Apam Balik (Malaysian Peanuts Pancakes)! Apam Balik is a much-loved street food in Malaysia. They are slightly crispy on the edges, crunchy and chewy in the center, filled with sweet buttery ground peanuts, typically served folded in half forming a half-moon. Easy step-by-step recipe with photos and top tips for making the best Apam Balik (Malaysian Peanuts Pancakes).
Apam Balik; Endless Varieties
Apam Balik is a popular pancake that can be found in most parts of South East Asian countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, and Brunei. So, they are called by many other different names in different languages such as Martabak Manis, Terang Bulan, Apam Pulau Pinang, Kue Bandung, Kuih Haji, Min Chiang Kueh, Hok Lo Pan, Ban Jian Kuih or Chin Loong Pau. (Sauce: Wikipedia).
Martabak manis; Indonesian version of Apam Balik
Here is the recipe for making the Indonesian version of Apam balik locally known as Martabak manis with one of the most popular modern types of toppings, a combination of sugar, butter, chocolate, cheese, condensed milk, and ground peanuts.
What is Apam Balik?
Apam Balik is crispy on the edges and chewy in the center with a honeycomb-like appearance, typically served folded in half after scattering the topping that gives the pancake a characteristic half-moon look.
The meaning of Apam Balik in Malay is folded/turnover pancake.
Apam = pancake and balik = turnover or folded.
So, it is also known as Malaysian Turnover Pancake.
Choosing the right pan
They are traditionally cooked in short-sided pans. You need to spread the batter on the side of the pan to create the signature thin and crisp edges, that make the difference.
A short-sided nonstick pan (20 cm) with a thick bottom and smooth base is preferable. The size of the pancake will depend on the size of the pan you use.
what to serve with Apam Balik
You can serve them both sweet and savory. In Malaysia, they are commonly filled with creamed corn, sugar, butter, and a peanut filling, so they are also known as “peanut pancakes”.
Other popular sweet toppings include chocolate, cheese, jam, condensed milk, sesame paste, red bean paste, banana, and savory toppings include egg, cheese, chicken, etc. Just feel free to experiment with the toppings, the sky is the limit.
Apam Balik filled with Hazelnut chocolate spread (Nutella) and jam
Peanuts topping
For the topping, I love honey-roasted peanuts and I just coarsely grind store-brought honey-roasted peanuts. I also use other types of peanuts, nuts, and sesame separately or combine them together. In my case, I like the brown stuff, so I prefer using cane sugar or brown sugar over refined white sugar.
For the topping, you can use peanuts or your choice of nuts & seeds
Variation
The ingredients, texture, size, and toppings can be varied according to the country, region, or personal preference and the texture.
It is a rice flour & coconut milk-based pancake but some may use only plain flour, and some may use a mix of flour (plain, rice, tapioca, cornstarch) in different ratios. Some use dairy milk, some may use coconut milk. It seems everyone has their own recipe.
Check out the detailed recipe with step-by-step cooking instructions on How to Make Rice Flour at Home
In Brunei, they are commonly filled with condensed milk, peanuts, and a raisin filling. In Indonesia, the popular filling is cheese and chocolate.
The thickness of the pancake
The thickness of the pancake can be different according to the ingredients, leavening agents, thickness of the batter, and the amount of the batter you use to make the pancake.
It can be slightly thick or thick like a cake. When using baking powder and baking soda, it creates a slightly thicker pancake, you can just simply sprinkle with toppings and then fold it.
Yeast is used to make fluffy cake-like pancakes. The thicker version takes a bit longer to cook, so it is sprinkled with toppings while it is cooking and then quickly folded over when it is cooked and then cut into several pieces.
Yeast is used to making fluffy cake-like Apam Balik
MakE Apam Balik in 3 Easy Steps
1: Prepare the filling
2: Make the batter & cook the pancake
3: Sprinkle toppings & fold the pancake in half
Useful Tips for Making Apam Balik
The topping
First, prepare the topping before you make the pancakes. Apam balik are best eaten hot.
Batter
The batter is made with flour, egg, salt, sugar, milk, baking soda, and baking powder.
In this recipe, I have used a mix of plain flour, rice flour, and tapioca flour (sub with corn starch).
You can use only plain flour if you don’t have rice flour or tapioca flour and you can use only rice flour if you don’t have corn starch or tapioca flour.
However, according to the flour mix you use for making your batter, the texture of apam balik will be different.
You can use either dairy milk or coconut milk and part of milk can also be replaced with water.
Resting the batter for about 20 min improves the texture and taste of the pancakes.
pan
Apam Balik is traditionally cooked in short-sided pans and you need to spread the batter on the side of the pan to create the signature thin and crisp edges, that make the difference.
Do not forget to spread the pancake mixture thinly on the side of the pan to create that signature crispy edge.
Pan temperature is one of the crucial factors when making pancakes.
At the right temperature, you will hear a sizzling sound when the batter hits the pan and the batter will flow freely on the surface of the pan before it sets up.
cooking
Do not grease the pan with oil if you care for evenly and nicely brown pancakes with a smooth surface. If you need to grease your pan, lightly grease it and then wipe off all the oil with a paper towel.
The thickness of the pancakes depends on the amount of milk you added, so you can adjust the consistency of the batter according to your preference adjusting the amount of milk.
It also depends on the amount of batter you use to make the pancake.
If you prefer thin and crispy, then use a thin batter only enough to spread over the base of the pan. If you prefer a thick and cake-like version, use more batter.
Do not flip it. apam balik is cooked only on one side. They taste great when they have that beautiful honey-comb like appearance.
How to make apam balik
step-by-step recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For Pancakes
80 g plain flour
40 g rice flour
15 g tapioca flour or cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
200 ml coconut milk or dairy milk
For Topping
50 g butter
50 g brown sugar or cane sugar
100 g peanut, coarsely ground
OR your choice of toppings
Instructions
Gather the ingredients
For making batter
For Topping
Sift the flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg with sugar until frothy for about two minutes.
Stir in about 2/3 milk.
Whisk in the flour, in a few additions, into the egg mixture until you have a smooth batter without lumps.
Stir in the rest of the milk (adjust as needed). Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Cover and rest the batter for about 20 minutes.
Heat the pan over medium heat. Do not grease the pan if you want to make nicely brown pancakes with a smooth surface. (When needed, lightly grease and then wipe off all the oil with a paper towel.)
Pour a ladleful of the batter into the center of the pan.
And then rotate the pan to spread the batter.
Make sure to spread the batter thinly on the side of the pan too.
Let the pancake cook for about 2 min until the top looks dry and the edges start to brown.
Don’t flip. They are cooked only on one side. Immediately, turn off the heat.
Spread some butter and let melt.
Sprinkle sugar and ground peanuts.
Fold in half and serve hot.
Enjoy!
Apam Balik (Malaysian Peanut Pancakes)
Printable recipe
Apam Balik (Malaysian Peanut Pancakes)
Ingredients
For Pancakes
- 80 g plain flour
- 40 g rice flour
- 15 g tapioca flour or cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 egg
- 200 ml coconut milk or diary milk
For Topping
- 50 g butter
- 50 g brown sugar or cane sugar
- 100 g peanut coarsely ground
Instructions
- Sift the flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg with sugar until frothy for about two minutes. Stir in about 2/3 milk.
- Whisk in the flour, in few additions, into the egg mixture until you have a smooth batter without lumps.
- Stir in the rest of the milk. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover and rest the batter for about 20 minutes.
- Heat the pan over medium heat. Grease lightly with oil if needed.
- Pour a ladleful of the batter at the center of the pan and then rotate the pan to spread the batter. Be sure spread the batter thinly on the side of the pan too.
- Let the pancake cook for about 2 min until the top looks dry and edges start to brown. Don’t flip. They are cooked only on one side. Immediately, turn off the heat.
- Spread some butter and let melt. Sprinkle sugar and ground peanuts. Fold in half and serve piping hot. Enjoy!
Thank you for being here, I appreciate it!
I love hearing from you so feel free to leave a comment on the post
If you make any of my recipes, I’d love to see pics of your creations
#joyofeatingtheworld or @joyofeatingtheworld
More street foods around the world
BEST-EVER Authentic Hoppers
Easy Sri Lankan Egg Hoppers (Biththara Appa)
Easy Hoppers with Store-Bought Rice Flour
Perfect Sri Lankan Appa (Hoppers,Appam)
The Best Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu
How To Make Crispy Dosa
More breakfast recipes around the world
Italian Potato Frittata
Spanish Omelette with less oil
Adai Dosa (Indian) (Mixed Lentil Dosa)
Staffordshire (UK) Oatcakes (Healthy Oats Pancakes)
Crispy Dosa (Indian)
Caramelized Apple Pancake
How to Make Potato Pancakes
Japanese recipes
Potesara (Japanese Potato Salad)
Coffee Jelly with Agar
Japanese Coffee Jelly with Gelatin