Chocolate Pancakes are decadent deliciousness whether you have them for breakfast or dessert. Easy to make and, oh, so indulgent!
Is this breakfast or dessert? Does it matter? Pancakes have the word cake in them so I’m just going to roll with it and call this breakfast. Who says you can’t eat cake for breakfast?
These chocolate pancakes are a family favorite of ours. They are super simple to put together and everyone is always happy to eat them. You can smother them with chocolate syrup (who am I to judge?) or lather them in a homemade buttermilk caramel syrup (see recipe below). Or, use both! They are seriously so amazing.
The trick to making great pancakes is knowing when to flip them. What I look for is bubbles starting to form around the edges. The very edge will start to look dry and lose its shine. That is when I know it is time to flip.
I like my pancakes on the thick side. If you want thinner pancakes, simple whisk in a little extra buttermilk. Start with 1/4 cup and work from there.
Chocolate Pancakes
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk or buttermilk substitute
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- Combine buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, and cocoa powder in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Add in the flour and chocolate chips and stir until well combined.
- Heat a non-stick griddle to medium-high heat. Cook your pancakes on the griddle by scooping 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle. Flip the pancake over when bubbles appear. The pancakes are done when they are lightly browned on both sides and cooked through. See the cooking lesson on THIS post for tips to make a great pancake.
Nutrition
These pancakes are amazing served up with this homemade buttermilk caramel syrup. Watch the video below where I walk you through every step of making both the chocolate pancakes AND the caramel syrup. Warning: you’ll be drooling by the end!
Caramel Syrup
- 3/4 cup buttermilk or buttermilk substitute
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Combine the buttermilk, sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a large soup pot.
- Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to low Stir constantly and simmer for about 8 minutes, until it turns a nice caramel color.
- Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla. It'll foam like crazy which is why you are using such a large pot.
- Serve or store. I store mine in a mason jar.
Nutrition
The caramel syrup recipe is very much like making candy. The added liquids of the buttermilk, butter, and corn syrup help keep it in a liquid form. People always ask me why you add the baking soda to the caramel syrup. While I’m no chemist, the baking soda causes the syrup to foam and expand, releasing carbon dioxide. It seems to prevent the syrup from hardening or becoming chewy, which is great for a syrup or making caramel corn. Even when the syrup cools off, it is still a liquid. It doesn’t solidify like a caramel candy.
Chocolate Pancakes with Caramel Syrup
Chocolate Pancakes
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk or buttermilk substitute
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Caramel Syrup
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Combine buttermilk, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, and cocoa powder in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Add in the flour and chocolate chips and stir until well combined.
- Heat a non-stick griddle to medium-high heat. Cook your pancakes on the griddle by scooping 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle. Flip the pancake over when bubbles appear. The pancakes are done when they are lightly browned on both sides and cooked through.
- Make the caramel sauce by combining the buttermilk, sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a large soup pot.
- Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to low Stir constantly and simmer for about 8 minutes, until it turns a nice caramel color.
- Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla. It’ll foam like crazy which is why you are using such a large pot. Serve hot over freshly made pancakes.