Our Taste-Tested Picks: The Best Pancake and Waffle Spreads

Brunch at home isn’t complete without the perfect sweet topping, so we sampled a variety of spreads to find the best.

Review by Carla Caruso

The school holidays are made for leisurely weekend mornings, indulging in pancakes and waffles. No early-morning sports, no homework – just time to pile on the toppings.

But what to put on top? Sure, you could stick to classics like lemon and sugar, maple syrup, Nutella, or Biscoff. Or, like us, you could go a little wild. Here’s what we tasted, and loved (or not so much).

Sad Girl Silky Matcha Spread

Handmade in Melbourne by Yukako Sunaba, this dessert-style matcha spread is silky-sweet and just the right amount of grassy. Perfect for brunch, though kids should stick to small amounts thanks to the mild caffeine. My adventurous tastebuds were all in, even at the pricey $21.95 cost (as of December 2025). My boys? Not such fans. (Matcha lovers rejoice: tearoom Cha-no-wa has just opened in Adelaide for even more green tea treats.)

Paolo’s Sicilian Lemon Cream Spread

Creamy, zesty and a little bit fancy, Paolo’s Sicilian Lemon Cream Spread can add a bright citrus kick to any brunch. Imported from Sicily via Cooking with Nonna, it’s smooth, sweet and worth the splurge on international shipping. My sour-flavour-loving son gave it two thumbs up, while I enjoyed the nostalgic nod to Italian cakes.

Macedonian Tahini with Orange

Inspired by My Kitchen Rules twins Helena and Vikki Moursellas calling orange tahini “life-changing” in one of their cookbooks, I had to give it a try. This smooth Mediterranean spread is nutty and delightfully unexpected. Made by Haitoglou Bros since 1924, it’s fab on fruit or pancakes. My boys found it unusual, but I’m hooked, and I’ve also ordered the cocoa version.

Eat Your Drink! Café Latte Spread

A café latte in a jar, this silky, coffee-flavoured spread is ideal not only on pancakes or waffles but also straight from the spoon. Made with ST. ALi coffee and milk, it’s luxuriously sweet and utterly irresistible (even if you’re not a regular coffee drinker). Fridge it after opening, and try the mocha flavour while you’re at it.

The Carob Kitchen Organic Carob Syrup

This syrup is made from 100% Australian-grown carob and is naturally sweet with a hint of caramel. Vegan and gluten-free, it’s also perfect for drizzling over porridge or ice cream or for stirring into drinks. A unique alternative to chocolate, it’s packed with nutrients too. My boys were a little unsure about the soy-sauce-like consistency, but I’m a carob fan for life.

A special shout-out must also go to SA-made loaded peanut butter brand Peanut Fusion, known for mixing peanut butter with cookies, Biscoff and more. The brand pops up at local markets and is also available online, alongside Sukkar’s Bueno white chocolate and hazelnut spread from Melbourne.

Go ahead – mix, match and pile on the toppings. Your pancakes (and your tastebuds) will thank you every weekend of the school holidays!

See our Top Parks & Playgrounds Around Adelaide

All photos by James Elsby for Play & Go Adelaide.

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently.

SUBSCRIBE

Follow Play & Go Adelaide on Facebook and Instagram

Want to get all the latest events and activities straight to your inbox?

Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter below to keep up to date with our latest posts and find out all the best events & activities for Adelaide families. Newsletters are only sent once a week, and you may sometimes get a special offer exclusively for our subscribers only!