APT1: Piña Colada Pancakes

Sometimes it’s fun to have a tropical treat for breakfast. Why not Piña Colada Pancakes? Here is how I make them.

I start with a basic pancake recipe. I like this one from Mark Bittman. You can also start with boxed pancake mix as well.

Where the pancake recipe calls for milk, replace it with equal amounts of coconut milk.

Drain and pat dry 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Crushed Pineapple and add to batter. (Save the pineapple juice for something yummy later!) You can also use fresh or defrosted pineapple, just cut it up into smaller pieces and make sure it’s fairly dry. Use paper towels to pat dry. It doesn’t have to be bone dry, just not too juicy. Add more or less pineapple to your taste.

OPTIONAL: Add some Rum Flavor Extract, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. Try it first, some people don’t like the taste of it.

If your batter gets too runny from adding these extras, add more flour or pancake mix. Or, something like wheat germ or ground flax seed.

Cook pancakes as normal. Top with shredded coconut and chopped cherries (maraschino or regular) along with syrup of your choosing. [Note: You can add the cherries into the mix, if you’d like. I found that it can discolor the batter, so I prefer to add them on top. Also, you can choose to add the shredded coconut into the mix, but I think it looks better as a garnish.]

There you go. A little taste of the tropics at the breakfast table.