This Pancake Day, it’s time to go beyond just lemon and sugar. We’ve rounded up the best shop-bought pancake toppings to pick up ahead of Pancake Day, which falls on Tuesday, 1 March this year.

From chocolate and caramel sauces for those who like things super-sweet, to fruity curds, compotes and even some top-notch savoury spreads, we’ve got something for everyone. Why not make a pancake bar with a selection of toppings, ready for everyone to make their own creation?

Before you can top your pancakes, you'll need to make some – and we have all the recipes you need. Our perfect pancakes recipe will help you nail the ultimate crêpes using just three ingredients. If you prefer thick and fluffy pancakes, build up a tower of these American pancakes, then add your favourite topping below for an impressive stack. We've also got recipes for vegan pancakes, gluten-free pancakes and even easy protein pancakes so everyone is covered. Plus, if you want to perfect your pancake flip, we have a handy video on how to flip a pancake.

Don’t be without a top-quality pan to cook your pancakes, either – this makes all the difference when you need to get flipping. Our guide to the best pancake pans includes all our favourites, with low edges and smooth, non-stick surfaces to help you achieve the perfect flip. For a versatile pan you’ll use all the time, our best non-stick frying pans can be used well beyond Pancake Day – we tested them by sizzling steaks and frying eggs to find the ultimate must-have pans.

Best shop-bought pancake toppings to buy 2022

Joe & Seph's sticky toffee sauce

Sticky toffee sauce Joe & Sephs

You might be a fan of Joe & Seph's popcorn, but did you know it makes a huge range of caramel sauces, too? We fell for the classic sticky toffee sauce – a simple mixture of golden syrup, double cream, sugar and salt that somehow manages to taste exactly like a sticky toffee pudding. Drizzle generously over crêpes and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. There's plenty more to choose from, too – we also tried the toffee apple & cinnamon caramel sauce, which provides a subtle fruity hit.

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Available from:
Joe & Seph's (£4.99)
Ocado (£4.30)
Amazon (£4.30)

Cartwright & Butler orange zest honey

Spiced Orange Honey Cartwright & Butler

Swap standard honey for something special with this unique fruity honey. This jar of spiced orange honey has bags of zesty flavour and tiny chewy bits of orange peel – definitely one to try for crêpes suzette fans. The sweet packaging also makes it a great gift idea.

Available from:
Cartwright & Butler (£10.50)
John Lewis (£8)
Amazon (£9)

Harvey Nichols fruity cherry curd

Harvey Nichols Cherry Curd £4.50

If you want to explore beyond your usual lemon curd, Harvey Nichols has a range of indulgent options to choose from. This cherry curd tastes just like cherry drop sweets, and would be excellent with a drizzle of chocolate sauce for Black Forest gateau-style pancakes. Or, stick to citrus with Harvey Nichols's bright blood orange curd, which is accurately described as tasting like ‘butter and marmalade in a jar’– you’ll have to resist eating it on its own with a spoon.

Available from:
Harvey Nichols (£4.50)

M&S lemon sherbet drizzle

M&S Lemon sherbet drizzle

This sharp and tangy lemon ‘sherbet drizzle’ is essentially lemon curd, packaged in a helpful squeezy bottle. It's extremely zesty, with a strong, sharp lemon flavour, perfect for cutting through sweet pancakes. The bottle also suggests using it as a cake filling or over ice cream, both of which would be delicious. For kids or those with an extreme sweet tooth, M&S also has a pink Percy Pig dessert sauce – guaranteed to be a love-or-hate item.

Available from:
Ocado (£2.10)

Lotus Biscoff sauce

Lotus Biscoff sauce

Sweet and spiced Biscoff spread is a familiar feature in bakeries now, appearing on cupcakes, swirled into brownies or spooned into milkshakes. This jumbo-sized squeezy bottle of soft Biscoff sauce makes serving easy, which is perfect for a pancake party.

Bonne Maman hazelnut chocolate spread

Screenshot 2022-02-14 at 15.37.58

A decent chocolate spread is a Pancake Day staple. This one, from jam experts Bonne Maman, is everything you need: rich and velvety smooth, it melts easily and has balanced, deep cocoa notes alongside pleasing sweetness. It's made from 20% hazelnuts and free from palm oil.

Available from:
Waitrose & Partners (£2.80)
Sainsbury's (£2)
Tesco (£2.80)

Tiptree salted caramel spread

Tiptree Salted Caramel Spread 210g

For a slightly milder caramel option than the Joe & Seph's dark sticky toffee sauce, this creamy golden Tiptree salted caramel spread is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Its firm texture would also work well in a banoffee pie.

Available from:
Tiptree (£2.99)
Ocado (£3)
Amazon (£3.49)

Strazzanti crema di pistacchio Siciliano

Strazzanti pistachio cream

For a luxurious pancake, Strazzanti’s nut spreads are a superior grown-up alternative to classic chocolate hazelnut ones. This sweet pistachio spread is made with 40% Sicilian pistachios, all produced using sustainable dry farming methods. The delicate green hue gives way to intense nutty flavour – a little goes a long way. There are hazelnut and sweet almond spreads to try, too.

Available from:
Strazzanti (£11.95)

Tiptree chocolate spread

Tiptree chocolate sauce

Chocolate spread without the nuts! Straight from the jar, this firm spread makes a perfect alternative to hazelnut-filled options for those with a nut allergy. A quick blitz in the microwave melts this down into a luxurious dark chocolate sauce.

Available from:
Harvey Nichols (£3.50)
Ocado (£2.50)

Pure Maple maple syrup

Pure Maple maple syrup

Pancake Day wouldn’t be complete without maple syrup. Pure Maple offers three grades of Great Taste Award-winning maple syrup: golden delicate, amber rich and dark robust. As the names suggest, the flavours get more intense the darker you go, from light and sweet golden delicate to intense dark robust, with subtle bitter notes. Try all three and find your favourite.

Available from:
Pure Maple (£12)

Daylesford organic fruit compotes

Rhubarb compote Daylesford Organic

Daylesford’s range of thick, super-concentrated organic fruit compotes are perfect for spooning over fluffy American pancakes or crêpes along with a dollop of yogurt. Made just with organic fruit and sugar, there are several seasonal varieties to choose from. We particularly love the intense classic rhubarb (that one's best enjoyed with some custard), but there are also sunny apricot, nectarine and strawberry options. Once Pancake Day is done, try the compotes on scones, in a Victoria sandwich or with granola and yogurt for breakfast.

Available from:
Daylesford Organic (£3.99)
Ocado (£4.o5)

Melrose and Morgan English honey

Melrose and Morgan honey

Prefer honey to maple syrup? We love this simple English wildflower honey. The pale golden runny honey has soft floral notes, made by bees foraging field and hedgerow blossoms, including Yorkshire broad bean flowers and white clover.

Available from:
Melrose and Morgan (£7.50)

Eat17 bacon jam

Selfridges bacon jam

Want to try something different this Pancake Day? Go the savoury route with this smoky, sticky bacon jam – a tangy relish with garlic, red onions and plenty of herbs, this packs a punch. Spread thinly on crêpes with grated cheese and spinach for the ultimate Pancake Day dinner. Chorizo or chilli versions are also available.

Available from:
Selfridges (£4.99)

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