Long before pancakes became an American breakfast staple, George Washington started many mornings with hoecakes.
The simple cornmeal cakes have roots in Indigenous cooking traditions and were later adopted by European settlers, becoming a common breakfast throughout the colonies. Washington was known to enjoy hoecakes served warm with butter and honey, and the dish remains a Southern favorite today.
As the nation celebrates America 250, Scripps News health and wellness contributor Jessica DeLuise shares how to recreate one of Washington's favorite breakfasts with a modern twist using pantry staples.
George Washington breakfast: Hoecakes
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup cornmeal
- ⅓ cup oats, processed into flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp honey + more for topping the finished hoecakes
- 1/16 tsp salt
- Additional butter for greasing the cooking skillet and topping the hoecakes for serving
Instructions:
- Add oats to a clean, dry blender.
- Process oats into a fine flour for about 1 minute.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients - cornmeal, baking powder salt, and pulse to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients - milk, vanilla, melted butter- and blend to combine. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
- If the batter is too thick, add ¼ cup of milk.
- Heat a skillet to low-medium heat and grease the bottom with about 1 tsp of avocado oil and 1 tsp of butter.
- Pour the batter into the skillet, forming cakes about 4 inches in diameter, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet.
- Cook on the first side until bubbles begin to appear on the cake and the edges start to firm.
- Using a spatula, carefully flip the cake and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the hoecakes from the pan with the spatula and lay them on a heat-safe plate.
- Continue to make cakes until all the batter is used.
- Serve warm, topped with butter and honey.
