Give Pancakes 10x The Flavor With One Tropical Pantry Staple

It would be nice to spend every morning enjoying a tropical breakfast, wouldn't it? Palm trees, the sound of waves crashing in the background, and the taste of pineapple on the tip of your tongue. If you don't live in the tropics, however, there is a pretty simple way to still bring that bright taste to your breakfast table — and it all starts with a bit of pineapple juice. Subbing pineapple juice for some of the liquid in your go-to pancake recipe is a great way to add a touch of pineapple upside-down cake flavor without a ton of extra effort. 

The process is pretty simple: Take away some of the liquid in the recipe and replace it with canned pineapple juice (if you're in the mood for something pretty sweet, go ahead and do a full swap). You can also add crushed pineapples from the can to your batter to switch up the texture and incorporate even more of a tropical flavor burst. You'll want to keep an eye on the heat though — pineapple has natural sugars that can caramelize under high heat. While a smidge of caramelization from the sugar will make your pancakes heavenly, you don't want to overdo it and end up with a burnt pineapple mess. Cook them low and slow, and don't forget to err on the gentle side when it's time to turn them over so you get a splatter-free pancake flip.

The world is your tropical oyster when it comes to topping your pancakes — there are a ton of options. If you're in the mood for the pineapple-coconut taste of a piña colada, try using canned coconut milk to make a sweet vegan whipped cream to top your pancakes. You can also simply blend together some powdered sugar, sour cream, and crushed pineapple for a sweet, tangy topping. If you prefer to pull out all the stops, consider adding some grilled pineapple to your pancakes. Grilling concentrates the fruit's natural sweetness, and can help create an unforgettable pineapple pancake experience.

Of course, no matter what you top your tropical pancakes with, you can't go wrong by adding some plain chopped pineapple for garnish. If you want to chop up a fresh pineapple, have at it, but you shouldn't overlook canned pineapple either. Slice up a few rings for a simple yet delicious finishing touch. If you have any other tropical fruit on hand (think mango, papaya, dragonfruit), chop them up and sprinkle them on top as well for a truly vacation-worthy breakfast.