Don’t just wish to be basking in the sun on a tropical island, bring it to your table! These Piña Colada Pancakes will take you there in just a few quick steps and with pantry ingredients.
Fluffy pancakes are all the rage these days, and with good reason. Who can resist a light, thick, and fluffy pancake?
Apparently no one because they’ve been around since the Stone Ages! Okay, so those pancakes are obviously not what we know them to be today, but they still contained the basic components: ground wheat and flour.
Even the ancient Greeks and Romans made some drastic improvements to the pancake by making them from wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk.
Fast forward to the 15th century when pancakes became increasingly popular and Pancake Day was born!
Yes, Pancake Day is a legit day!
Pancake Day is celebrated on Shrove Tuesday (commonly referred to as Fat Tuesday) and is the holiday of feasting before Lent. During Lent, the custom was to rid the pantry of all fats, sugar, and eggs so people weren’t tempted to eat animal products like milk, butter, and eggs.
All those ingredients were definitely put to good use — large quantities of pancakes were made and consumed, and the day earned the rightful name of Pancake Day!
Personally, I eat pancakes multiple times a year, and sometimes even for dinner! We spice things up by adding chocolate chips or blueberries to the batter, or topping them with strawberries and cream or powdered sugar. (At that point they’re basically a dessert!)
But these Piña Colada pancakes are something special. It lies somewhere in between breakfast and dessert, with a tropical drink twist. A stack of these will definitely get you moving and grooving.
Pineapple and coconut are the epitome of tropical, in my opinion. It’s such a fresh combination that just calms my soul. I’d love to sip on a tall piña colada mocktail right about now. That *might* be too much piña colada going on with the pancakes, so I’ll make a green smoothie to help me feel good about my morning meal.
Let’s take a quick second to talk about how amazing the syrup is. It’s finger-lickin’, guilty pleasuring, buttery-sweetness-with-flavors-of-the-tropics good.
Friends, this syrup is 100% wonderful. I love it so much that I put it on top waffles, shaved ice, and even ice cream. I think I definitely need to experiment putting this on other things. On fudgy brownies? Maybe drizzled in a dirty soda? Oooh so many ideas going on here!
Side note: I always store my homemade syrups in a mason jar with an Ergo Spout lid. While the syrups never last more than a few days (that good, promise), I store them in the fridge. When I’m ready to use, I’ll pop off the lid and warm the jar for 15-20 seconds in the microwave, just to take off the chill.
Lots of people message me about gluten-free foods. This is such an easy food that can be made gluten-free. Check out my tips for gluten-free pancakes and overall perfect pancakes.
How do I make gluten free pancakes?
Use gluten free pancake mix! I like using Bisquick gluten free pancake mix because it’s a tried and true dry mix that will produce great results. I do, however, always add a small packet of dry instant pudding mix to take away any aftertaste. For this recipe, I add instant vanilla pudding mix.
Tips for cooking perfect pancakes:
Do you find that the first batch of pancakes never seem to cook like the rest? This used to happen to me all the time, and I cook for a living!
To combat this problem, I always cook the first batch slowly on low heat and then increase the heat to medium with the remaining batches. Works every time!
The slow-and-low method is ideal for this recipe because these pancakes are so much more delicate than traditional pancakes. Resist any temptation to cook multiple pancakes at once. You’ll need the extra space on the pan and don’t want any overcrowding.
Okay, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some tropical flavored food! Let’s sway to some tropical music as we get these scrumptious pancakes cooking!
xoxo,
Meg
Piña Colada Pancakes
Piña Colada meets pancakes!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups Pancake Mix or Gluten Free Pancake Mix (I like to use Bisquick for this recipe)
- ½ Cup Dry Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 Cups Canned Coconut Milk
- Cooking Spray
- 4 Rings Fresh Pineapple, Sliced ⅛ Inch
Optional Toppings:
- ½ Cup Fresh Pineapple, Cubed ¼ Inch
- Maraschino Cherries
- 2 Tablespoons Shredded Coconut, Sweetened and Toasted
- Coconut Syrup (Recipe Follows)
Instructions
- Preheat a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat.
- Combine the pancake mix and dry pudding in a mixing bowl. Add eggs, vegetable oil, and coconut milk and stir to combine.
- Spray the pan and place the rings of pineapple onto the pan (make sure you have space between the pineapple rings, you may need to do this in multiple batches).
- Add ¼ cup of the pancake batter over each pineapple ring covering the pineapple completely.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Make the syrup (recipe follows).
- Flip the pancakes with a spatula and cook on the other side for 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and top with syrup and toppings.
Coconut Syrup
Ingredients
- 4 (14 oz) Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Pure Coconut Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Butter Extract
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
1. Place the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat on low until warmed through.
2. Place the syrup into a small mason jar. When ready to use place the Ergo Spout® on top of your mason jar and pour over pancakes or item of choice.
Notes
You can also use coconut condensed milk for a dairy-free option.