Coconut Pancakes (Kanom Krok) are very popular with both children and adults any time of the day or night. You will find street food vendors making this along many sois (small streets), in the morning and evening markets, and even in floating markets. It is amazing to see a boat come up along side with a lady making these tasty morsels on a charcoal braziere in her boat. She turns the little cakes over using a long bamboo skewer, then they combine two of the finished half-spheres to form a complete sphere. They sort of seal together from the heat.

A small bag of these delightful kanom krok is usually about 10 baht, which is a little over a quarter, for 8 to 10 full kanom krok. Street Food is so much of the joy of Thailand. I can't imagine Thaialand without this proliferation of tasty carts along the streets and in the various markets.

People work long hard hours, seven days a week to make a living. Interestingly enough, before the mid-part of the 1900's, there were few street vendors. After Pibul came to power in 1938, he encouraged the proliferation of food stalls in the street as a way for the poor people to make a living.

2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups rice flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar (date palm sugar if available)
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup unsweetened, ground coconut (often available in Indian Markets)
peanut oil

Popular fillings:

fresh corn kernels
scallions, thinly sliced
cilantro leaves
kaffir lime leaves, slivered


Whip the coconut milk, rice flour, eggs, sugar and salt together until very smooth. The batter will be quite thin.

Now carefully fold in 1/2 cup of the coconut.

Lightly grease the pan with peanut oil.

Pour batter into the little cups of the cast iron pan or use an Ebelskiver pancake griddle. Sprinkle with optional fillings at this time if desired. Cover with a round lid like from a wok, and cook for a few minutes. Cook only until the bottom is slightly golden.

If you do not have this pan use a small non-stick skillet, 6” diameter and pour a thin layer of the batter and cook and flip over until cooked. Roll the pancake up and place on a holding plate. Keep warm and continue cooking the remaining pancakes. Garnish with the reserved coconut.