Pineapple Upside-Down Pancakes

Inspired by the classic dessert cake, you can enjoy these healthier whole-wheat pancakes topped with a juicy, caramelized pineapple any time of the day. This recipe for pineapple upside-down pancakes uses Greek yogurt to keep them fluffy and soft.

I’ve been trying to up my breakfast game for a while now. Especially during the weekends. Then I have a leeway of couple more hours until brunch – that glorious meal that is breakfast done on a lunch scale!

I especially love trying out new pancake recipes. I have been obsessed with lemon pancakes because there is something about that tang from lemon and the airiness it gives the batter. So yummy! I also add ricotta cheese or Greek yogurt depending on what I have lying in my refrigerator.  I’ll be sharing all that with you in due course.

But for now, let’s talk pineapples. Love them, hate them, or cannot make up your mind? Growing up, we had pineapple bushes in our backyard. There’s this old wives’ tale about pineapple bushes attracting snakes. I have no idea if this is true, still we grew them. Throughout my childhood, I hated pineapples, not vehemently but in a detached sort of way. They scratched my throat, and I concluded I was allergic. I could have it in only one form – juiced. Mom always had bottles of sunshine-yellow pineapple concentrate in summer.

Can you believe that until a few years ago, I had never tried a slice of grilled or caramelized pineapple? Once I did, that totally changed my overview about this prickly fruit. Hello, Hawaiian pizza, anyone?!!

I’ve never made a show-stopping pineapple upside-down cake before. For someone who makes upside-down cakes with apples, plums, oranges, and everything in between, I was yet to master the classic. And then a lightbulb went off! Pineapple upside-down pancakes! All that gorgeousness in the form of a convenient breakfast food. Why not?

It worked out so beautifully, I cannot begin to explain just how amazing the pineapple pancakes smelled, looked and tasted!

Let’s begin with the batter. I used part (2/3rd) whole-wheat flour for these beauties. Pancake batter has to be light and airy. A trick that I’ve started following religiously is to separate the eggs, beat the whites stiff and then fold them into the batter at the end to make a fluffy batter. Fluffy batter = fluffy pancakes. Waffles are usually made that way, and it works for pancakes too. Technically, you could just whisk all the ingredients together, but if you have time, do try this method. I used Greek yogurt for part of the liquid content to add a nice tang and to keep the pancakes soft. Pancakes made with Greek yogurt have an amazing flavor.

I lightly caramelized the pineapple rings in a touch of butter and sugar. I did as many pineapple slices together as my skillet would hold. That was four, so I just had to do two batches for eight pancakes. Then I wiped the skillet clean, added a dab of butter, placed a pineapple slice and carefully poured the batter over it. It has to be cooked on low heat since one side of the pancake is in contact with the fruit and not the skillet, so you want it cooked through perfectly. And please be patient while flipping, use your largest flat spatula/flipper/special equipment here.

These delicious healthier whole-wheat pancakes don’t really need any sweetener or syrup at all, the pineapples give you all the flavor and sweetness that you need. But if you are feeling indulgent, go right ahead and drench ’em well!

Pineapple Upside-Down Pancakes

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

 

Inspired by the classic dessert cake, you can enjoy these healthier whole-wheat pancakes topped with a juicy, caramelized pineapple any time of the day. This recipe for pineapple upside-down pancakes uses Greek yogurt to keep them fluffy and soft.

Author: Anjana Devasahayam

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Serves: 8-10 pancakes

You will need:

• Whole-wheat flour - 1 cup
• All-purpose flour - ½ cup
• Baking powder - 1½ tsp
• Baking soda - ¼ tsp
• Salt - ½ tsp
• Sugar - 2 tbsp
• Eggs - 2, large, separated
• Greek yogurt - 1 cup
• Milk - 1 cup
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Citrus zest - 1 tsp (lemon, lime or orange)
• Pineapple rings - 8-10, cores removed
• Butter - 2 tbsp
• Brown sugar or Demerara sugar - 2-3 tbsp

How to:

1. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed till slightly stiff peaks form. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, Greek yogurt and milk together till pale and creamy. Add vanilla extract and zest and mix well.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine gently with a spatula till all the flour is just mixed in. Do not over-mix.
5. Now add ⅓rd of the egg whites to the batter and fold in gently with a spatula to slightly loosen the batter. Then fold in the rest of the egg whites. Batter will be light and airy.
6. Melt butter in a large skillet/griddle over medium-high heat. Sprinkle some brown sugar or coarse Demerara sugar over pineapple slices and cook them on both sides, 2-3 minutes each or till they are soft and slightly caramelized. Do this in batches if needed. Remove pineapple slices to a plate.
7. Rub your skillet clean with a paper towel and brush lightly with melted butter.
8. Place a caramelized pineapple slice and pour ⅓ cup batter over it, lightly spreading the batter around the sides of the fruit. Cook on low to medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes or till you see small bubbles at the sides. Gently flip and cook the other side till lightly browned. Repeat till all the batter is used up.
9. Serve pancakes warm on their own or with syrup.

Notes:

1. I experimented with different thicknesses of pineapple slices and found that it works best if the slices are neither too thin nor too thick. Keep them around ¼" - ½" thick.
2. While making the pancakes, only the batter at the edges will be in contact with the skillet. It is important to cook them at low or medium-low heat. When one side is done, you will see bubbles at the edges. Lightly lift at the edge with a spatula to see if it is browned, then flip gently so as not to break the pineapple slice. A large spatula helps.

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Do try these delicious golden pancakes for your next breakfast or brunch soiree. Aren’t they simply stunning to look at? They are even better tasting, I can tell you!

Don’t forget to PIN & SAVE this recipe for later.

Do you like pineapple? I’ve finally made my peace with this prickly fruit and learned to enjoy its goodness. Do try these caramelized pineapple pancakes recipe and let me know how it goes. Stay tuned for more pineapple recipes!

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I am sharing this over at Fiesta Friday & Saucy Saturday.