One bite of these luscious, decadent coconutty pancakes and you'll be on cloud nine. But paired with the warm sugary vanilla pear sauce? You'll be in heaven!



I'm not kidding. Take your first bite, and everything else suddenly ceases to exist. This dish makes for an amazing breakfast, served with fresh fruit and tea to complete the meal. And like most pancakes, they're pretty easy to make (well, with the exception of that first one that always is a little questionable). The dreamy sauce is also pretty simple, and it's so quick that you can start this up once the pancakes are done (make sure to keep them warm) and serve everything at once.



The pancakes are a bit dense and can be slightly gummy in the middle if not cooked long enough, so make sure you keep the heat on the lower side so they will cook evenly. That being said, if they're soaked with enough of the pear sauce, the texture gets almost gooey and cake-like.

Although two forms of coconut are used in the batter, it actually ends up being quite mild in the finished product. The pancakes aren't overly sweet, but they do have a nice coconutty flavor with intermittent bits of crunchy flakes.

And the sauce...oh, the sauce. It's to die for. Pears cooked in butter, then simmered in a sugar syrup with lemon juice, vanilla, cardamom, and black pepper. Yes, black pepper! You culinarians will see where this is headed...chai tea! The cardamom and pepper make a great spice pairing to create a warm, exotic flavor which goes so well with the juicy pears. If you want more of a pronounced chai flavor, try doubling the spice amount or adding a little ground ginger.

The sauce is very sugary (perfect on the not-overly-sweet pancakes), but a hint of the salty butter and tangy lemon cut through that perfectly. I wouldn't suggest eating the sauce alone because of how sweet it is, but imagine its pairing possibilities: waffles, French toast, fruit salad, or even a dipping sauce.


Double Coconut Pancakes
(adapted from , December 2006)

- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 14 oz. can light coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted (such as )
- Egg replacer for 1 large egg (such as )

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, coconut, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine coconut milk, butter, and egg replacer; stir well. Add coconut milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or skillet. Cook 3 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Turn pancakes over; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Makes about 12 pancakes.

Vanilla Pear Sauce
(adapted from , December 2006)

1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- 2 cups peeled, thinly sliced pear
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- Dash freshly ground black pepper




Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Transfer syrup to a small bowl; set aside. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add pear to pan; cook 3 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently. Return syrup to pan; stir in fresh lemon juice, vanilla extract, ground cardamom, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.