BreakfastEasyFree

Mexican Hotcakes

Name: Mexican Hotcakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Caster sugar; 0.5 tsp Salt; 30 g Butter; 1 Plantain; 240 ml Whole milk; 2 Eggs; 2 tsp Baking powder; 150 ml Goat's milk cajeta; 60 g Walnuts; 200 g Plain flour

30 min (10 prep + 20 cook) Easy 4 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 26 Mar 2026 · Updated: 16 Apr 2026

Fluffy pancakes with goat's milk cajeta, walnuts and banana.

About this recipe

Mexican hotcakes are a local take on the classic American pancake, reinterpreted with native flavours: fluffy pancakes served with goat's milk cajeta, walnuts and sliced plantain. The cajeta - a type of goat's milk dulce de leche with a more complex and intense flavour than the cow's milk variety - is the element that transforms ordinary pancakes into an extraordinarily Mexican breakfast. They are made with a simple batter of flour, egg, milk and baking powder, and cooked on a griddle or frying pan until golden and airy.

History & Origin

Hotcakes arrived in Mexico from the United States at the beginning of the twentieth century, first adopted in the northern border towns and gradually popularised throughout the country. The name 'hotcakes' is the Anglicism that Mexicans prefer over 'panqueques' or 'crepas', reflecting the cultural influence of the United States on northern cuisine. However, Mexico made them entirely its own by serving them with cajeta instead of maple syrup. Cajeta from Celaya in Guanajuato is the most famous in the country: goat's milk cooked slowly with sugar until it becomes a dark, caramelised confection of incomparable flavour. The tradition of Sunday hotcakes is so deeply rooted in Mexico that there are fondas and restaurants specialising exclusively in this breakfast. The fried plantain, with its more intense flavour and firmer texture than a standard banana, completes the perfect trinity of the Mexican Sunday breakfast.

Estimated cost

£6.00

Total cost

£1.50

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

450

Calories

10g

Protein

60g

Carbohydrates

20g

Fat

Fibre

300mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and melted butter.
2
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix only until just combined. Do not over-mix: lumps are normal and will give you fluffy hotcakes.
💡 Over-mixing activates the gluten and results in tough, rubbery hotcakes.
3
Heat a griddle or non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Lightly grease with butter. Pour 60 ml of batter per hotcake. When bubbles appear on the surface (2–3 minutes), flip and cook for 1–2 minutes more.
4
While the hotcakes are cooking, fry the plantain slices in butter over medium heat until golden on both sides.
5
Serve the hotcakes stacked, with warmed cajeta, chopped walnuts and fried plantain on top.
💡 The cajeta can be warmed in the microwave for 30 seconds so it pours more easily.