Chocolate Chip Pancakes
My family’s favorite Chocolate Chip Pancakes! Fluffy, easy to make and bursting with sweet chocolate chips, they’re perfect for a weekend breakfast or a special occasion.
I usually serve these pancakes with scrambled eggs or bacon (or both!) and some fresh fruit. It’s a Sunday breakfast we look forward to all week!
![The BEST Chocolate Chip Pancakes Recipe! Easy to make, so fluffy and perfect for breakfast or brunch! My kids ask for these pancakes all the time!! Stack of chocolate chip pancakes topped with a pat of butter, mini chocolate chips and maple syrup.](https://i0.wp.com/kristineskitchenblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/chocolate-chip-pancakes-13-2.jpg?fit=1400%2C2100&ssl=1)
Oh How We Love These Chocolate Chip Pancakes!
These chocolate chip pancakes are my five kids’ absolute favorite breakfast. I think they’d eat these every day if I’d let them!
I have to say, I can’t blame them. Who wouldn’t want to sit down to a stack of fluffy pancakes with chocolate chips sprinkled throughout? The chocolate chips add enough sweetness to these that we usually don’t even need maple syrup, although I certainly won’t blame you if you want to drizzle some on anyways.
This recipe is easy to make, and I love that I always have the ingredients on hand in my kitchen. You won’t need buttermilk for these pancakes, instead I use both milk and Greek yogurt to achieve a similar result. The acid in the yogurt reacts with the baking soda to give the pancakes extra lift so they turn out nice and fluffy. I typically use plain Greek yogurt but vanilla yogurt will work too, and will add a bit of extra sweetness and flavor.
Chocolate Chip Pancakes Ingredients
- Butter: Adds richness, flavor and moisture to the batter. It also helps to make the pancakes tender and fluffy.
- Flour: I’ve made these pancakes with all-purpose flour and also with half all-purpose and half whole wheat flour. They turn out great either way.
- Granulated Sugar: For a touch of sweetness.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: To make the pancakes rise as they cook so they turn out tall and fluffy.
- Salt: Brings out all of the flavors.
- Cinnamon: This warm spice adds a little extra something special.
- Eggs: Provide structure and lift.
- Greek Yogurt: Adds protein and helps to make the pancakes extra fluffy.
- Milk: I like to use whole milk in this recipe for richness, but you could also use low fat or skim milk.
- Vanilla: For warm sweetness.
- Chocolate Chips: I prefer mini chocolate chips in this recipe because regular chocolate chips tend to sink to the bottom of the batter and stick to the sides of the bowl. You can use regular chocolate chips if that’s what you have on hand, or a combination of mini and regular.
Find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
Tips for Perfectly Fluffy Pancakes
- Do not over-mix the batter. You want to mix pancake batter just until the flour is incorporated. It’s ok if it’s a bit lumpy. Over-mixing generally leads to flat pancakes.
- Cook the pancake batter right away. As the batter sits, the baking powder will lose its potency so be sure to start cooking the pancakes right after you combine the wet and dry ingredients.
- Use fresh baking soda and baking powder. If they’re too old, they won’t work as well and your pancakes won’t rise well.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine wet ingredients. Whisk together the eggs, Greek yogurt, milk and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Then whisk in the melted butter.
Mix together wet and dry. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until almost combined, then add the chocolate chips. Continue mixing just until the flour is incorporated, being careful to not overmix.
Prep griddle or skillet. Heat an electric griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Grease the griddle or skillet with butter or cooking spray (you can skip the greasing if using a non-stick griddle that doesn’t require greasing.)
Cook pancakes. Scoop the pancake batter onto the griddle. Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, until bubbles form and the pancake bottoms are golden. Flip and cook on the second side until golden, about 2 minutes. Serve pancakes with butter and maple syrup, if desired.
Freeze Them for a Make Ahead Breakfast
These chocolate chip pancakes freeze wonderfully! I always freeze any leftover pancakes so that we can have a quick breakfast ready to go at a later date.
To freeze pancakes, let them cool completely and then freeze in a zip-top plastic bag or other airtight container for up to 3 months. I stagger the pancakes in the bag/container so that they don’t stick together as they freeze. If you want to stack them, I recommend placing a square of parchment paper in between each pancake.
Thaw pancakes using the defrost setting of your microwave or let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. You can also thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.
More Favorite Pancake Recipes
- Buttermilk Pancakes (This is the other pancake recipe we make most often!)
- Blueberry Pancakes
- Healthy Pancakes
- Banana Pancakes
- Oatmeal Pancakes
Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, or 1 cup each all-purpose and whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 ¼ cups milk, I use whole milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips, see note
Instructions
- Melt the butter (either in the microwave or in a pan on the stove) and set it aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, Greek yogurt, milk and vanilla extract. Then whisk in the melted butter.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until almost combined, then add the chocolate chips. Continue mixing just until the flour is incorporated, being careful to not overmix. The batter may be slightly lumpy, but you should not see any streaks of flour.
- Heat an electric griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Grease the griddle or skillet with butter or cooking spray (you can skip the greasing if using a non-stick griddle that doesn't require greasing.)
- Scoop the pancake batter onto the griddle, using about 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake. Let pancakes cook on the first side until bubbles form and the pancake bottoms are golden, about 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook them on the second side until golden, about 2 minutes. Serve pancakes with butter and maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
- I prefer to use mini chocolate chips in this recipe because regular chocolate chips tend to sink to the bottom of the batter and stick to the sides of the bowl. You can use regular chocolate chips if that’s what you have on hand.
- Pancakes freeze wonderfully. Once cool, freeze in a zip-top plastic bag or other airtight container for up to 3 months. I stagger the pancakes in the bag/container so that they don’t stick together as they freeze. (It’s ok if they overlap a little.) If you want to stack them, I recommend placing a square of parchment paper in between each pancake. Thaw pancakes using the defrost setting of your microwave or let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. You can also thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.
My kids are obsessed! Can’t wait to make for their first day of school tomorrow!