The Breakfast Food Zooey Deschanel And Prince Bonded Over On Set

When legendary musician Prince was on set for his 2014 guest appearance on Season 3, Episode 14 of the sitcom "New Girl," star Zooey Deschanel was tasked with keeping him company throughout the day. Prince, who was a "New Girl" superfan and even watched it with his band while on tour, asked to appear on the show. So, what do two stars chat about during the long stretches of downtime that occur while filming? During a December 2025 appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Deschanel revealed that one of the topics they connected over was a popular breakfast food: omelets.

The only detail she shared was that Prince liked to cook his omelets in coconut oil. In fact, she claimed the noted vegetarian musician (whose estate remains meat-free, even for staff) loved coconut oil. Amazed, Fallon sanity-checked with his band leader, Questlove. The drummer, ever nonchalant, nodded and said, "Yeah," as if it was obvious that the iconic musician loved this plant-based ingredient. Deschanel and Prince also chatted about pancakes, though the star didn't reveal what oil Prince used to cook these.

We may not know Prince's personal reasons for cooking his omelets in coconut oil, but we do know that the ingredient imparts a subtle, sweet nuttiness to the eggs. Refined coconut oil has a higher smoke point than butter, meaning you can turn the heat up and make the egg nice and crispy. This is perfect if you're making a kai jeow, or Thai-style omelet with added fish sauce. Keep in mind, however, that coconut oil has more saturated fat than butter. It's often touted as a superfood, but it doesn't quite live up to that nutritional hype. Still, when you know how to use it properly, coconut oil is a great tool to have in your pantry.

If you like your pancakes with crispy edges and fluffy interiors, fry them in coconut oil. Adding a healthy amount of the fat to the pan — about 2 tablespoons — will make them extra luxurious for a wintry Saturday morning. As a plant-based fat, this oil is also a great option if you're making vegan or dairy-free pancakes.