The time has come to break out your comfiest sweatpants, get settled on the couch, and prepare yourself for the binge of the century. And we aren't talking about Thanksgiving. The Gilmore Girls revival is here and this recipe is a supreme ode to everything we love about our favorite mother-daughter duo. Because after all, the best things in life are covered in maple syrup and stuffed full of Pop-Tarts, right?
The diet of the Gilmore Girls is revered by many. Consisting of the major food groups such as pancakes, burgers, fries, and Pop-Tarts, the diet of the Gilmores is something only "world champion eaters" can maintain according to Lorelai. However, here at the Time Inc. Food Studios, we wholeheartedly accepted the challenge when assigned to create a recipe that truly embodies the spirit of the Gilmores' relationship with food.
We debated between basically anything styled in Chinese take-out boxes, pizzas topped to the limits, homemade red vines, and even dessert sushi. Narrowing down all the food ever consumed by this mother-daughter duo over the course of seven seasons was not an easy task. But it suddenly hit us. Where do Lorelai and Rory spend the most time eating outside of their own Stars Hollow home? Luke's Diner. And what do they consume at Luke's besides gallons of coffee? Pancakes, of course. However, a simple buttermilk pancake recipe wasn't enough. With our breakfast theme in mind, we thought maybe something with doughnuts, waffles, or even bacon. But when we really dug through the archive of all Gilmore-esque food, a light bulb went on... Pop-Tarts.
Cooking dinner shouldn't be complicated
The perfect union of breakfast foods: Pop-Tarts and pancakes. Like Lorelai, myself, and so many other self-declared food freaks, the task of choosing one thing on the menu is just too hard. So with the perfect pancake batter ready, crushed Pop-Tarts, and warmed maple syrup, the scene was set. We experimented with almost every flavor of Pop-Tarts until we discovered the pop of color and flavor that created the perfect stack. We even went so far to put a whole Pop-Tart down on the griddle and poured pancake batter over it, just to see what would happen. It truly was such a beautiful moment. It is not easy for a meal to be 100% Gilmore-approved, but we truly believe these pancakes would make Rory and Lorelai proud.
View Recipe: Gilmore Girls Pop-Tarts Pancakes
Photo: Daniel Agee; Styling: Claire Spollen
To enjoy these Gilmore-style pancakes to the fullest while binge watching the episodes of season 8, be sure to have a massive cup of coffee at the ready and plenty of warm maple syrup to pour over every last bite.
