Baghrir (Light Moroccan Semolina Pancakes)
Baghrir are light, spongey Moroccan pancakes made with semolina flour. When cooked correctly, they are covered with tiny holes that are perfect for filling with melted honey and butter.
Baghrir, also known as Moroccan pancakes or ‘thousand-hole pancakes’, was one of my favorite weekend treats growing up.
These yeasted pancakes are commonly served for breakfast in Moroccan households, stacked high and doused in melted butter and honey.
Semolina flour gives them a subtle nutty flavor that’s perfect for serving with Moroccan coffee or Moroccan mint tea.
Like many other delicious Moroccan dishes on the blog, I was lucky to learn how to make these from my aunt Aicha.
Ingredients
How to Make Baghrir
Tip: The batter should be thicker after rising, but still fairly thin, like the consistency of heavy cream. If the batter feels too thick, you can add a splash or two of water and mix to loosen it up.
After frying your first pancake, assess whether the batter is too thick, and if it is simply add a splash of water or two and mix to incorporate. The pancakes should be thicker than French crepes but thinner than American pancakes. Then continue frying pancakes!
Make Ahead & Leftover Instructions
Like most pancakes, this Moroccan recipe is best enjoyed fresh. That said, these keep well at room temperature (wrapped in a clean kitchen towel) for hours so feel free to fry up a bunch and keep warm until ready to serve.
If you have leftover baghrir, you can also freeze them. Wrap individually in plastic wrap before freezing. To reheat, unwrap the plastic and microwave in 30 second increments until warm.
Bismillah,
Baghrir (Light Moroccan Semolina Pancakes)
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 pancakes 1x
- Category: breakfast, snack, dessert
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan, North African
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Baghrir are light, spongey Moroccan pancakes made with semolina flour. When cooked correctly, they are covered with tiny holes that are perfect for filling with honey and butter.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fine semolina flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp white granulated sugar
- butter for frying the pancakes
Optional Toppings:
- butter
- honey
Instructions
- In a blender combine all ingredients. Blend for a minute or until a smooth batter forms and all ingredients are evenly combined.
- Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel, letting the batter rise on the countertop for at least 30 minutes. Once it’s done rising, give it a gentle mix. It should be thicker, but still fairly thin, like the consistency of heavy cream. If the batter feels too thick, you can add a splash or two of water and mix to loosen it up.
- Warm a skillet over medium low heat and melt a small dab of butter in the center. Ladle in about a quarter cup of batter into the center, tilting the pan to help it spread.
- No need to flip these pancakes; they are done when you can easily get your spatula under them, the batter is no longer liquid, and they have dozens of holes appear on top. Just make sure to watch the heat and not allow the edges to burn.
- Transfer to a clean kitchen towel lined plate and cover to keep warm while you cook the rest of the pancakes. Keep pieces of the towel in between your baghrir to prevent them from sticking before you serve.
- Top with butter & honey and enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
A good quality blender can make prepping the batter for these pancakes super quick and easy. Otherwise, beating the batter with a handheld whisk works too.
Not sure what I did wrong my holes were few and most were more like little slips instead of holes. The batter was very bubbly so the yeast was good. This is the second time using this recipe. They are very tasty and it’s a good recipe to use up my semolina flour. I just imagined they should look like crumpets and mine were lacking in the nooks and crannies.
Love this recipe. These have replaced my buttermilk pancakes, so easy to make with staple ingredients I have all the time, plus much easier to make for a crowd. They heat up wonderfully without getting rubbery ( as can happen with fat based pancakes). Thank you for sharing this great recipe.