Moroccan Semolina Pancakes, also known as beghrir or baghrir, are made with a nourishing blend of semolina, spelt flour, and white whole wheat flour. Whole grains are loaded with fiber, lending the pancakes a hearty texture. These pancakes feature the signature honeycomb surface, which soaks up the drizzle of honey-butter syrup. Laced with orange zest and honey, they are garnished with orange segments and crushed hazelnuts. Experience the comforting taste of these traditional beghrir-inspired soft and airy pancakes for breakfast – served with your favorite syrup and toppings!
I first encountered Moroccan Semolina Pancakes on a trip to Marrakech. After a long and tiring flight, I was looking forward to a genuine Moroccan breakfast – I was not disappointed. The beghrir was soft and fluffy, but the surprising part of this breakfast was how it kept us full throughout the day. Served with mint tea, the meal’s sweetness was beautifully balanced, making the entire experience incredibly refreshing. I’ve had traditional breakfasts from Scotland to Bali, and this was one of my all-time favorites.
Origin:
These small, spongy pancakes, known for their ‘thousand holes’, are known throughout the Middle East by various names. It has been speculated that the Berbers first made them. While the modern Moroccan Semolina Pancakes tend to use active yeast to leaven the batter, I witnessed firsthand how the traditional beghrir was made when I visited a small home at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.
Our tour guide’s kind family showed us how they prepared the batter. They allowed the batter to rest for one to two hours ahead of time, enabling the fermentation process to create the ‘thousand bubbles, which is the signature of this dish. We were seated in a lush fruit orchard with fruits hanging over our heads. They served us Moroccan Semolina Pancakes with a honey and orange blossom water sauce, a side of amlou—a signature paste made of roasted almonds, argan oil, and honey—and their traditional mint tea.
What is semolina?
Beghrir can be served with almost any topping, including fruit compotes, chocolate sauce, and sweet jams, but the key ingredient is semolina. So, what exactly is semolina, and how is it different than regular flour? To answer that, you must understand that flour is a generic term for ground grains. While most flour products are wheat-based, you can also make flour out of gluten-free grains such as almond, amaranth, coconut, corn, potato, oats, rice, sorghum, soy, tapioca, and teff.
However, for the Moroccan Semolina Pancakes, the traditional flour used is durum flour, which is also used to make pasta and, of course, couscous. Semolina is the coarse product of the milling process that is not flour. As such, semolina is an excellent source of protein, fiber, and phosphorus. It has a high gluten content, essential in cooking because it enables the flour to hold its shape. From a flavor perspective, semolina has a rich, earthy aroma compared to the more processed and refined all-purpose flour. When cooked, its natural golden hue takes on a happy, sunshiny color.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How do I get more holes with whole wheat flour batter?
Whole wheat flour is more dense with bran than all-purpose flour. Whisk the batter well for 3-5 minutes with fresh or active yeast to get more bubbles on your pancakes. Let the batter rest for at least 30-45 minutes.
2. What type of semolina should I use?
Fine, not coarse, semolina is ideal for pancakes.
3. Should I add baking powder in addition to yeast?
I sifted the spelt flour with baking powder. Baking powder makes the pancakes light, while the yeast creates bubbles during fermentation. Additionally, I used white whole wheat flour, which yields lighter pancakes than red whole wheat flour.
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Ingredients:
For the batter:
- Fat: avocado oil (or use argan oil)
- Flour: white whole wheat flour, spelt flour, and fine semolina
- Leavening agents: active yeast, baking powder (sifted with spelt flour)
- Orange zest (or add lemon zest)
- Egg
- Milk
- Honey
For the honey-butter syrup:
- Orange segments
- Butter
- Crushed hazelnuts
- Honey
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this dish. For the measurements, please refer to the recipe card below.
How to make the Moroccan Semolina Pancakes:
- How to make the batter:
- Mix the dry ingredients in a stand mixer. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the wet ingredients and add them to the stand mixer. Whisk the ingredients for the batter using the whisk attachment for 3-4 minutes. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes, allowing the batter to rise or double in bulk.
2. How to make the pancakes:
- Heat a griddle and pour half a cup of the batter. Cook on medium to low heat.
- Allow the pancakes to cook thoroughly and then remove them from the heat. There is no need to flip this type of pancake.
3. How to make the honey-butter syrup:
- In a pan, sauté the orange segments with butter for a minute. Turn off the heat, add the honey, and mix well.
- Place an orange segment on each pancake, pour some honey-butter syrup, and garnish with crushed hazelnuts.
1. The batter must not be too thick or too runny. If it is too thick and not pourable, add some milk.
2. If you are not using a nonstick pan, grease the griddle with walnut or peanut oil to prevent the pancakes from sticking.
3. Do not cook the pancakes on high heat. Medium to low heat will help cook the pancakes evenly on the bottom.
4. Lower the heat when bubbles appear on the pancakes. This will prevent them from getting burned on the bottom.
Serving suggestions:
- Honey-butter syrup
- Hazelnuts or roasted almond slivers on top
- Amlou
- Mint tea
Storage:
The Moroccan Semolina Pancake batter can be refrigerated for 4-5 days or frozen in airtight freezer-safe boxes for 2-3 months. Cooked pancakes can be frozen for a couple of months, using wax paper between each pancake, and stored in an airtight container.
Other whole wheat breakfast recipes that you might like:
- Malaysian Peanut Pancake
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
- Mini Chocolate Croissant
- Sugar-Free Apple Muffins
Moroccan Semolina Pancakes
Equipment
- stand mixer, griddle
Ingredients
For the pancake batter:
- 2¼ oz white whole wheat flour
- 1 oz semolina
- 1 oz spelt flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder sifted with spelt flour
- 3½ fl oz warm water
- ¼ oz active yeast
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 egg
- 2½ fl oz warm milk
- ¼ tsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
For the garnish/syrup:
- 6 orange segments
- ¼ cup hazelnut crushed
- 3 tbsp butter unsalted
- 2 tbsp honey
Instructions
How to make the pancake batter:
- Prepare the ingredients.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a stand mixer. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the wet ingredients and add them to the stand mixer. Whisk the ingredients for the batter using the whisk attachment of the stand mixer for 3-4 minutes. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place for 30-45 minutes, allowing the batter to rise or double in bulk.
How to make the pancakes:
- Heat a griddle and pour half a cup of the batter. Cook on medium to low heat.
- Allow the pancakes to cook thoroughly and then remove them from the heat. For this type of pancake, there is no need to flip them.
How to make the honey-butter syrup:
- Prepare the ingredients.
- In a pan, sauté the orange segments with butter for a minute. Turn off the heat and add the honey and mix well.
- Place an orange segment on each pancake, and pour some of the honey-butter syrup on the pancake. Garnish them with hazelnuts.
Notes
- The batter must not be too thick or too runny. If it is too thick and not pourable, add some milk.
Nutrition
these are so tasty!!
These are so great for the kids’ breakfast! Thanks for saving my mornings 😉
I’m glad that you like the recipe, thanks for the comment!
Great recipe!
Thanks, Ishani!