Smashed Raspberry Chocolate Chunk pancakes. They seduced me the moment I laid eyes on them. They're by Joy the Baker, what a surprise, and screamed awesome. By Sunday, I knew exactly what to do with the left over raspberries. It was time.
Gazing into the fridge, I decided to put my own teensie twist on these luscious pancakes. There was no buttermilk, a ton of ripening bananas (a batch of banana scones are baking right now), and leftover unsweetened coconut milk. Sounded like magic in the making.
I substituted the 1 cup of buttermilk with half reduced coconut milk and soured milk (milk + cream of tartar). While the pancakes sizzled, I topped them with slices of banana. This is a great trick because they nestle into the batter and when you flip them, they become slightly caramelized and browned. Add just a handful of chocolate chips- you don't want to make it sickeningly sweet for breakfast.
The result was heavenly. The pancakes were light and soft, not super big and fluffy. The batter was slightly sweet and I loved the gentle flavor of real coconut, not some form of extract. You simply cannot go wrong with fresh banana and coconut! The occasional pocket of chocolate was a gooey surprise.
And the coolest part is you don't need syrup! That's where the raspberries come in. Don't sprinkle them on top- that would be too easy. Smash them in a bowl! You'll be surprised how much juice comes out. Add some in between the pancakes as you stack them on the plate. It will be a delicious hot mess of fruit.
Chocolate Chunk Coconut Pancakes with Bananas and Smashed Raspberries
slightly modified from Joy the Bakermakes about 10-12 small pancakes, serves 2-3
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, reduced to 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
a small handful of dark chocolate chunks (optional)
1 banana, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
butter for skillet
In a small sauce pan, bring coconut milk to boil. Lower to a simmer and let it cook till reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Set aside and let it cool down to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon . Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together milk and cream of tartar. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Whisk in melted butter, egg, cooled reduced coconut milk, and vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients, all at once to the wet ingredients. Whisk to combine. If there are a few lumps in the mixture, that’s totally fine. Stir in chocolate chips. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes while the skillet heats.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place a heat-proof plate in the oven to help keep cooked pancakes warm.
Over medium-low heat, add about 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the non-stick skillet. Add 2 tablespoon of batter to the pan for each pancake. Add a few slices of banana on top, I did about 3 per pancake. Cook until browned, flip once and cook on the other side until golden brown and cooked through. Place cooked pancakes on the plate in the oven until all of the pancakes are cooked and ready to serve.
To serve, smash raspberries in a small bowl. Place a few smashed raspberries on a plate. Top with three or four small pancakes and more raspberries. Serve warm.
In a small bowl, whisk together milk and cream of tartar. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Whisk in melted butter, egg, cooled reduced coconut milk, and vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients, all at once to the wet ingredients. Whisk to combine. If there are a few lumps in the mixture, that’s totally fine. Stir in chocolate chips. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes while the skillet heats.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place a heat-proof plate in the oven to help keep cooked pancakes warm.
Over medium-low heat, add about 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the non-stick skillet. Add 2 tablespoon of batter to the pan for each pancake. Add a few slices of banana on top, I did about 3 per pancake. Cook until browned, flip once and cook on the other side until golden brown and cooked through. Place cooked pancakes on the plate in the oven until all of the pancakes are cooked and ready to serve.
To serve, smash raspberries in a small bowl. Place a few smashed raspberries on a plate. Top with three or four small pancakes and more raspberries. Serve warm.
