Chocolate Chip Pancakes Recipe | The Best Homemade Pancakes You'll Make For Breakfast

These chocolate chip pancakes are thick, fluffy, and loaded with gooey chocolate chips. Top them off with sweet maple syrup and melty butter, and you've got yourself a pancake breakfast that guarantees it is going to be a good day. And if you've never made pancakes from scratch, the simplicity of this recipe and basic ingredients will give you diner worthy results.

The Best Chocolate Chip Pancake Recipe

There aren't many things I look forward to more than homemade pancakes.

And these chocolate chip pancakes are downright irresistible. 

They are so soft and fluffy, yet are light and leave you with the perfect amount of fullness.

Plus, this is just one of the best breakfast recipes you can make for your family, since it's super easy to double or triple the recipe. Not to mention, these chocolate chip pancake are just so simple and fun to make together too.

If you or your family prefers waffles, this vegan waffle recipe checks off all the boxes as above. 

Now, I don't know about you, but there's just something about making pancakes on Saturday/Sunday mornings that I love. I guess there's just nothing quite like bonding over some pancake deliciousness, and using it as an excuse to spend some quality time together to kick off the weekend. 

But, if you're like me and love breakfast for dinner, these chocolate chip pancakes make for an ideal quick dinner if you're pressed for time or don't know what to make. 

You only need a few ingredients to pull them together, and then it's just a few simple steps to make a dream on a plate.

So, with that said, let's talk about what you'll need to make these pancakes.

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Pancakes

One of the best parts about making these pancakes is you don't have to plan it out. 

The ingredients are some of the most commonly used in baking, and odds are, you have everything you need in your cupboard to make them.

That said, here's what we'll be using to make these chocolate chip pancakes:

• 1 ¾ cups self-rising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk
• ⅓ cup chocolate chips plus some for garnishing!
• Butter (for cooking and spreading on the finished pancakes)
• Maple syrup for topping off the pancakes

Pretty common ingredients, eh?!

Hopefully, you have these ingredients at home and can jump right into making these pancakes. 

Now, the only ingredient you might not have on hand is the whole milk. If this is the case, you can use any milk that you have in the refrigerator, and your pancakes will turn out on point. So, don't worry about that.

Oh, and by the way, if you want to make buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes, feel free to swap out the milk for buttermilk. It's as simple as that!

Substitutions for these pancakes

So, this recipe uses chocolate chips to give each pancake a sweet little kick and some melty chocolaty goodness.

For the chocolate chips, I prefer to use semi-sweet, but you could use any kind you like such as milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate chunks, or even white chocolate chips. 

Also, one of the best parts about this recipe is if you're not in the mood for chocolate, you can leave the chips out, and just make regular ol' pancakes out of the batter.

And you can always swap out the chocolate chips for some cut up bananas to make banana pancakes, or blueberries to make blueberry pancakes. 

Tips To Make The Perfect Chocolate Chip Pancakes

So, here are some tips to make your homemade chocolate chip pancakes turn out ah-mazing.

1. Do not over mix the batter

When you are mixing the batter, only mix just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined, and there are no visible wisps of flour.

It's okay if the batter is slightly lumpy after mixing. 

2. Let the batter rest after mixing

After the batter is mixed, you'll want to jump right into cooking your pancakes, but for best results, allow the batter to sit for about 10 minutes. 

Giving the batter time to rest will result in fluffy, softer, and more tender pancakes. 

And while the batter is resting, you can use that time to clean up, set the table, and get out your toppings. 

3. Make sure your surface is hot enough before cooking, but not too hot

Before you add the batter to your pan, skillet, or griddle, the butter should be very hot, but not smoking.

And, if you're not sure if the pan is hot enough, just spritz a small amount of water on the pan - it should make a crackling sound, and cook away quickly if it is.

That said, you don't want your pan to be too hot. If your pan is too hot, it won't cook your pancakes any faster and it will result in the bottoms burning while the inside remains raw.

For a well-cooked pancake that is golden and slightly crispy yet soft and fluffy, set your heat to medium.

4. Flip your pancakes at the right time

When your pancakes are cooking, you may be tempted to flip them right when the bubbles start to appear, but it's not time just yet. 

Give them about another minute and flip the pancakes when the bubbles on the surface just begin to pop. Then cook for another minute or two on the other side.

You should only flip your pancakes once during cooking. And as long as you didn't flip them too soon, you won't need to worry about over flipping them. 

Just keep in mind that if pancakes are flipped too many times, it causes them to deflate, and lose their fluffy texture.

So, don't over flip!

5. Cook the pancakes on a griddle or big skillet

Using a big skillet will give you enough surface area to cook about three silver-dollar or a few mini pancakes at a time while the skillet retains an even heat across the surface.  

If you plan on making these pancakes regularly, which I suggest you do, a griddle will be a total game-changer. You can make about six pancakes at a time, and each one will cook to perfection. 

How to Make Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Okay, now that we have all our ingredients - and know a few pancake tips - we can start making the best chocolate chip pancakes ever!

Step 1: Making The Batter

First, whisk your dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Then, whisk the eggs and milk together in a separate bowl. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and gently mix with a spatula just until everything is combined. 

Now, add in the chocolate chips and fold the batter so everything is dispersed evenly throughout. And, finally, let the batter rest for about 10 minutes. 

Step 2: Cooking the Pancakes

After the batter has had a chance to rest, heat your griddle - or skillet - on medium heat and evenly grease the surface with a cold stick of butter. 

Once the surface is heated, use a large cookie scooper for smaller rounder pancakes - or a ladle for bigger pancakes - and pour the batter onto the griddle/skillet.

Now, let the pancakes cook until the first bubbles begin to pop. Then, flip them over and cook for another minute or two until they are slightly crispy and golden. 

Step 3: Serving the Pancakes

Ok, so this step is super simple.

Just stack your pancakes on top of one another to keep them warm until they are all cooked. Then, when you've made all of your chocolate chip pancakes, top them with a few chocolate chips, a slab of butter, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

How good does that sound?!

Storing your Chocolate Chip Pancakes 

Something I love about pancakes is that they store really well. So, you never have to worry about making too many. 

You can store your leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. But, if you want to make your pancakes last longer, you can store them for up to 2 months in the freezer.

To freeze them, place all of your cooked pancakes on a sheet pan so they're close together but not touching. Then place in the freezer for 30 minutes until frozen. After they freeze, put them in a freezer-safe resealable bag and label it with the date you made them.

Reheating The Pancakes

Then, to reheat your pancakes, you can either put them in the microwave, oven, or toaster. 

Using the microwave is my preferred method for the softest, fluffiest leftover pancakes. And, to cook them like this, just place the pancakes on a microwave-safe plate.

If you have one pancake on the plate, microwave for about 20 seconds, and if you have multiple pancakes, microwave for about 60 seconds. Of course, the time will vary depending on the wattage of your microwave. 

Having said that, using the oven is an excellent method if you want to reheat a large number of pancakes.

To do this, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Either individually wrap the pancakes in foil or place the pancakes in a flat layer on a sheet pan and cover it tightly with foil.

Then, bake for about 5-10 minutes or until the pancakes are warm and soft. 

Lastly, you can use the toaster, but I do not think it is a great reheating method. You will only be able to reheat a few at a time, and you'll have to make sure you keep a close eye on the pancakes so they do not get too crispy and burn. 

Storing the batter 

So, if you know you want to make pancakes the next morning - but will be tight on time - you can prepare the pancake batter ahead of time, and store it in the refrigerator overnight. 

You can also do this if you only want to make a few pancakes, and then make them fresh again in a day or two. 

For best results, pour the batter into an airtight container and store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator. And the pancake batter should stay good for 2 days stored like this.

Having said that, if you cook the pancakes the next morning and they are a little flat for your liking, you can add about ¼ to ½ a teaspoon of baking soda to your batter, and it should fluff them up.

Anyway, hopefully after you make these chocolate chip pancakes, it will become your go-to pancake recipe. Just don't be surprised if your family starts asking for them every single weekend. 

Of course, as always, if you do make them, let me know what you think about them in the comments below!

Print