🥞🔥 Cereal Pancakes: The Old-School Bush Way
- Craig Mitchell
- Apr 23
- 2 min read
Before blenders, boxed batter mixes, and electric stovetops, there was tradition. A morning fire, a cast iron pan, and ingredients as honest as the land they came from. We’re bringing back a classic bush breakfast: Cereal Pancakes—simple, hearty, and packed with soul.
Made from the most basic staples—oats or maize meal, eggs, and milk—this recipe harks back to a time when meals weren’t just about feeding the body, but nourishing the soul around the fire.
🌿 Why Cereal Pancakes?
Out here, under wide African skies, we believe in doing things the old way. There's something deeply satisfying about flipping flapjacks over hot coals and sipping coffee from a tin mug. These cereal pancakes are more than food—they’re part of the morning ritual. The kind that sticks with you, like the scent of woodsmoke on your clothes.
🧾 Ingredients
You won’t need much. That’s the beauty of it.
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats or maize meal (you can even blend the oats slightly if you want it smoother)
1/2 cup flour (optional, for texture)
1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp sugar (optional)
Wet Ingredients:
1 large farm egg
3/4 cup milk (adjust for batter consistency)
1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
1 tbsp melted butter or a splash of oil for richness
🔥 Tools You’ll Need
Cast iron pan or flat griddle
Wooden spoon
A good fire and a level grate (or a camping gas stove if the weather’s moody)
👣 Step-by-Step: Bush Style
1. Start the Fire
Get your morning fire going early. You’ll want a good bed of coals to cook on—not open flames. Let the fire warm your pan while you mix your batter.
2. Mix the Batter
In a bowl, combine the oats or maize meal, flour (if using), baking powder, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. The batter should be thick but pourable—add a splash more milk if it’s too stiff.
3. Grease and Go
Grease your cast iron pan with a bit of butter or oil. Pour a small ladleful of batter onto the hot surface. Cook until bubbles form and the edges look set, then flip and cook the other side till golden.
4. Stack and Serve
Serve warm with whatever you’ve got—honey, wild jam, bush coffee, or even biltong on the side if you’re feeling salty. There are no rules, just good food.
🔚 Final Thoughts
Cereal Pancakes are proof that you don’t need fancy gear or gourmet ingredients to eat like a king in the wild. They’re simple, honest, and made the way nature intended—with love and a bit of ash under your fingernails.
📸 Tried it? Tag us on Instagram @khakibushmagazine—we’d love to see how you do breakfast, bush-style.
