A pancake is a thin, flat cake prepared from a batter and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Pancakes exist in several variations in many different local cuisines. Most pancakes are quick breads, though some are made using a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Pancakes can be eaten at different times of the day depending on local tradition. A crêpe is a popular variety of pancake of French origin.

Most varieties of pancakes are cooked one side at a time on a griddle and flipped halfway through the cooking process to cook the other side.

In Canada and the United States, the pancake is usually a breakfast food, although savory crepes may be served with the main meal. A "pancake supper" can be a social event (in the manner of an ice cream social or barbecue), with pancakes served at dinnertime. Pancake suppers are sometimes held as fund raisers. In Australia and Britain, pancakes are eaten as a dessert or served savory with a main meal.

A smaller pancake, often called a "silver dollar" pancake, is sometimes used in the creation of hors d'oeuvres in place of crackers or other bread-like items.

Western and Northern Europe

English pancakes have three key ingredients: plain flour, eggs,and milk.The batter is quite runny and forms a thin layer on the bottom of the frying pan when the pan is tilted. It may form some bubbles during cooking, which results in a pale pancake with dark spots where the bubbles were, but the pancake does not rise. English pancakes are similar to French crêpes, and Italian crespelle, but are not "lacy" in appearance. They may be eaten as a sweet dessert with the traditional topping of lemon juice and sugar, drizzled with golden syrup, or wrapped around savory stuffings and eaten as a main course. Yorkshire pudding is made from a similar recipe, but baked instead of fried. This batter rises because the air beaten into the batter expands, without the need for baking powder; the result is eaten as part of the traditional roast beef dinner.

Scottish pancakes, locally known as drop scones, pancakes or griddle cakes, are more like the American type and are served as such (see below). Scottish pancakes are made from self-raising flour, eggs, sugar and milk. Welsh recipes will also contain sugar, but are cooked thin as the English variety - sometimes these will be in the form of small cakes as opposed to the full pan-sized version, especially when served at breakfast.

Smaller pancakes (usually about 3.5 in / 9 cm in diameter) are known in the UK as Scotch pancakes or drop-scones (after the traditional method of dropping batter onto a griddle (a girdle in Northumberland or in Scots)), and in northern England, Australia and New Zealand as pikelets. They can be served with jam and cream or just with butter. In Scotland pancakes are sometimes served at teatime (lunch or 4 o'clock) but mostly as breakfast. They are made plain and as fruit pancakes with raisins. Made to a similar recipe are crumpets. These are cooked on the griddle on one side until browned, then lightly cooked on the other side. Both Scotch pancakes and crumpets can be made with plain flour and baking soda as an alternative to self-raising flour.