Chocolate Pancakes
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These fluffy double chocolate pancakes are super delicious. They’re copycat IHOP Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes. We top ours with mini chocolate chips, strawberries, thick maple syrup and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
👨🏻🍳 WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Chocolate pancakes are quick and simple to make.
- This easy recipe uses common pantry staples.
- Our fluffy double chocolate pancakes are light and tender with a crisp edge, soft center, and rich chocolaty flavor.
- They taste just like IHOP Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes.
- This is a money-saving meal. Feed a hungry family at a fraction of the cost of going to IHOP.
- When served, double chocolate pancakes will definitely disappear from the plate. They’ll bring smiles and lots of food joy.
Chocolate lovers rejoice! Did you know, chocolate pancakes are not just for breakfast? Ask IHOP. They’ll wholeheartedly agree. Enjoy them anytime of day – morning, noon or night. They’re a fabulous dinner or dessert.
When prepping a birthday breakfast or special-occasion brunch, this is the recipe you want to serve. A tall stack of tender, fluffy chocolate pancakes. The rich chocolatey taste delivers forkfuls of happiness and food joy.
Still craving chocolate? Make and enjoy these decadent double chocolate chip muffins. Bake them in a muffin-top pan. Then stack them on a plate just like chocolate pancakes. Your family will be delighted.
🛒 ingredients
- Whole Milk: This wet ingredient contributes richness and moisture. It thins out the batter so when it’s poured onto the griddle it’s loose enough to spread. It also helps the pancakes brown. If you don’t have whole milk on hand, use 2% instead.
- Large Egg: This binding ingredient helps hold the pancake batter together. It provides the structure needed to hold onto air bubbles so the pancakes can rise and become tender and fluffy.
- Butter: Adds rich moisture to the batter along with a delicious buttery flavor. I use salted butter, but feel free to use unsalted instead.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the other flavors in the recipe.
- All-purpose Flour: This starch absorbs moisture from the egg and other liquid in the batter. It’s a crucial ingredient for structure and pancake formation. The gluten in the flour provides a chewy texture.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This ingredient makes our IHOP Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes chocolatey. I use Hershey’s Cocoa Powder natural unsweetened, but Dutch process should work too.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Baking Powder: For fluffy chocolate pancakes it’s important this leavener is fresh. With double acting baking powder (the usual blend), some gas is produced when the powder is mixed with liquid. More gas bubbles are produced when the pancake batter is heated.
- Sea Salt: This seasoning prevents chocolate pancakes from tasting bland. Salt is also well known for enhancing the flavor of chocolate.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: These small chunks of chocolate make our double chocolate pancakes extra chocolaty and delicious. I use semi-sweet baking chips, but you can use whatever type you have on hand.
- Non-stick Cooking Spray: This is the easiest way to grease a griddle. But if you don’t have this on hand, lightly wipe down the pan with a paper towel that has cooking oil on it. You don’t need much. Butter can also be used, but it can be a bit tricky to make sure it doesn’t burn.
NOTE: All ingredients should be brought to room temperature before assembling the pancake batter. The melted butter should be warm not hot.
📖 RECIPE STEPS
RECIPE PREP: Heat oven to 200ºF. Set a wire rack over a baking tray. It’s best to serve chocolate pancakes immediately, but if that’s not possible then set them on the prepared tray in a single layer.
- STEP 1: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla.
- STEP 2: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
- STEP 3: Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix lightly – just until no large dry lumps remain. The batter does not need to be perfectly smooth. Do not overmix. Add mini chocolate chips to the batter. With a rubber spatula, gently fold them in. Again, do not overmix. Let the pancake batter rest for at least 10 minutes (or up to 30 minutes).
- STEP 4: On stovetop, heat a large nonstick griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease pan with non-stick cooking spray. Ladle batter onto the grill with a 1/4 measuring cup. Cook until bubbles on the surface pop and form holes that stay open (about 2 to 3 minutes). Flip the pancakes. Cook until set and cooked through (about 1 to 2 minutes). Briefly remove pan from heat between batches.
🥞 KEEP PANCAKES WARM IN THE OVEN: If not serving immediately, store chocolate pancakes in the oven for up to 15 minutes. But any longer than that and they’ll begin to steam and become limp.
🍽 HOW TO SERVE CHOCOLATE PANCAKES
- Place soft pats of butter between the warm layers of pancakes. Melty butter will deliver extra richness for a delicious mouthfeel.
- Sprinkle the top of the stack with powdered sugar.
- Add a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips on top of the pancakes, or scatter them on the plate around the edges.
- Garnish with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
- For a pop of color and a beautiful presentation, add (room temperature) fresh fruit on top like ripe strawberries or raspberries.
- Serve chocolate pancakes with warm (or room temperature) maple syrup, decadent chocolate ganache or thick hot fudge.
👩🏻🍳 RECIPE FAQ & EXPERT TIPS
These are the most commonly-asked questions for making the BEST chocolate pancakes, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
So we have the opportunity to mix ingredients well before combining them together. Once liquid mixes with flour, gluten starts forming and you’ll need to mix the batter with as few strokes as possible. We need to avoid over-mixing so gluten cannot develop a strong tightly-wound network that leaves less space for air pockets that make pancakes rise.
Have you ever noticed that the second batch of pancakes comes out better than the first batch? It’s because the batter had time to rest. When batter sits, dry ingredients can absorb more liquid and smooth out the lumps. Even hydration results in lighter, fluffier pancakes.
Flick drops of cold water onto the surface of the griddle. If they just sit there without evaporating, the griddle is too cool. If they immediately disappear the griddle is too hot. If the droplets immediately sizzle and dance before evaporating, the griddle is preheated and ready to go.
Yes, you can. Buttermilk will give your chocolate pancakes a subtle tang, if that’s the flavor you’re after. Additionally, buttermilk will increase the leavening effect of the baking powder so the pancakes will be taller and fluffier with a more tender crumb.
For super fluffy pancakes, separate the egg (yolk and whites). Use the yolk as part of the wet ingredients. Then separately whip the egg whites into a light foam. When combining wet and dry ingredients together, blend the foam into the mixture.
A thinner batter is needed for pancakes to have crispy edges. Add a bit more milk to thin out the batter.
MORE BREAKFAST IDEAS
Tickle your taste buds with these delicious breakfast recipes. Save your favorites for later. Pin them to Pinterest.
- Funfetti Pancakes
- Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
- Best Buttermilk Pancakes
- Apple Cinnamon Waffles
- Lemon Blueberry Crepes
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- Bacon Egg Cups
RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flavor testers rated these the BEST double chocolate pancakes. They said they have the same loft, tenderness and mouthfeel of IHOP Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes. They greatly enjoyed the yummy toppings.
If you tried this chocolate pancake recipe and agree it’s super tasty, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with a friend.
Chocolate Pancakes
- Total Time: 25 Minutes
- Yield: 8 Pancakes 1x
Description
These fluffy double chocolate pancakes are homemade IHOP Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes. They’re light and tender with a crisp edge, soft center, and rich chocolaty flavor.
Ingredients
Double Chocolate Pancakes
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) butter, melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- Non-stick cooking spray, for greasing the pan
Optional Garnishes
- Powdered sugar
- Mini chocolate chips
- Whipped cream
- Fresh fruit, at room temperature
- Maple syrup, warm (or chocolate ganache)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix lightly – just until no large dry lumps remain. The batter does not need to be perfectly smooth. Do not overmix. Add mini chocolate chips to the batter. With a rubber spatula, gently fold them in. Again, do not overmix.
- Let pancake batter rest for at least 10 minutes (up to 30 minutes).
- Heat a large nonstick griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Ladle batter onto the grill with a 1/4 measuring cup. Cook until bubbles on the surface pop and form holes that stay open (about 2 to 3 minutes). Flip the pancakes. Cook until set and cooked through (about 1 to 2 minutes). Briefly remove pan from heat between batches.
Notes
The temperature of ingredients is important: The egg and milk should be at room temperature. The melted butter should be warm, not hot. When the batter comes together under optimum conditions, it can develop the proper structure it needs for fluffy pancakes.
Non-stick Cooking Spray: This is the easiest way to grease a griddle. But if you don’t have this on hand, lightly wipe down the pan with a paper towel that has cooking oil on it. You don’t need much. Butter can also be used, but it can be a bit tricky to make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Rest Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
👉🏻 CHOCOLATE PANCAKES > JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Are chocolate pancakes part of your breakfast meal rotation? Or do you only make them on special occasions? Share your thoughts below.
Made these for my daughter’s birthday sleepover. Everyone loved them. They taste so much like the ones my mother made when I was a child. Thank you.