Shrove Tuesday Recipes and Ideas for Students

February 2026 by Keira Bennett

It sometimes feels like Pancake Day, A.K.A. Shrove Tuesday, was especially made for university students. A chance not just to get your friends and housemates together, but to devour a shedload of pancakes — where do we sign up?

Keep reading for our favourite Shrove Tuesday recipes for students, tips for cooking for a crowd on a budget, and the tastiest pancake day ideas and traditions to celebrate with.

Why do we celebrate Shrove Tuesday?

You might have noticed we celebrate Pancake Day in the lead-up to Easter. This is because it’s the final day before the Christian tradition of Lent, a time when many temporarily give up something to mark the time that Jesus spent fasting in the desert.

But why pancakes? Well, according to the history of Shrove Tuesday, that’s because the ingredients of this tasty dish — eggs, butter, sugar and (traditionally) fat — were meant to be used up before Christians abstained from them for 40 days.

Easy pancake recipes for students

You don’t need to be a crêpe connoisseur to make a good pancake — and these easy recipes prove it.

Basic pancake recipes

Sweet pancakes

Savoury pancakes

How to cook for a crowd at university

Having your pals around for Pancake Day is an easy win for getting a social occasion in the diary. These tips for cooking for a crowd will not just make your student loan go further, but take the pressure off the head chef.

Plan your meal ahead of time
Choose your pancake recipes well in advance and ensure you have a fully formed list to take to the supermarket with you. Feel free to add extras to the basket, but having a good, solid base will help you stick to the plan and the budget.
Divvy out responsibilities
If you’re taking one for the team as head chef, don’t fall into the trap of being the washer-upper, table-layer and host, too! Divide the responsibilities among the group so that everyone does their fair share.
Split the cost
When you add up all the toppings and ingredients, hosting for Pancake Day can quickly get expensive. To make it fair for everyone, put the cost of the supermarket shop into a Splitwise or create a kitty that all your guests put money into ahead of time.
Don’t waste leftovers!
You’ll more than likely have some pancake batter leftover at the end — but don’t chuck it away. If put in an airtight container, batter will last about 2-4 days in the fridge. That means pancakes for the rest of the week! Yum.

Shrove Tuesday ideas and traditions

Dare we say there is more to Shrove Tuesday than just stuffing yourself with pancakes? These fun and tasty Pancake Day ideas mean you’ll be set for a whole evening of entertainment. If you can move after your feast, of course.

Pancake race
Pancake races have long since been a Shrove Tuesday tradition. All you need to do is race each other across a set distance, all while flipping a pancake in a frying pan! If you don’t quite have enough space in your student yard, head to the nearest green spot.
Flip competition
Ah, the mighty pancake flip. Why not see who is the master of this skill by having a flip competition in the kitchen? But watch out for participants who have started cooking as one of their student hobbies… they may put you to shame!
Host a pancake potluck
A potluck dinner is an easy way to spread the cost and responsibilities of hosting. By having a pancake potluck, guests can bring their own diverse toppings to the table, while one nominated person is in charge of making the pancakes themselves.
Cook pancakes from around the world
If you are bored with the same old pancakes and want to see what they eat in other countries, try your hand at cooking some international pancake styles.
For example:
- French galettes
- Dutch poffertjes
- Fluffy American pancakes
- Russian blinis
- Indian dosas
- Welsh pikelets
- Brazilian tapiocas