How to pair your pancake day treats with coffee
Over breakfast, dessert or any time of the day, coffee and pancakes is an iconic food pairing. UK’s most popular food for Shrove Tuesday can be combined with a variety of coffees.
Sides and toppings are what make these fluffy cakes unique. Coffee highlights the flavours in your pancakes, and the toppings you choose will bring out the notes in your cup to achieve balance.
Whether you are making pancakes at home or enjoying them at our cafés in Summertown or The Covered Market, check out our pairing suggestions to try this Pancake Day.
Sweet pancakes
Syrup
Syrups are a classic topping for pancakes, being maple syrup the most popular. Syrups call for coffees with nutty, caramel or chocolate notes.Fruit
Fruits help to bring out the most subtle notes in coffee. You can enjoy pancakes with different combinations of fresh fruit. Pancakes with berries match better with washed coffees that have fruity flavour profiles for a sweet sensation in your mouth. For a contrasting combination, you can try them with naturally processed coffees to bring some acidity.
Pancakes with bananas match with chocolate tasting notes, and espresso-based beverages. Apple and other neutral-tasting fruits are better suited to floral flavour profiles.
Whipped cream
Together with syrup, whipped cream is the most common way to enjoy pancakes. It can be paired with a light or medium roast filter coffee with fruity or floral notes.Nuts
Nuts can be matched with coffees with nutty notes with complementary flavours.
Chocolate
In order to balance the intensity of chocolate, coffees with a light body and light or medium roasts are the best option.
Savoury pancakes
Eggs
Eggs can pair well with bright and acidic coffees to fill out the flavour profile.Crispy bacon
With this classic staple, medium roasts should be your go-to option. These will allow the coffee to highlight the flavour of your pancakes without covering them altogether.
Whether you prefer to enjoy your pancakes with sweet or savoury toppings, there is a coffee for each one of them. However, you can experiment and create your own combinations to find your favourite pairings.
Check out our roasted coffee bags with different profiles to try with your pancakes!
