Hawaiian Poi (Taro) Pancakes

Aloha + welcome to this week’s 4th post! I feel like I’m on a roll with writing lately. Can’t stop, won’t stop. (But probably might stop and take a week or two off because that’s typically how I write, lol. #Momlife.) Thank you all so much for using my free $50 Stitch Fix coupon code. Yesterday’s post got a lot of hits! Click here to read. That was really fun for me, trying out a new clothing subscription + sharing my thoughts. If you’re interested + didn’t get a chance to nab the $50 coupon, here’s a $25 coupon code. Happy Shopping!

Now, back to today’s little post. I wanted to share a Hawaiian treat with y’all: Poi!! In the form of poi pancakes! Who here likes poi? Who here really dislikes poi? Who here has never had poi? Raise your hand. Holla atcha girl. Or leave a comment. There are many opinions on poi.

Growing up on Maui, poi was a staple next to the lomi lomi salmon + kalua pig at baby’s 1st birthday luaus, graduation ceremonies, weddings, and always well-stocked anytime I walked the aisles of my favorite local grocery store, Pukalani Superette aka “Puk Sup”. It was in that clear plastic tub filled with what looked like purple pudding. I probably helped shelve that Hawaiian staple many times during my college summers working at Puk Sup. Poi holds a lot of memories for me.

What is poi exactly? It’s basically cooked taro root beaten into a mushy paste traditionally with a poi pounder of some sort then mixed with water (think of a contemporary mortar and pestle + you get the picture). Key takeaway here: poi is cooked before it’s mashed. Very important. Taro root is toxic if not cooked thoroughly.

Now that you have a general idea of what poi is, here is my family’s Hawaiian Poi (Taro) Pancake recipe! I hope you give it a try! At the very least buy a small tub of already-made poi at your local Maui grocery store + mix it in place of fresh homemade poi so you can try this recipe! It’s comforting + grounding + a great way to integrate a classic Hawaiian staple: poi!

Here’s a photo to lure you in. Keep scrolling for this recipe! And if you make this recipe, please tag me on IG @littlemauifamily or link to this post.

Maile’s Hawaiian Poi (Taro) Pancakes:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All-purpose Flour or Gluten-Free Flour of choice
• 1 TBSP Baking Powder
• 3 eggs (or 3 flax eggs, if vegan)
• 1 cup Poi (homemade cooked taro root mashed with water to desired consistency, or store-bought)
• 1/3 cup Coconut Oil, melted, room-tempurature
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 3/4 cup Milk (Whole Milk or Soy Milk or Coconut Milk is great)

Directions:

1. Whisk flour + baking powder together.
2. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add in poi, melted coconut oil, sugar, and milk and stir to combine.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in your egg/poi/oil/sugar/milk mixture. Stir to combine well, but do not overmix. Set aside.
4. Heat up a greased cast iron skillet or griddle. (You can use more coconut oil here, like I do, or vegetable oil or melted butter.)
5. Drop a few heaping tablespoons worth of batter onto your greased pan + cook until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges + in the center of your pancakes. Now, flip them and cook the other side until uniformly cooked inside.
6. Serve warm with maple syrup, coconut syrup, or homemade lilikoi curd (my friend Tracy makes da best one!!) Enjoy!

If you’re still reading, check out my Family’s Taro Farm + let me know in the comments when you make these pancakes! 🙂