Chocolate Pancakes are decadent deliciousness whether you have them for breakfast or dessert. Easy to make and, oh, so indulgent!

Chocolate and caramel syrup drizzled over a stack of decadent chocolate pancakes

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 and caramel syrup drizzled over a stack of decadent chocolate pancakes

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!

Homemade caramel syrup drizzled over a stack of decadent chocolate pancakes

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.