The first time I made these I was standing at the stove in my dressing gown, two kids hanging off my elbows asking when breakfast would be ready. That is the real test of any pancake recipe in this house. These coconut pancakes passed it, and they have stayed in the Sunday rotation ever since.
What I love is how the warm pureed pear does most of the heavy lifting. You can have it bubbling away on the back burner while you sort out the batter, and the smell of cinnamon and pear pulls everyone into the kitchen on its own. The lemon myrtle is the quiet hero here, a little Australian bush tucker that gives the pears a soft, lemony lift you cannot quite place. If you have never cooked with it, this is a gentle way in.
They are gluten-free too, which makes life easier when you are feeding a crowd with different needs. I have served these to fussy nephews and to a friend who avoids wheat, and nobody felt like they were missing out. For more weekend ideas in the same spirit, our best gluten-free granola and these breakfast balls are both worth a spot on your morning table.
A quick word on the ingredients before you start, because a couple of them might be new to you. Coconut flour behaves nothing like regular flour. It is thirsty and dense, so the half-and-half mix with gluten-free flour here keeps the pancakes tender rather than dry. The lucuma powder is optional and brings a gentle caramel note, so do not stress if you cannot find it. And the lemon myrtle is the one I would chase down if you can, because it is what makes these taste like something you would order out rather than throw together at home.
Ingredients
A perfectly lazy Sunday morning breakfast, and a great gluten-free option. The lemon myrtle incorporates our love of using Australian bush tucker.
Serves 6 (makes 12 pancakes)
Pureed Pears
- 3 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Vanilla pod (reserved from pancakes, below)
- 3-4 fresh lemon myrtle leaves or ½ teaspoon powered lemon myrtle
Pancakes
- ½ cup gluten-free flour
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons lucuma powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup rice milk or soy milk
- 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- Seeds scrapped from 1 vanilla pod (reserve pod for pureed pears)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
To serve
- 200g Greek style natural yoghurt
- 125g blueberries
Method
- First make the pureed pears. Place ingredients and 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Discard vanilla pod and lemon myrtle leaves and puree mixture in a food processor.
- To make the pancakes combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients except coconut oil. Add to flour mix, folding mixture to combine.
- Heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Coat pan lightly with coconut oil and add sufficient batter to make 8-10 cm pancakes. Turn pancakes after about 1 ½ minutes or when bubbles appear on the surface, then cook for a further 1 minute. Do not attempt to flip the pancakes until the bottom is set or they make break up.
- Serve 2 pancakes per person with pureed pears, yogurt and blueberries.
Chef’s Tip: For something different, replace the pureed pears with pureed fruit of your choice.
Make it ahead and serve it well
The pureed pear is your friend on a busy week. I make a double batch on Sunday and keep it in a jar in the fridge, where it sits happily for three or four days. It is lovely warm but just as good cold, stirred through porridge or spooned over the kids’ afternoon yoghurt. If our brown rice porridge is already on high rotation at your place, that pear puree will feel right at home on top.
The batter itself does not love a long wait once it is mixed, so I get the dry and wet bowls ready the night before and only fold them together in the morning. Coconut flour drinks up liquid, so if the mix tightens while it rests, loosen it with a splash more rice or soy milk before you ladle it into the pan. Cook the lot, stack the spares between sheets of baking paper, and they reheat in the toaster on a school morning when nobody has time to stand at the stove. They freeze well too, so a Sunday batch can quietly cover a couple of weekday breakfasts.
The pancakes themselves want a little patience. A small pan over medium heat is the trick, not a roaring one, and that first pancake is nearly always a write-off while the pan finds its temperature. Wait for the bubbles before you flip, exactly as the method says, because these are more delicate than a wheat pancake and they will tear if you rush them. I keep a low oven going and slide each one in to stay warm so the whole family eats together instead of in shifts.
For serving, the Greek yoghurt and blueberries are not just pretty. Pairing whole fruit and a little protein alongside the pancakes makes for a more balanced plate, which is the kind of everyday eating Nutrition Australia talks about. Swap the blueberries for whatever is in season, throw on some toasted coconut, or trade the pear for stewed apple or apricot. Fancy something to drink with them? A green smoothie bowl on the side turns this into a proper slow-morning feast.
One small confession: I always sneak the first pancake straight off the pan, standing up, before anyone notices. Cook’s perk, I reckon. If you are after more gentle, family-friendly meal ideas, our notes on calming foods and the team’s tips for nailing nutrition are a good next read. You will find more weekend recipes over in our breakfast collection too.
— Nicole Barnes, Golden Door Living kitchen
