn.

How to Store Münsterländer Struwen

Keep your stuwen in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them on the griddle before serving.

How to Make Struwen

Whisk milk, yeast, vanilla sugar, and 3 tablespoons of flour in a large bowl, then leave the mixture to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until frothy.

Beat in the remaining flour, eggs, and salt. Let the batter rest for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk in the raisins and lemon zest.

Heat about ¼ inch of oil in a large skillet. Pour in one ladle of batter and cook until bubbles begin to form on the top. Flip the pancake and cook until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Garnish with sugar and serve hot.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients to make your pancakes – they'll mix together more evenly and give you a smoother batter.