Pancake Day 2026 (Tue, 17 Feb)

In 2026, Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) lands on Tuesday 17 February 2026 in the UK.
It always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, which is why the date moves around each year. (For the record, Easter Sunday is 5 April 2026.)

If you grew up in the UK, you probably think of it as the night you stand at the hob flipping thin pancakes, with the kitchen smelling faintly of butter and triumph.
But in the US, Americans do not generally celebrate a specific “Pancake Day”. Most people would recognise the date more as Mardi Gras, also called Fat Tuesday, with the big cultural focus being parades, parties, and the last big indulgence before Lent.
(Yes, Americans still love pancakes, but they are more of a year-round breakfast thing than a one-day tradition.)

The quick history (why this day exists at all)

“Shrove” comes from “shriving”, an old idea of being shriven, meaning you confess and are forgiven, because Shrove Tuesday was traditionally a day to get yourself spiritually sorted before Lent begins.

The food tradition is the part that went mainstream. Lent historically meant giving up rich ingredients, so households used up what they had on hand, especially eggs, milk, and fats.
Pancakes are basically the perfect “use it up” recipe, which is exactly why they became the headline act.

Are UK “pancakes” actually pancakes?

Yes, just a different style.

What most people in the UK call a pancake on Pancake Day is usually a thin, wide, crepe-style pancake, often rolled with lemon and sugar.
In the US, “pancakes” usually means thicker, fluffier pancakes that rise with a leavening agent (baking powder).
One word, two traditions, and a yearly argument that is mostly just an excuse to cook more than you intended.

Why not try the classic American version instead this year?

Classic American Pancakes (with a Lemon Variant)

Ingredients (makes about 8 small pancakes)

Dry ingredients:
200g plain flour (UK) / 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (US)
25g caster sugar (UK) / 2 tbsp granulated sugar (US)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine salt

Wet ingredients:
300ml milk (UK) / 1 1/4 cups milk (US)
1 large egg
30g melted unsalted butter (UK) / 2 tbsp melted butter (US), plus a little extra for the pan

Method:
1) Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2) In another bowl, whisk the milk, egg, and melted butter.
3) Pour wet into dry and stir gently until just combined. A few lumps are good. Overmixing makes pancakes tough.
4) Heat a non-stick pan or griddle on medium. Lightly butter it.
5) Spoon in batter (about 2–3 tbsp per pancake). Cook until bubbles appear on top and the edges look set, then flip and cook another minute or so.
6) Serve warm, straight away.

Lemon variant (two easy options):

Option A: Lemon in the batter (bright and fresh)
Add zest of 1 lemon to the dry mix.
Add 1 tbsp lemon juice to the wet mix.

Option B: UK-style lemon sugar topping (best of both worlds)
Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of sugar (caster or granulated both work).

Optional note (handy if you are missing baking powder):
If you do not have baking powder, you can substitute 2 tsp baking powder with 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (UK) / baking soda (US) plus 1 tsp cream of tartar.
(Keep the lemon juice in the lemon variant, or add 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar, to help the lift.)