Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Cheat Meal Is the Viral Coconut Banana Pancake Recipe
These large, crispy pancakes are the star of his recovery day—and there’s peanut butter involved
If there’s one person who knows how to do breakfast big, it’s Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Between his epic cheat meals and larger-than-life presence on movie screens, fans can always count on The Rock to go all in—especially when it comes to pancakes. And in March 2021, he did just that by sharing a video of what he calls his “infamous coconut banana pancakes,” made alongside his longtime friend and chef Janette “Puttie” Clark.
Set to the song “Banana Pancakes” by Jack Johnson, the clip features the fluffy, golden pancakes topped with creamy peanut butter and maple syrup. With over nine million views and counting, it’s safe to say the internet went wild. Here’s how to make this well-deserved “recovery day” treat.
What’s in The Rock’s coconut banana pancakes?
Unlike the average banana pancake recipe, this one stands out for several reasons. First, the bananas aren’t mashed into the batter, which helps preserve the texture. Instead, the bananas are diced and folded in at the end, so you get little bites of fruit in every forkful. Even more unique is how much coconut goes into this recipe. There’s shredded coconut, coconut milk and coconut water. That trio not only delivers a subtly tropical flavor, but also creates a pancake that’s tender in the middle and crisp around the edges.
The rest of the ingredients are pantry-friendly, and there’s no stand mixer or fancy equipment required. As Puttie later shared, it took them two months to get the recipe just right. Naturally, The Rock gave this recipe his full support, showing himself eating them on camera while praising their flavor and texture. “I’m devouring these amazing coconut banana pancakes,” he says. “They are incredible… This is going to be the perfect bite.”
After the original post went viral, Johnson and Puttie continued making videos featuring the coconut banana pancakes. Their collab was so successful that in 2022, Chef Puttie launched her own pancake brand called Simple Putt’s Pancakes—complete with a boxed mix version of the viral coconut banana recipe.
Tips for making The Rock’s pancakes just right
To get your coconut banana pancakes as delicious as The Rock’s, follow these key tips from chef Puttie. First, don’t mash the bananas; dicing them gives the pancakes a chunkier texture and keeps the banana flavor distinct in every bite.
Second, use high-quality ingredients whenever possible, like 100 percent pure maple syrup and organic eggs and milk, to elevate the flavor of this simple recipe. Finally, resist the urge to over mix the batter; keeping it slightly lumpy helps the pancakes stay fluffy and tender once they hit the griddle.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s coconut banana pancakes recipe
Ready to make them yourself? Here’s Chef Puttie’s official recipe so you can re-create the internet-famous stack at home. If this looks like too many pancakes, you can cut the recipe in half. Or, freeze leftovers for easy grab-and-go breakfasts; just pop them in the toaster to reheat.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 3 Tbs. cane sugar
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 10 Tbs. unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 medium bananas, diced
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted (plus more for griddle)
- Extra virgin olive oil spray, for griddle
Directions:
- Total time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 large pancakes
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add sugar, salt and shredded coconut, then mix lightly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, coconut water, coconut milk, whole milk, vanilla extract, coconut oil and melted butter.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Mix lightly to combine (the batter should be a bit lumpy). Then, gently fold in the diced bananas.
- Heat a griddle to 275° F or use a frying pan over medium heat. Grease lightly with olive oil spray and a bit of butter. Pour the batter onto the griddle (1 cup for large pancakes or ¼ cup for smaller ones). Cook until bubbles form on the surface, about two to three minutes. Flip carefully and cook the other side until golden and crisp.
- Transfer the pancakes to a platter and serve warm with creamy peanut butter and maple syrup. Or go full Rock-style with a pinch of brown sugar and an extra drizzle of charm.
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