A good stack of pancakes can transform an average weekend morning into a special occasion. So, if your standard pancakes are that powerful, I can only imagine what these chocolate buttermilk pancakes are capable of.
Something very special…
Buttermilk is a classic pancake ingredient for several reasons. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to create tall, fluffy pancakes with a beautifully light texture. Buttermilk also adds a subtle, but much appreciated tanginess to the overall flavor.
Now buttermilk pancakes are fabulous, but chocolate buttermilk pancakes are something else.
Rich, flavorful, decadent… pancake perfection.
Let’s get started…
This recipe will make about 18 small pancakes (using 1/4 cup of batter per pancake), 14 medium sized pancakes (using 1/3 cup of batter per pancake) or 10-12 large pancakes (using 1/2 cup of batter per pancake). Since this recipe calls for 2 eggs, it is pretty simple to cut in half for a smaller batch. I do feel that I should warn you though, that every time I have made a smaller batch of these pancakes, there is a general feeling of disappointment when my husband or friends find out that there are no more pancakes… in other words… just make the full batch and you won’t have to disappoint anyone.
Start by combining 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder in a large bowl.
Use your whisk to form a little well in the center of the bowl and pour 1 1/3 cups of buttermilk (I prefer to use full fat buttermilk, but low fat will work as well) into the well, along with 3 tablespoons of melted butter, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Whisk the ingredients until they are just combined. As long as the wet and dry ingredients have incorporated and you no longer see dry flour in the batter, you are good to stop whisking. Pancake batter will have some lumps and those lumps will eventually result in light, fluffy pancakes. If you mix the batter until it is smooth, your pancakes will be flat and chewy. Light, fluffy pancakes are so much better, so leave those lumps…
Once the batter is ready to go, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Similar to why you don’t want to overmix your pancake batter, resting the batter will allow the gluten in the batter to relax a little and relaxed gluten results in lighter pancakes.
You may notice the luscious creaminess that I have paired with these chocolate buttermilk pancakes in my photos. If you are interested in whipping up some of this peanut butter whipped cream (and I highly suggest that you do!), simply whip 1 cup of cold heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter and 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar until soft peaks form. This peanut butter whipped cream is incredibly delicious and pairs perfectly with a big stack of chocolate buttermilk pancakes.
If you are interested in taking a look at the full recipe for my peanut butter whipped cream, click here.
Now that your batter has rested and you have a creamy batch of peanut butter whipped cream all whipped up (pun definitely intended), we are ready to make some pancakes!
Place a flat griddle or wide skillet over medium heat and grease the surface with some butter or your favorite non-stick spray. Allow the skillet to pre-heat a bit before adding your batter. Typically, the first pancakes aren’t going to win any beauty contests. This is usually due to the skillet or griddle not being warm enough, so I usually just test the my griddle with one little pancake in the beginning. Once that little tester is cooked, you are good to proceed with full sized pancakes.
If you want small pancakes, drop 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle being sure to leave enough space between the pancakes for spreading. For medium sized pancakes, use 1/3 cup of batter and for larger pancakes, use 1/2 cup of batter. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips over the surface of the batter as soon as you drop it onto the griddle.
Tips:
- Pancakes are ready to flip when the top surface is covered in little bubbles and the bottom edges begin to look set.
- Adding the chocolate chips after your drop the batter onto the griddle will help prevent the chocolate from burning on the griddle during the cooking process.
- If you are having trouble lifting the pancakes off of the griddle to flip, they may need a few more seconds of cook time.
- Once the pancakes are flipped, you can test their doneness by gently pressing the center of each pancake. If they feel springy and set to a light touch, they are ready!
I usually stack the finished pancakes on a paper towel lined plate and cover them with a clean kitchen towel. In my experience, this keeps them warm enough, but if you prefer them warmer, simply place the finished pancakes on a flat baking sheet in a 200 degree oven while you cook the rest.
Once all of the pancakes are ready to go, build yourself a nice stack, add a little bit of peanut butter whipped cream and get ready to enjoy the best chocolate pancakes ever…
Look how tall and fluffy they are! They are light, airy and so full of luscious chocolatey goodness. The buttermilk adds a great tanginess that balances out the chocolate flavor just perfectly and if you decided to whip up some of that peanut butter whipped cream, you are in for a real special treat.
So, stack these pancakes high, dollop some whipped cream and shave a little chocolate over the whole situation and enjoy the best chocolate pancakes ever…
Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes
- 1 1/3 cups of buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons of butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup of chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Whipped Cream
- 1 cup of heavy cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar
Instructions
Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes
- Combine 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder in a large bowl
- Use the whisk to form a well in the center of the bowl and add 1 1/3 cups of buttermilk, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Mix until the ingredients are just combined
- Cover the bowl with a clean towel and rest for 10-15 minutes
- Place a flat griddle or wide skillet over medium heat and grease with butter or non-stick spray
- Drop batter onto the warm greased skillet and sprinkle each pancake with chocolate chips
- Once bubbles form over the surface of the pancake, carefully flip and cook until the center of each pancake feels set to a light touch
Peanut Butter Whipped Cream
- Combine 1 cups of cold heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter and 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar in a stand mixer or mixing bowl, if using an electric hand mixer
- Whip until soft peaks form
Assembly
- Serve pancakes while warm
- Garnish with peanut butter whipped cream and chocolate shavings
