Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes
If mint chocolate chip ice cream is your favorite, then you’re going to love these mint chocolate chip pancakes! They’re minty, chocolatey, and the prettiest shade of pale green.
We love making pancake recipes out of some of our favorite chocolatey duos: Strawberry Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes, Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pancakes. Let’s face it, chocolate just goes well with so many different things.
But up until now, we haven’t done a mint chocolate chip pancake recipe. The truth is, we weren’t totally sure how it would work out. Minty pancakes? Is that one of those “just so crazy, it might work out” ideas, or a recipe that we’ll test and then never speak of again.
Well, the fact that we’re posting this recipe for mint chocolate chip pancakes is your first clue that yes, they are delicious!
About this mint chocolate chip pancake recipe
If you’ve had mint cakes and other baked goods, it’s kind of the same effect you get in these pancakes. It’s a delightful little zing of minty flavor, without feeling like you’re brushing your teeth or sucking on a peppermint candy.
And then there are the chocolate chips! Because mint chip ice cream is usually made with flecks of chocolate, rather than full-sized chocolate chips, we used mini chocolate chips in this recipe. This has the added bonus of making sure every bite of pancake is accompanied by some melty chocolate goodness.
If you prefer your chocolate peppermint pancakes au naturel, you can skip the green food coloring and garnish them with a sprig of fresh mint for that visual cue that, no, these aren’t just chocolate chip pancakes!
What you need
There’s nothing crazy needed for this recipe! If you have peppermint extract on hand, you might already have everything you need.
- Wet ingredients: Melted butter, egg, milk, peppermint extract, green food coloring
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
A note on peppermint extract
Peppermint extract, mint extract—same thing, right?
Nope!
Mint extract is made with spearmint and peppermint, so its flavor is kind of like gum. Peppermint is that pure mint flavor you associate with candy canes and York peppermint patties; it has more menthol in it, which gives you that cooling sensation when you eat it.
Mint ice cream can be made with either peppermint extract or mint extract, but we’ve found that in baked goods (and pancakes), the spearmint flavor can taste a little odd, so we use peppermint extract in this recipe. (Same goes for our peppermint hot chocolate and candy cane pancakes!)
How to make them
Prepare. Preheat an electric griddle to 375ºF, or set a nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat.
Make the pancake batter. Whisk the melted butter and egg in a large bowl. Once the egg is beaten, whisk in the milk, peppermint extract, and green food coloring.
After that’s mixed, add in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Fold in the chocolate chips and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
Tip: Take a conservative approach when it comes to the food coloring. You don’t want dark green pancakes (save the extra food coloring for our Christmas pancakes)! Start with just a drop and then add more if needed. After all, you can always add more, but you can’t take it out once it’s in the bowl! We love for it to look like mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Cook. Ladle the pancake batter onto the preheated griddle. Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, then 2 to 3 minutes on the second side.
Tip: You want the pancakes to be fairly firm before flipping, otherwise they will spill over when turned.
FAQs
No, peppermint oil is much stronger than extract, which will make your mint chocolate chip pancakes unpalatable. In addition, most peppermint oils are not suitable for culinary use unless they specifically say so on the bottle.
The only difference is food coloring! Mint chocolate chip ice cream isn’t made with actual mint leaves, so that signature shade of pale green is from food coloring.
How to make these mint chocolate chip pancakes your own
Here are some ideas for serving and customizing your mint chocolate chip pancakes:
- Serve ‘em like the ice cream. Finish them off with some whipped cream (or chocolate whipped cream), chocolate chips, or maybe even a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
- Up the chocolate factor. Use our recipe for chocolate pancakes as a base, then add the peppermint extract and mini chocolate chips.
- Have breakfast for dessert. Why not, right? Add a scoop of vanilla or mint chocolate chip ice cream to the top of the pancakes while they’re still warm. The ice cream will melt and become the “sauce” for your pancakes. Don’t forget to add an Irish cream latte!
Make Ahead Ideas
These mint chocolate chip pancakes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Storage Suggestions
Freeze your mint chocolate chip pancakes in an airtight storage container or a freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers to keep them from sticking to each other.
Reheating Tips
Microwave the pancakes until they’re warmed through, or place them on a sheet pan, cover it with foil, and heat them in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes. Covering the sheet pan will keep the pancakes from getting dry in the oven.
If you’re reheating pancakes from frozen, add a few more minutes to the cooking time.
More dessert-inspired pancake recipes
Get the Recipe: Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- green food coloring
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- dash of salt
- ⅓ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat an electric griddle to 375ºF or a nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat.
- Whisk together the melted butter and egg. Then whisk in the milk, peppermint extract, and green food coloring (start with a little, you can always add more as needed for a nice green color).
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt then whisk until the flour is incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Cook the first side for about 3 minutes then flip and cook about 2-3 minutes on the second side. You want the pancake to be fairly firm before flipping or it will spill over when turned.
Notes
- Makes about 15 pancakes
- These mint chocolate chip pancakes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Freeze your mint chocolate chip pancakes in an airtight storage container or a freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers to keep them from sticking to each other.
- Microwave leftover pancakes until they’re warmed through, or place them on a sheet pan, cover it with foil, and heat them in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes. Covering the sheet pan will keep the pancakes from getting dry in the oven. If you’re reheating your pancakes from frozen, add a few more minutes to the cooking time.