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Part breakfast, part dessert, these homemadeย Chocolate Pancakesย are loaded with real cocoa powder and chocolate chips in every bite. Try them plain or with whipped cream and chocolate syrup; your sweet tooth is calling you!
While developing this Chocolate Pancake Recipe, my main goal was to nail down a pancake with true cocoa flavor. Anyone can drizzle chocolate sauce over pancakes, but I wanted a recipe that suggests a chocolate cake while passing as breakfast.
I started with my classic Homemade Pancakes and traded some of the all-purpose flour for cocoa powder. I also increased the sugar. Adding chocolate chips was a must, too, because the only thing better than Chocolate Pancakes is Double Chocolate Pancakes!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Baking powder:ย This chemical leavener generates bubbles in the pancake batter to help make them light and fluffy; just like grandma or your favorite diner made.
- Milk:ย Cowโs milk or any milk alternative, such as cashew, almond, oat, or soy. From skim to whole, any fat level will do.
- Chocolate chips:ย Use any kind you love: semi-sweet, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate chips.
Step-by-step instructions
- In aย large bowl,ย whiskย together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, sugar baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients: milk, egg, and melted butter; stir until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Heat aย griddleย orย frying panย over medium heat, greasing if desired (see note 3). Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately ยผ cup for each pancake.
- When bubbles start to form on the first side, carefully flip and brown the second side. Repeat with remaining batter (you should have about 8 pancakes).
- Serve hot with chocolate syrup and whipped cream or fresh fruit and powdered sugar. Butter and maple syrup are good too!
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield:ย This recipe makes about four 2-pancake servings, depending on how big you like you flapjacks. Feel free to multiply the recipe as desired; it doubles and triples beautifully.
- Storage:ย Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or toaster (yeah, you can just pop them in the toaster! Itโs funny the first time you do it).
- Freezer:ย Arrange cooled pancakes in a single layer, not touching, on a small baking sheet or plate. Freeze until the pancakes are frozen individually, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or reheat in the microwave from frozen.
- Oiling the skillet:ย If you love crispy edges on your pancakes, youโll want to lightly grease your skillet with oil or butter before adding the batter. You could also use nonstick cooking spray. If using a non-stick skillet, you can skip the fat and cook the flapjacks in a dry skillet for a smooth, brown surface.
- Keep them warm:ย To keep pancakes warm while youโre preparing them, or to store them for an imminent brunch, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Set a rack over a baking sheet and place in the oven, then transfer cooked pancakes to the rack until serving time.
- Vanilla:ย I donโt always add vanilla extract to my pancake batter, but a teaspoon vanilla is delicious in the pancake batter. Itโs a little bit more natural sweetness.
- Gluten-free pancakes: Substitute your favorite 1:1 GF flour blend. My favorite is King Arthurโs 1:1 GF flour blend.
- Favorite toppings for pancakes:ย Melt peanut butter in the microwave, then drizzle over your Chocolate Pancakes for a PB&C mash-up. Itโs even better if you add a pile of sliced bananas on top! Nutella is insanely good too. Or sprinkle some chopped strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries on top; some fresh berries can cut through the chocolate flavors and make the dish feel lighter.
- Classicย Homemade Pancakes:ย For standard white-flour pancakes better than anything youโd get at the diner, try my beloved Homemade Pancake Recipe. Itโs ready in 20 minutes or less, and they are so good! Definitely a family and reader favorite.
- Blueberry Pancakes: These fluffy homemade pancakes are filled heaps of blueberries โ fresh or frozen! They remind me of the epic pancakes from the Cracker Barrel restaurant.
- Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Doubling as breakfast and dessert, these delicious pancakes have plenty of chocolate chips inside. Possibly the most popular pancake with the kids?
- Healthy Pancake Recipe:ย If youโre looking for wholesome breakfast ideas, keep a batch of homemadeย Healthy Pancakeย Mix in the pantry. Whenever the mood strikes, mix up batter for as few as 3 to 4 pancakes at a time. Itโs ideal for busy school mornings and will keep the kids full until lunchtime.
- Lemon Ricotta Pancakes:ย These luscious pancakes are lemon-scented, light as air, and make every day a little sunnier. Make them as-is, or add blueberries for the best breakfast ever.
- Pumpkin Pancakes: These pumpkin-spiced pancakes taste as good as pumpkin muffins, loaves, and lattes.
- Oatmeal Pancakes: These homemade pancakesย are easy, hearty, and naturally gluten-free. Make the batter in a blender, with rolled oats blended right in.
- Vegan Pancakes:ย For a hearty plant-based breakfast, try my Vegan Pancakes made with oat milk, flax seeds, and coconut oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unsweetened cocoa powder is easy to find and widely available. It is also acidic by nature. Dutch-processed cocoa powder, on the other hand, is not acidic. Because unsweetened cocoa powder is easier to find and less expensive, most recipes suggest it. They combat the natural acidity by adding a neutralizing ingredient (such as baking soda).
But recipes with Dutch-processed cocoa powder may contain baking soda and/or baking powder too, because they are also leavening agents.
A skillet on medium-high heat shouldnโt burn chocolate chips, so just keep an eye on the temperature and flip your pancakes as soon as you see bubbles forming in the batter (when the bottom is golden brown).
Using the right amount of leavening agent makes for the puffiest pancakes. This recipe uses a whopping 3 ยฝ tsp of baking powder in the batter, so they get extra tall and fluffy, just like your favorite diner.
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Chocolate Pancakes
Equipment
- Electric Griddle (Perfect for when you don't have room on the stovetop)
- Pancake dispenser (I tested out this one from Norpro and LOVE it!)
Ingredientsย
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (see note 1)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups milk (see note 2)
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 cup chocolate chips plus more for serving (see note 3)
- chocolate syrup and whipped cream or fresh fruit for serving
Instructionsย
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg, and melted butter; mix until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium high heat, greasing if desired (see note 3). Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately ยผ cup for each pancake.
- When bubbles start to form on the first side, carefully flip and brown the second side. Repeat with remaining batter (you should have about 8 pancakes). Serve hot with chocolate syrup and whipped cream or fresh fruit.
Notes
- Baking powder:ย This chemical leavener generates bubbles in the pancake batter to help make them light and fluffy; just like grandma or your favorite diner made.
- Milk:ย Cowโs milk or any milk alternative, such as cashew, almond, oat, or soy. From skim to whole, any fat level will do.
- Chocolate chips:ย Use any kind you love: semi-sweet, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate chips.
- Oiling the skillet:ย If you love crispy edges on your pancakes, youโll want to lightly grease your skillet with oil or butter before adding the batter. If using a non-stick skillet, you can skip the fat and cook the flapjacks in a dry skillet for a smooth, brown surface.
- Yield:ย This recipe makes about four 2-pancake servings, depending on how big you like you flapjacks. Feel free to multiply the recipe as desired; it doubles and triples beautifully.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.