Why We Eat Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday + 22 Delicious Pancake Recipes

Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day!  Celebrate the occasion with one of these fantastic pancake recipes & discover why we eat pancakes before Lent!

A stack of gluten free pancakes with Confetti.co.uk's chevron cake bunting.

Why We Eat Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday

Like many things, over time, the original meaning or purpose behind traditions gets lost or forgotten. The tradition of eating pancakes for Shrove Tuesday is one of these things; many of us pile up the pancakes on our breakfast plates on Fat Tuesday but not very many of us know why!

Shrove Tuesday is the last day of indulgence before Lent. Traditionally, partakers of Lent would use this day to eat up the foods that they weren't allowed during Lent: fat, butter and eggs. Stacks of towering pancakes are one of the most indulgent breakfasts or desserts you can have and good for filling yourself before you abstain for the 40 days of Lent.

Although I'm not Catholic, I, like many of you, can't resist munching on stacks of fluffy pancakes on Shrove Tuesday! So, this year, I wanted to share with you some of my favourite pancake recipes written by myself and my fantastic food blog friends. We all hope you find something that catches your eye from this collection of traditional and not-so-traditional pancake recipes! Pancake Day is Tuesday, 17 February. Get your spatulas ready!

Mardi Gras King Cake Fruit & Honey Pancakes from Anyonita Nibbles

Bananas Foster Crepes from Busy Eating

Blueberry Dutch Baby Pancake from The Chef Next Door

Tigantes Greek Pancakes with Yogurt from Culinary from Culinary Flavors

White Chocolate Champagne & Strawberries Crepes from The Gold Lining Girl

Red Velvet Pancakes with Nutella Cream Cheese Sauce from Anyonita Nibbles

Coconut & Almond Pancakes with Spiced Plum Compote from Domestic Gothess

Spiced Kefir Pancakes with Manuka Honey from Chocolate Log Blog

Blood Orange Crepes from Kitchen Delights

Caramelized Banana Crepes from At the Corner of Happy & Harried

Fluffy Apple Pancakes from Love Foodies

Chocolate Hazelnut Crepes with Nutella Ricotta Raspberry Jam from The Gold Lining Girl

Naturally Sweetened Whole Wheat Banana Bread Pancakes from Sweet and Savory Food

Caramelized Banana Biscoff Pancakes from Who Needs A Cape?

Banana Split Pancakes from Hun...What's for Dinner?

Snowman Eggnog Pancakes from Shockingly Delicious

Gma's Featherlight Pancakes from In the Kitchen with Jenny

Pudla Indian Chickpea Pancakes from Food Mela

Orange Ricotta Pancakes with Cranberry Orange Bourbon Syrup from Living Better Together

Stuffed Pancakes from Moore or Less Cooking

Mini Muffin Tin Pancakes from Baking Secrets

Bacon Pancakes from Kavey Eats

Struggling with how to make crepes? Check out this amazing step-by-step crepe tutorial!