These fluffy chocolate pancakes elevate breakfast to a decadent treat! They are not overly sweet, which means you can add maple syrup, whipped cream, and your other favorite pancake toppings with abandon.
My family loves to eat pancakes. From these fluffy homemade pancakes, to sourdough discard pancakes, and multigrain pancakes– we love them all. Sometimes we even bake a giant pancake in a skillet and stuff it with apples! And, at the risk of sounding like the pancake version of Bubba from Forrest Gump, I now bring you chocolate pancakes.
The best part about these pancakes? How incredibly decadent it feels to eat them. They are not overly sweet, which means you can go to town with maple syrup, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and your favorite fruits. Heck, you could even top them with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream if you felt like it. I haven’t done that yet – I just thought of it – but I may try that for dessert tonight!
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See how to make chocolate pancakes from scratch:
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Pancakes
- Easy. Despite how fancy these chocolate pancakes look, they are incredibly simple to make. You won’t need any complicated ingredients or techniques. Just pantry staples and a variety of topping choices.
- Decadent. It doesn’t get more indulgent than fluffy chocolate pancakes topped with maple syrup, berries, and whipped cream. You can even serve these pancakes for dessert, just top them with chocolate syrup and vanilla ice cream!
- Perfectly Sweet. These pancakes are not overly sweet on their own and that is intentional. I love going to town with toppings so these pancakes have just enough sweetness to compliment a variety of fixings without becoming too sweet.
How to Make Chocolate Pancakes
Are you ready to make these easy chocolate pancakes? Here’s how to do it. Make sure you scroll down to the recipe card for ingredients.
- Prep your tools. Preheat your oven to 150F-200F (depending on how low your oven can go) and place an oven-safe plate in that oven. This is to keep your pancakes warm as you make them.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add wet ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, olive oil and melted butter. Mix well until there are no dry areas in the batter. Don’t over mix, some lumps in the batter are ok.
- Heat a griddle over medium-low heat. Once the griddle is hot, grease with about 1 tablespoon of butter by running the pat of butter up and down the griddle. Wipe the griddle down with a cloth so that there aren’t pools of butter on it. You just want a very thin coat of butter.
- Cook the pancakes. Pour pancake batter onto the griddle ¼ cup at a time. Cook about 2 minutes or until bubbles start to form on the top of the pancake.
- Flip and continue cooking. Quickly scoot your spatula under the pancake and flip it over, then cook for another 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on the underside of the pancake to make sure it doesn’t over cook. Pancakes are done when fluffy and cooked through.
- Test for doneness. You can check to see if a pancake is done by gently pressing the corner of your spatula into the center of a pancake and making a tiny crack. If you see wet batter inside, then flip the pancakes again and cook a bit longer. If you see fluffy insides then your pancake is finished cooking. Serve your pancakes “crack side down” and no one will know you peeked at the inside!
- Keep warm. When your pancakes are finished cooking transfer them to the plate you have placed in the oven to keep warm. Continue cooking the rest of the pancakes.
- Serve. Once all your pancakes are done, it’s time to dig in. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Topping Ideas & Serving Suggestions
Adding all your toppings is one of the best parts of eating a fluffy stack of pancakes. We love to serve these with maple syrup, whipped cream, and fresh fruit. Sliced strawberries, blueberries, and currants from the garden is our favorite combo. If fresh figs are in season I’ll slice those and serve those on top too!
If you want to turn these pancakes into a dessert, I suggest topping them with chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Might as well add some fresh fruit too! I think you need to go all-in if you’re serving these pancakes for dessert.
You can get even more decadent by serving your chocolate pancakes with a “fancy” drink on the side. For breakfast, I recommend a honey vanilla latte. And for dessert, I recommend a steaming mug of tea or moon milk.
How to Store and Reheat Chocolate Pancakes
- Fridge – Let your pancakes cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer – Once the pancakes have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight, freezer-safe container. I recommend placing pieces of parchment paper between each pancake to prevent sticking. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying.
- To reheat – You can simply zap them on a microwave-safe plate until warmed through. One pancake usually needs about 45 seconds.
Fluffy Homemade Chocolate Pancakes
These fluffy chocolate pancakes are super easy to make and elevate breakfast to a decadent treat!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 pancakes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the griddle
Instructions
Prep your tools. Preheat your oven to 150F-200F (depending on how low your oven can go) and place an oven-safe plate in that oven. This is to keep your pancakes warm as you make them.
Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add wet ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, olive oil and melted butter. Mix well until there are no dry areas in the batter. Don’t over mix, some lumps in the batter are ok.
Heat a griddle over medium-low heat. Once the griddle is hot, grease with about 1 tablespoon of butter by running the pat of butter up and down the griddle. Wipe the griddle down with a cloth so that there aren’t pools of butter on it. You just want a very thin coat of butter.
Cook the pancakes. Pour pancake batter onto the griddle ¼ cup at a time. Cook about 2 minutes or until bubbles start to form on the top of the pancake. Quickly scoot your spatula under the pancake and flip it over.
Cook another 2-3 minutes, keeping an eye on the underside of the pancake to make sure it doesn’t over cook. Pancakes are done when fluffy and cooked through.
Test for doneness. You can check to see if a pancake is done by gently pressing the corner of your spatula into the center of a pancake and making a tiny crack. If you see wet batter inside, then flip the pancakes again and cook a bit longer. If you see fluffy insides then your pancake is finished cooking.
Keep warm. When your pancakes are finished cooking transfer them to the plate you have placed in the oven to keep warm. Continue cooking the rest of the pancakes.
Serve. Once all your pancakes are cooked, it’s time to dig in. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
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