Tiganites are Greece’s claim to the world’s oldest pancakes — versions appear in texts from ancient Athens, where they were fried in olive oil and finished with honey, exactly as this recipe does twenty-five centuries later. Some breakfasts simply get it right the first time.
They are thinner and crisper-edged than American pancakes, fried in olive oil rather than butter, and the classic dressing is warm honey, crunchy walnuts and a breath of cinnamon.
The batter takes five minutes and the stack disappears faster — a proper lazy-weekend breakfast with a very long pedigree.
Tiganites Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 10 minutes · Total: 30 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~201 per serving
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk (or water, for a lighter batter)
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- Olive oil, for frying
- ½ cup honey, warmed
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- Cinnamon, for dusting
Instructions
- Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla, then combine with the dry ingredients into a smooth batter.
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat with a little olive oil.
- Pour in about ¼ cup of batter per tiganita and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until bubbles form and the edges set.
- Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until golden. Repeat, oiling the pan as needed.
- Stack, drizzle generously with warm honey, scatter the walnuts, dust with cinnamon, and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- Greek thyme honey is the gold standard here — worth seeking out.
- The savory path is equally traditional: skip the sugar and top with crumbled feta.
- Frying in olive oil is not a compromise — it is the point, and the flavor proves it.
