Mandarin Pancakes – Connoisseurus Veg

December 19, 2024

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Homemade Mandarin pancakes are easier to make than you’d think, using just five simple ingredients! These savory pancakes taste like they came from your favorite Chinese restaurant, and are perfect for stuffing.

Mandarin Pancakes on a plate with the top pancake folded in quarters.

I LOVE ordering dishes that come with mandarin pancakes to go with my favorite vegan Chinese dishes. But until recently they were exclusively a restaurant item. If I made something at home like my moo shu tofu, I’d just serve it with rice or wrapped in lettuce. But not anymore! I’m going to make these Mandarin pancakes a part of as many Chinese dinners as possible!

Jump to:

I decided to take the plunge and try making my own Mandarin pancakes recently, after it occurred to me that if I could make my own scallion pancakes, these should also totally be doable. Well, they were even easier than scallion pancakes. To create these savory crepes, all you need to do is make a simple dough, knead it briefly, roll it out, and fry it up. Easy! And so worth it.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Flour. The recipe calls for all-purpose wheat flour, and I recommend sticking with that.
Salt.
Water. You’re going to have to boil the water. Using water that’s super hot helps to make the dough soft and pliable.
Sesame oil. This will add a touch of flavor to your pancakes, but it’s not critical to the recipe. So if you’ve got the other four ingredients and are itching to give the recipe a try, go for it. Otherwise, look for sesame oil in the international aisle of your grocery store.
Peanut oil. You can replace this with another high-heat oil if you’d like, such as vegetable oil, corn oil, or canola oil.

How They’re Made

Start out by heating your water in a pot or kettle on the stove. You want it to be just boiled when you add it to the dough.

Bowl containing flour and salt, with a wooden spoon.

Step 1: Stir your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. This includes just flour and salt.

Bowl containing unmixed wet and dry ingredients for Mandarin pancakes, and a wooden spoon.

Step 2: Once your water boils, add it to the bowl, along with the sesame oil.

Bowl of dough with a wooden spoon in it.

Step 3: Stir everything together until the ingredients are combined and have formed a soft dough.

Hand kneading dough on a wooden cutting board.

Step 5: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and knead it for three to five minutes, until it feels smooth and elastic.

Step 6: Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and let it rest for twenty minutes.

Cutting board set with a cup of oil, and pieces of dough, with two of the dough pieces rolled into balls.

Step 6: Roll the dough into a long snake, then cut the snake into ten equal sized pieces. Step 7: Roll each piece into a ball and brush it with peanut oil.

Cutting board with rolling pin, pieces of dough, cup of oil and a rolled out dough circle on top.

Step 8: Begin heating up a nonstick skillet on the stove. Step 9: while the skillet heats up, use a rolling pin to roll each dough ball into an 8-inch circle.

Mandarin Pancake cooking in a skillet, on the first side.

Step 10: Place a dough circle into the skillet. Cook it until the bottom has browned in a bunch of spots.

Mandarin Pancake cooking in a skillet, on the second side.

Step 11: Carefully flip your pancake and cook it for a few more minutes, until it has dark spots on the other side. Move it out of the skillet and onto a plate when it’s finished.

Step 12: Continue cooking your pancakes in this manner until they’re all done.

Tip: You can cook multiple pancakes at a time if you have a very large skillet or a griddle. Just make sure the cooking surface is evenly heated and that your pancakes all have plenty of room!

Mandarin Pancakes on a plate with chopsticks on the side.

Your Mandarin pancakes are done! Use them to wrap up your favorite fillings and dig in!

Shelf-Life & Storage

Homemade Mandarin pancakes will keep in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for about two days, in the fridge for about five days, or in the freezer for about three months.

They can be reheated in a skillet over medium heat for a minute or so, or you can place them on a microwave-safe dish, cover them with a damp paper towel, and microwave them in thirty second increments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these pancakes gluten-free?

I haven’t tried this, so I can’t say for sure. If you’d like to give it a shot, I’d recommend using an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.

What should I do if the dough tears while rolling it?

If it’s a large tear, roll the dough back into a ball, brush it with more oil, and roll it again. If it’s a small tear, simply pinch it back together as best as you can.

Should I grease my skillet before cooking the pancakes?

Nope! As long as you’ve oiled your dough and are using a nonstick skillet, they shouldn’t stick.

What to Serve with Mandarin Pancakes

Moo shoo tofu would be the closest vegan option to a dish traditionally served with Mandarin pancakes, but don’t feel limited by that! You can wrap just about any stir-fry in these pancakes as an alternative to rice. Here are a few to try!

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

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