Celebrate Pancake Day with Dwayne Johnson's coconut banana recipe and others by celebrities

Things are set to get messy today as Pancake Day has finally arrived in 2023. The warm, flat disc of sweet, doughy goodness will no doubt be frequenting many kitchens across the United Kingdom, including many celebrities who have taken to social media to share their attempts - spills and all.

Be it David Beckham, who has been caught on camera just before the moment of truth on Pancake Day (the moment someone attempts to flip their pancake in the pan), through to US talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel showing his flair for culinary art serving his daughter pig-shaped pancakes, the humble dish still resonates with the rich and famous.

In the case of Dwayne Johnson, however, the love goes a little further than just one day a year. In a post celebrating his “cheat day” and how much he consumes before going back to his strict diet regime, Johnson showed off a large plate of brownies, his favourite form of french toast created with brioche, and a big stack of fat, piping hot coconut and banana pancakes.

It’s become an everlasting image on the internet - the sight of the hulking former WWE champion in front of a large stack of pancakes with a knife and fork and a very calm, if not impatient pose to his Twitter followers before finally tucking in.

What other celebrities have shown their affinity to Shrove Tuesday, the traditional feast day before lent begins on Ash Wednesday? Peopleworld has had a look at those aficionados deft with a frying pan and a ladle.

David Beckham

You can take the man out of England, but you can’t take England out of the man. Former footballer and current Inter Miami owner David Beckham took to Instagram in 2017 to show his deft, spatula-free technique for flipping pancakes.

It comes with a confident flick of the wrist from Beckham, who remains cool under even the pressure of flipping a pancake. This begs the question - is it more difficult to bend it like Beckham or to flip it like Beckham?

We also wonder if he gave any tips to Romeo Beckham during his time when he wanted to be a chef?

Kylie Jenner

Unlike the tried-and-tested flour recipe to make pancakes, influencer Kylie Jenner is one of several people to reduce the ingredients used to make pancakes. Taking to Instagram to share her attempt at a banana pancake, Jenner couldn’t help herself by jazzing up the humble banana and eggs concoction.

Instead, if you want to eat the same pancakes Kylie Jenner eats, add some vanilla almond milk and vanilla extract to the wet mix to add additional sweetness to your Pancake Day recipe.

Chelsea Clinton

Does anyone else recall the controversy Chelsea Clinton elicited when she shared her pancakes on social media in 2017? Was it using eggs that weren’t free-range or a particular brand of milk from a company that has problematic working conditions?

Nope - none of that. Instead, social media users took complete umbrage with the notion that Chelsea Clinton made spinach pancakes, including a picture to show their green hue and that her daughter was keen to eat them all up the same day they were made.

One user summed up the thoughts of other followers of Bill and Hilary Clinton’s daughter when it came to pancake recipes. “Pancake = smiling emoji. Pancake + spinach = vomit emoji.”

Derek Jeter

How did MLB great Derek Jeter accomplish so much during his career as a New York Yankee? Good training, a strong work ethic and, according to People magazine, a stack of pancakes to start the day with.

Jeter prefers a simple recipe when it comes to his pancakes with one key ingredient changed; Jeter prefers using buttermilk for his pancakes instead of full fat or half-and-half for a creamier breakfast treat.

Dwayne Johnson

Then there is the man who inspired eating challenges based on his cheat day, including one of his favourite comfort foods - a stack of coconut and banana pancakes. As thick as the weights he uses to work out with, the key to getting the pancakes as large as possible lies with the choice of flour used.

According to Sidechef, Johnson uses a larger measure of baking powder with all-purpose flour to get them to puff up, while also adding coconut milk, coconut water and coconut oil to capture that flavour along with the bananas.

You can make your version of Dwayne Johnson’s cheat day pancakes by following the recipe through Sidechef - be sure you tag Peopleworld on social media to show us your Pancake Day efforts!