Campfire Griddle Samoan Banana Coconut Pancakes with Toasted Coconut Syrup

Build your campfire early and let it burn down to an even bed of glowing coals — flames scorch pancakes, but steady coals give the gentle, sustained heat a cast-iron griddle needs.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/4 cups full-fat coconut milk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil, plus more for the griddle
• 3 very ripe bananas, 2 mashed and 1 sliced for serving
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup coconut cream
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Build your campfire early and let it burn down to an even bed of glowing coals — flames scorch pancakes, but steady coals give the gentle, sustained heat a cast-iron griddle needs.
2. In a large bowl or a lidded camping container, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the coconut milk, eggs, melted coconut oil, mashed bananas and vanilla until smooth and pourable.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir just until combined — a few lumps are exactly right. Let the batter rest 5 minutes while the griddle heats.
5. Toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet at the edge of the fire, tossing constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and golden, then tip it onto a plate before it can scorch.
6. In that same skillet, warm the coconut cream, brown sugar and nutmeg over moderate heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the syrup thickens enough to coat a spoon. Stir in half the toasted coconut.
7. Set the cast-iron griddle over the coals and brush generously with coconut oil. Ladle in the batter in 4-inch rounds, leaving room to flip.
8. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles break across the surface and the edges look dry, then flip and cook 2 minutes more until springy and deep golden.
9. Stack the pancakes on warm plates, crown with sliced banana, pour over the warm coconut syrup and shower with the remaining toasted coconut.
10. In Samoa, coconut is not a garnish but a foundation — the milk, the cream and the flesh all earn their place at the table, and a breakfast built on all three tastes generous by design. Cooking these over an open fire at a campsite borrows that same island logic: simple ingredients, one hot surface, and no reason to rush. The griddle holds heat far better than any camp stove burner, which is why the pancakes come off with crisp lacy edges and a custardy banana centre you cannot quite replicate indoors.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 612 kcal
• Protein: 11g
• Fat: 29g
• Carbohydrates: 80g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 34g
• Sodium: 480mg