Chocolate chip pancakes are a classic breakfast treat, and this fluffy buttermilk version is sure to please everyone!
Photography by Sophie MacKenzie.
Our favourite chocolate chip pancakes, with mini chips and buttermilk for the fluffiest pancakes! These one-bowl pancakes are truly a treat for breakfast, and especially nice for little hands.
With both baking powder and soda, plus the lift (and added flavour) of buttermilk, these are guaranteed to be ultra fluffy and tender. Adding chocolate takes things over the top – plus Canadian maple syrup, of course.
While pancakes are a classic weekend breakfast or brunch, these are quick enough to whip up on a weekday, too. Maybe we need more Monday pancakes, especially with chocolate!
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the printable recipe card with full ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
Recommended Tools
- Frying pan: something non-stick like a cast iron pan is deal.
- Large mixing bowl
- Spatula for flipping
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
Ingredients
- Flour: plain white flour, though some whole wheat is good too.
- Oil: a light tasting oil, like grapeseed. Melted butter can be used.
- Buttermilk: you can make your own if needed (see below).
- Egg: for lift and binding. Room temp is best if possible.
- Vanilla: to flavour – you can use cinnamon or other spices.
- Sugar: just a spoonful to sweeten lightly (most of that will be coming from maple syrup).
- Salt, Baking Powder, and Baking Soda
- Chocolate Chips: as mentioned, mini chips work best.
Keep scrolling to see clear and detailed process shots, as well as tips and notes to help you make Chocolate Chip Pancakes perfectly the first time!
Method
TOP TIPS
1. Use mini chips. Chocolate chips have a higher resistance to heat, so they’re less likely to burn, and mini chips distribute more evenly.
2. Make sure the pan is hot. You know how the first pancake is always a failure? It’s because the pan isn’t hot enough. Give it time!
3. Don’t over mix. The batter should be a bit lumpy looking. Too much mixing and the pancakes won’t rise as well.
Recipe Notes
- Buttermilk helps to activate baking soda in this recipe, resulting in extra fluffy, delicious pancakes. As mentioned below, you can sub another acid if you don’t have buttermilk on hand.
- Chocolate chips are a better option than chopped chocolate for these pancakes because they’re less likely to burn during cooking. A regular chocolate bar will burn when it comes into contact with the hot pan, but chips are made for higher heat.
- If your first pancake is a flop, don’t worry! It’s probably just that the pan isn’t quite hot enough. Wait a couple more minutes before trying the next one.
How to Store and Freeze Pancakes
- To Store: keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: freeze leftover pancakes, double wrapped, for up to a month. They can be popped in the toaster from frozen for a speedy breakfast or snack.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use up to 50% whole wheat flour with no changes to the recipe. If you want to go all whole wheat, you may need to increase the buttermilk a tablespoon or two.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own! Just mix a teaspoon of vinegar (apple or plain white) or lemon juice into whole milk and let it sit for a few minutes before using.
- We’ve used dark chocolate mini chips, but you can use any kind of chocolate chips you like. Mini chips incorporate more evenly throughout the batter.
- To make dairy free chocolate chip pancakes, use vegan chocolate and make your own non-dairy buttermilk.
- Any light-tasting oil works well here. Canola, avocado, melted coconut oil, or butter are all great.
FAQ
Mini chips help with this, but try to make sure the chips are all coated in batter before cooking. Adding chocolate chips onto pancake batter in the pan and then flipping is a recipe for disaster.
This is all about pancake batter consistency. If it’s thick enough, the chips shouldn’t get so warm that they start to melt before the pancake cooks through (because they won’t be directly on the heat).
Dark mini chips! Other types will melt more rapidly and make too sweet of a pancake, we think.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
Sourdough Pancakes
Almond Flour Biscuits
Maple Hemp Granola with Dried Cranberries
Sourdough French Toast
Strawberry Baked Oatmeal
If you make this recipe, let us know by tagging @baked_theblog + #bakedtheblog on Instagram! We love to feel like we’re in the kitchen with you.
Recipe
Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Description
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Frying pan
- Pancake flipper
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose white flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon light oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla and mix until just combined. Don’t worry if it looks a little lumpy after whisking. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Set the batter aside for 10 minutes.
- While the batter is resting, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Make sure the pan is hot before starting to cook the pancakes.
- Lightly grease the bottom of the pan with butter or oil. Add scant ¼ cups of batter to the hot pan for each pancake. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until bubbles start to appear on the top surface.
- When the top of the pancake is bubbly and steaming, flip it over, and cook the other side about another 30 seconds, or until cooked through.
- Repeat until all of the batter has been used. You can keep the pancakes covered in a warm oven before serving if you want. Serve hot with any desired toppings.
Notes
- Buttermilk helps to activate baking soda in this recipe, resulting in extra fluffy, delicious pancakes. As mentioned below, you can sub another acid if you don’t have buttermilk on hand.
- Chocolate chips are a better option than chopped chocolate for these pancakes because they’re less likely to burn during cooking. A regular chocolate bar will burn when it comes into contact with the hot pan, but chips are made for higher heat.
- If your first pancake is a flop, don’t worry! It’s probably just that the pan isn’t quite hot enough. Wait a couple more minutes before trying the next one.
To Store and Freeze
- To Store: keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: freeze leftover pancakes, double wrapped, for up to a month. They can be popped in the toaster from frozen for a speedy breakfast or snack.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use up to 50% whole wheat flour with no changes to the recipe. If you want to go all whole wheat, you may need to increase the buttermilk a tablespoon or two.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own! Just mix a teaspoon of vinegar (apple or plain white) or lemon juice into whole milk and let it sit for a few minutes before using.
- We’ve used dark chocolate mini chips, but you can use any kind of chocolate chips you like. Mini chips incorporate more evenly throughout the batter.
- To make dairy free chocolate chip pancakes, use vegan chocolate and make your own non-dairy buttermilk.
- Any light-tasting oil works well here. Canola, avocado, melted coconut oil, or butter are all great.
Nutrition
This post was first published in February 2021. It has been updated with additional information as of May 2022.
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