Brownie Pancakes
Brownie pancakes are made with 3 levels of chocolaty goodness. Cocoa powder, mini chocolate chips, and a chocolate syrup topping to match. These light and fluffy pancakes are a chocolate lover’s dream!
These tasty brownie pancakes are possibly the most chocolatey chocolate pancakes there ever were! And sometimes chocolate in the morning is what you need to get the juices flowing. Either that or you can enjoy them for dessert, because they are just that decadent!
About This Recipe
Brownie pancakes are chocolate pancakes made from scratch using cocoa powder, buttermilk, and chocolate chips, among other simple pantry staples. The flavor will remind you of a fudgy brownie, but with a light and fluffy pancake texture. When topped with a chocolate drizzle, they become a whole other level of spectacular.
Make these for Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, a special birthday, or just indulge on any given day because you’re a chocolate lover and pancake lover living your best life. You should also try whole wheat double chocolate pancakes and s’mores pancakes!
Believe it or not, you can even make these gluten-free and refined sugar-free, with a simple swap of ingredients! Make a couple of batches, freeze some for later, and keep this recipe handy for when the chocolate cravings come calling!
If you love the idea of a dessert inspired pancake, make sure to check out our banoffee pie pancakes, german chocolate pancakes, churro pancakes, and tiramisu pancakes!
What You Need
- Butter – Melted butter adds so much flavor to these pancakes.
- Egg – You’ll just need 1 egg for this recipe for binding.
- Buttermilk – A slight tang with added fat to give these pancakes a richness.
- Granulated Sugar – Added sugar to create a sweet, decadent pancake.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – A lovely hint of vanilla adds a depth of flavor.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – For plenty of chocolate flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour – Used as the structure of the pancake and the base ingredient.
- Baking Powder – A needed ingredient in pancakes to help give rise to fluffy pancakes.
- Salt – Brings balance to the sweetness of the chocolate and sugar. Also helps all the other ingredients develop their own individual flavors.
- Mini Chocolate Chips – When they’re mini-sized chips, it means you can add more chips to each pancake! Regular-sized chocolate chips will work if that’s what you have.
How to Make Them
Preheat an electric griddle or a large frying over medium-low heat and melt the butter in a microwavable bowl. Then whisk together the butter and the egg in a medium-large mixing bowl.
Add the buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla, continuing to whisk.
Add in the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix until smooth.
Stir in the chocolate chips and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Pour about ⅓ cup batter onto the preheated griddle/pan. Cook until a medium golden brown on the first side (about 3 minutes). Flip and cook one to two minutes further.
Serve with chocolate syrup, maple syrup, whipped cream, or any of your favorite toppings!
How to Make These Pancakes Your Own
- To make these gluten-free, substitute a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour and use certified gluten-free baking powder.
- To make these refined sugar-free, omit the granulated sugar and replace it with the same amount of coconut sugar. You also may want to omit the chocolate chips or replace them with cacao nibs.
- Drizzle with chocolate syrup, maple syrup, or caramel sauce.
- Top with whipped cream or a simple dusting of powdered sugar.
- For a refreshing contrast to the decadence, have a few pieces of fresh fruit on the side. There’s always something about strawberries and chocolate that go so well together. Or, try them with strawberry sauce.
Make Ahead Ideas
Pancakes are typically best made once the batter has had a chance to sit for a few minutes. Other than making a homemade mix and storing the dry ingredients until you’re ready to make the batter, it’s a little more difficult to make the batter ahead of time. Your best bet is to make them completely and freeze them for later.
Storage Suggestions
Keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you have them on your counter within the first few hours of making them (you know, for snacking every time you walk into the kitchen), just keep them loosely covered. Store any leftovers in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Reheating Tips
For a soft and warm pancake, use the microwave to reheat at 20 second intervals. You can also reheat these on a griddle over medium heat.
Other Chocolate Breakfast Recipes
- Mocha Pancakes
- Oreo Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Hot Chocolate Pancakes with Ganache
- Nutella Pancakes
- Baked Chocolate Donuts with Glaze
Get the Recipe: Brownie Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat an electric griddle to 375ºF or a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
- Melt the butter in a microwavable bowl.
- In a medium-large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and egg. Whisk in the buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla.
- Add the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Pour about ⅓ cup batter onto the preheated griddle/pan. Cook until the pancakes are a medium golden brown on the first side (about 3 minutes).
- Flip and cook one to two minutes further.
- Serve with chocolate syrup.
Notes
- Makes 9-10 pancakes.
- If desired, replace the mini-chips with regular-sized chocolate chips. Peanut butter or butterscotch chips are really good, too.
- For gluten-free pancakes, replace the all-purpose flour with 1:1 gluten-free flour.
- Recipe can easily be doubled. Freeze extra pancakes in a resealable freezer bag for up to one month.
This is sooo awesome and yum!!!!!!!!
Thank you for this amazing recipe
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment!