These fluffy chocolate pancakes are the perfect way for a chocolate lover to start their day! Thick and full of melty chocolate in each bite, this simple recipe gives you a good reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Mornings are tough. As a new mom, getting myself and my daughter ready for the day is an accomplishment every morning. Breakfast is always a challenge, as I want something that is easy to make but also gets me excited to get out of bed. This chocolate pancake recipe is exactly what I need; the recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make and tastes like chocolate cake in pancake form – dessert for breakfast!
If you’re a chocolate lover like me, or crave something sweet in the morning, then you will also love these chocolate pancakes. I also make a chocolate ganache sauce to drizzle on top of the pancakes while they are warm. With cocoa powder and chocolate chips in the pancakes, plus the chocolate sauce, these fluffy and thick chocolate pancakes are perfect paired with some juicy berries and if I really want to indulge, a scoop of no-churn vanilla ice cream.
About the chocolate
I use three different kinds of chocolate in this chocolate pancake recipe. The pancakes themselves are made with both cocoa powder (I prefer Dutch-processed cocoa powder but any unsweetened variety will work) and chocolate chips (optional, but highly recommended). For the chocolate sauce that gets poured on top, I use chocolate bars instead of chips as they are of higher quality and have a better flavor and texture that makes a smooth, luscious sauce.
How to make chocolate pancakes
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, many of which are pantry staples, this recipe comes together in minutes. You sift together your dry ingredients with a fine mesh strainer and, in a separate mixing bowl, whisk together your wet ones. I like to use oil instead of melted butter in this recipe since it makes for a taller, fluffier pancake but feel free to swap for butter if that’s your preference. Or, make both and do a taste test to see which version is your favorite.
The last step is to pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring just until combined. Be careful not to overmix your batter as it will cause your cooked chocolate pancakes to be flat and dense instead of the thick and fluffy ones you’ve been dreaming about the night before. If you’re using chocolate chips, this is the point at which you mix them in. I prefer using a rubber spatula to gently fold them in to avoid overmixing the batter. Once everything is mixed, set the batter aside to rest while you make the chocolate sauce.
Making the chocolate sauce
The chocolate sauce is a simple ganache made with bittersweet or semisweet chocolate bars and heavy cream. To make your morning even easier, the sauce can be made in the microwave and only dirties up one bowl. Be sure to microwave the ingredients in 20-30 second increments, using a whisk to stir between each time, so it gets evenly melted and not burned. Once a smooth and pourable consistency, you can set aside your chocolate sauce and begin cooking your chocolate pancakes.
Cooking the chocolate pancakes
Once rested, your batter is ready to be transformed into fluffy chocolate pancakes.
Heat up a griddle or skillet over medium heat and coat with butter or oil. The first pancake is never the best, so don’t worry if at first it doesn’t seem right. Any pancake recipe works best with patience and perhaps some whipped cream to cover up any mistakes 😉
For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Let it cook, untouched, for 1-2 minutes, until the surface has some bubbles. It’s important not to flip your pancakes too early, so you may need to turn down the heat if the bottom is browning too fast. Once flipped, cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes and transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil so the cooked pancakes stay warm while you are finishing the rest. Make sure you re-grease the skillet with butter or oil before every batch of pancakes to prevent sticking. Serve the chocolate pancakes immediately with the chocolate sauce drizzled on top (rewarm in the microwave for a few seconds if needed). Everyone in the family can enjoy this chocolate pancake recipe. As a nice sweet treat, these rich and chocolatey pancakes are the perfect way to add some excitement to your morning.
More sweet breakfast ideas:
- Perfect Crepes
- My Favorite Waffles
- Cinnamon Granola
- Triple Chocolate Scones
- Fluffy Banana Pancakes
- Apple Pancakes
- 1 1/3 cups (185g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder (I use Dutch-processed)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (or 45g melted butter)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (85g) chocolate chips or chunks
- butter or oil , for cooking
- 140 g (5 oz.) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
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In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder with a fine mesh strainer, and salt (or whisk well with a whisk). Set aside.
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In a separate medium bowl, whisk together egg and sugar until well combined. Add milk, oil (or melted butter), and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined and moistened using a rubber spatula or whisk. Do not over mix. Mix in chocolate chips or chunks. Set batter aside and make the chocolate sauce.
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Chocolate sauce: In a medium heatproof bowl, combine chocolate and heavy cream. Microwave in 20- to 30-second increments, mixing in between, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. You can also melt the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl set over simmering water in a medium saucepain, creating a double boiler. Set aside while making the pancakes. I like to pour it over the pancakes while it’s warm.
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Cook the pancakes: Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat with butter or oil. For each pancake, drop 1/4 cup of batter onto skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes, until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and the bottom appears to be done. Flip carefully and cook another 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and if you want you can cover the plate loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Coat the skillet with butter or oil before every pancake or batch of pancakes to prevent sticking.
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Serve immediately with chocolate sauce (rewarm sauce in the microwave for a few seconds if needed).
47 Comments
Adolfo
September 16, 2019 at 1:59 pmExcellent!
URV
April 7, 2021 at 4:21 amDo you do eggless recipes?? I wud love one for this amazing pancakes?? Thank you!
Shiran
April 20, 2021 at 2:29 pmYou can see all my eggless recipes here.
Simon S
March 15, 2020 at 12:58 pmAwesome recipe best one so far I’ve tried, please follow it exactly and you’ll be delighted!
Roshni
March 31, 2020 at 5:10 amHey! Can you use fat free milk (lactate) instead of whole milk?
Shiran
April 6, 2020 at 7:15 amI don’t recommend it. The pancakes won’t taste as good.
Kay
April 18, 2020 at 10:37 amNot true. I don’t use regular milk. I used the Lactaid brand and it was still light and fluffy and tasty.
Marcia G
September 21, 2020 at 8:44 amI used 1% lactose free and they were delicious.
Kay
April 18, 2020 at 10:35 amEasy to follow recipe. The only tweak I made was less sugar, because I added sweet chocolate chips and try to keep my sons sugar intake down. I also skipped the chocolate sauce. All in all everything came out great!!!!
Randi
December 30, 2020 at 1:23 pmI did the same – less sugar and no chocolate sauce. I did put a few semi-sweet chocolate chips in each pancake though. Also, I used pure maple syrup.
Ashleigh
May 9, 2020 at 4:38 pmSuch a soft and fluffy recipe! My kids loved it.
Zak
November 7, 2021 at 4:29 amI’ve made these several times, they taste delicious! So soft and fluffy and chocolatey. I sometimes use milk chocolate chips in the batter and I skip the chocolate ganache, they still taste great! I’d have them over plain pancakes any day.
kaylie
May 12, 2020 at 12:43 pmit is amazing it tastes good and has so much flavor it makes 8 pancakes and has a lot of sugar so if yall don’t like to much sugar.
Gary g
May 24, 2020 at 10:10 amI’d give it 10 stars if I could. Absolutely amazing! Kids and wife loved them. I added strawberries and whipped cream on top. If you want a great appearance I also added a shake of confectioners sugar for fancy touch. I have to admit, I did make a funny face pancake using strawberries, ganache with whipped cream for hair. Devine, cheap, a make again for sure.
Urooj
June 13, 2020 at 4:42 pmSimply delicious😍👍
Becky Cromer
June 21, 2020 at 10:49 amOk, these were amazing! We didn’t even need the topping. Perfectly sweet and indulgent!
Connie Hash
June 25, 2020 at 11:04 amI thought they were amazing! We ran out of syrup, so I was trying to find a good pancake recipe that would be good without syrup. Only I didn’t make the chocolate sauce!
Nancy
July 13, 2020 at 5:40 amwow yummy chocolate pancake, so delicious.
Alan
November 21, 2020 at 11:23 amCan you use 3 tablespoons of olive oil instead of 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Shiran
November 22, 2020 at 4:27 amHi Alan. It will slightly affect the flavor, but you can.
Arooj
July 3, 2022 at 7:27 amI did and they still turned out great
Uzma liaqat
July 23, 2020 at 8:56 amIts so yummy and delicious!!!My Family loved it!!!
Anonymous
September 18, 2020 at 2:56 pmMade these and my family LOVED them. I used a half cup of chocolate milk, a half cup of milk, and it was delicious. Will make again. Thanks so much!
Donna
November 12, 2020 at 8:54 amThis was an amazing recipe. It was delicious, and it worked for me exactly as written without adjustments.
I thought the chocolate sauce would make it a little too rich, but it didn’t – it was just right. My two teen boys and I have very different tastes, but we all loved it. Thanks, Shiran!
Avery
November 19, 2020 at 4:38 pmLoved them!
Shari
November 27, 2020 at 2:04 pmAbsolutely amazing!! We will definitely make these again!
Suhana
February 15, 2021 at 1:27 pmCan this mixture be made the day before and left in the fridge?
Shiran
February 22, 2021 at 2:58 amYes 🙂
Miguel Denys
April 7, 2021 at 6:33 pmLoved it!!
It makes me wanne cook them every morning 😋😁
Miguel Denys
April 7, 2021 at 6:34 pmIt makes me wanne cook them every morning 😋😁
Kim
April 12, 2021 at 12:42 amHi, can I substitute heavy cream with canola oil for the chocolate sirup? Or maybe with half&half cream? Thank you
Shiran
April 20, 2021 at 2:47 pmHi Kim, I do recommend sticking to the recipe but you could try using half and half. The only thing I would keep in mind is you probably will need a bit less because it is thinner than heavy cream.
Genesis Lopez
April 24, 2021 at 10:30 amDo you by any chance happen to have the nutrition facts?
Shiran
May 2, 2021 at 2:05 pmI don’t add nutrition facts to my recipes but there are plenty of nutrition calculators on Google that can help you determine these values 🙂
EP
March 2, 2022 at 8:47 amFabulous recipe! I made these for my son’s birthday breakfast and he loved them! It was like eating chocolate cake for breakfast.
Jo
September 16, 2021 at 7:28 pmThese were delicious! I used 2% milk because I didn’t have whole milk, and they turned out really good.
Acnaib
December 16, 2021 at 2:39 amIs it okay if i use almond milk instead of the regular whole milk? Will it change the taste?
Acnaib
December 16, 2021 at 2:42 amSorry i havent made my rating yet. My grade 7 son will present a video cooking pancakes and i want him to try your recipe. Thats why i wanted to ask if almond milk can be a substitute. I am afraid it will change the taste😬
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
December 17, 2021 at 2:26 pmHi! You can substitute almond milk, however it may change the texture/flavor a bit due to the reduction in fat.
Juliana Cowart
January 18, 2022 at 3:32 pmAbsolutely marvelous! Me and my brothers loved it! It was easy to make, not too complicated, and delicious!
Alex
April 19, 2022 at 4:15 amI love your recipe, first time I made great pancakes… The ones I used to make never came out like this, I’m glad I searched for a chocolate pancake recipe.
Quincy Kosak
April 26, 2022 at 4:55 pmThis was not very helpful I love to cook and lov to bake but I am still waiting for a recipe that isn’t by a mom struggling to make breakfeast in the morning what about the dads!!!
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
May 4, 2022 at 2:27 amHi Quincy, this recipe is not just reserved for moms. I wrote that in my blog post because that is my personal experience and I love sharing my life with my readers. However, that doesn’t mean dads can’t enjoy this recipe as well – or anyone, for that matter, with or without kids 🙂
Colleen
May 16, 2022 at 3:19 pmWonderful recipe! My grandson came over this morning wanting chocolate pancakes. I’ve never made them before, so I looked up this recipe. Very simple and easy to make with a 3 year old helping. I think they would be good for a dessert or a midday snack. A little whipped cream on top with the chocolate is good too. They are good at room temperature also. Happy day 🙂
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Sara Crutchfield
September 5, 2022 at 12:51 pmExcellent recipe! So [email protected] delicious!!! Thank you for this!
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
September 6, 2022 at 1:40 amHi Sara, thank you and so glad you enjoyed it!