The Boozy Ingredient That Belongs In Your Next Batch Of Pancakes

Pancakes are a classic brunch dish for good reason. They are comforting, filling, easy to make, and extremely customizable with add-ins, toppings, and flavorings. So if you've ever wondered whether adding a boozy element to your pancakes might enhance them even further, you've come to the right place. Tasting Table tapped into the expertise of Jeffrey Williams, Executive Chef at Willowsong, an American restaurant on the waterfront in D.C., to find out what effect rum or rum extract has on the flavor or texture of pancakes.

"It adds a caramel flavor profile to the pancakes—almost similar to a flapjack without all the butter," he says. Enhancing your pancakes with rum or rum extract can be done in different ways. You can add it to the liquid in the recipe to infuse the batter with the caramel-like flavor or as a finishing touch—use rum in place of bourbon when giving your pancakes a boozy upgrade, for instance. It's going to depend on the direction in which you want to take your pancakes and how you plan to serve them. 

"If I'm building a caramelized sweet component, rum is definitely a consideration for the recipe," says Chef Williams. In this case, a dark rum will be better than a white rum, as the barrel aging infuses the spirit with notes of caramel and vanilla.

When adding rum or rum extract to your pancakes for a special brunch treat, think of rum cocktails that you enjoy to give you insight into flavors that will pair best in a recipe. If you're a fan of a classic piña colada, you're on the right track, according to Chef Williams. 

"Caramelized pineapple, toasted coconut, and banana are the typical go-tos," he says. "But personally, I like caramelized mango or something signature to the area, like a pawpaw, just to bring something different to the recipe." Tropical flavors, enhanced by the process of caramelization, will pair with similar characteristics in rum for a match made in heaven. 

Think how rum is added to other desserts, such as bananas foster crepes, and you get the idea. You can take that recipe and tweak it to your pancakes, or try roasted mango, pineapple, or any other tropical fruit you like with them instead.