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There’s nothing quite like the smell of chocolate pancakes frying in a pan. Its rich chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder and chocolate chips. The end result is a stack of fluffy, delicious pancakes smothered in homemade cherry syrup.
I grew up a huge fan of pancakes! I also love chocolate. I never had chocolate pancakes until I was an adult because most breakfast restaurants and pancake houses only serve chocolate chip pancakes. Which never was appealing to me. Chocolate chip pancakes always sounded boring.
But I created this chocolate pancake recipe, and I was hooked! These chocolate pancakes are far from boring. They’re fluffy, chocolatey, and have the perfect amount of chocolate chips in them. And when you top them with homemade cherry syrup, it’s like you’re eating a chocolate cake!
The chocolate chips ooze and blend perfectly with the cherry syrup. I’m getting hungry just typing this; let me teach you how to make the best homemade chocolate pancakes ever!
Key Ingredients
If you’re going to make these incredibly easy chocolate pancakes, you’re going to need a few basic ingredients.
- Unbleached Flour: Unbleached flour has a lower protein content than bleached flour, so it doesn’t produce as much gluten. This means that you’ll need to use more wet ingredients in your recipe to ensure that your pancakes are fluffy and not dense.
- Cocoa Powder: Any cocoa powder, dark chocolate, natural or unsweetened cocoa powder will work to make pancakes with chocolate in them. Additionally, be sure to whisk the cocoa powder together with the dry ingredients. This will help to evenly distribute the cocoa powder and prevent any lumps from forming. Avoid using dutch processed cocoa powder, it’s going to kill the leaving ingredients.
- Chocolate Chips: When using chocolate chips, it’s important to remember that they will melt and spread. For this recipe, it’s best to use bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips. If you use milk chocolate chips, they will melt and spread too much, and the pancakes will be too sweet.
- Granulated Sugar: The best way to make your pancakes taste better is to have the right amount of sugar. I only like using top-quality products when I make pancakes, so I use Imperial Sugar products. They’re kosher, non-GMO, and consistent.
- Buttermilk: I love buttermilk pancakes, but more, I love chocolate and buttermilk together. The tang that buttermilk provides to the chocolate pancakes are subtle but noticeable when you swap it for different milk.
- Leaving Agents: Baking powder and baking soda are leavening agents that help the pancakes rise while they cook. This results in fluffy pancakes that don’t taste too dense or heavy. Additionally, the baking powder helps to neutralize any acidity in the batter, which can make your pancakes taste more bitter.
- Eggs: Eggs play two roles in our pancake recipe they act as a leavening agent and help bind the ingredients together.
- Cherries: I use frozen cherries in this recipe because they are picked fresh in season, and I can skip the step of pitting cherries and staining my clothes. Plus, as the frozen cherries cook down, they release an excellent cherry juice.
How to make Chocolate Pancakes
This chocolate pancake recipe is easy to follow and makes the most delicious chocolate pancakes you’ll ever eat!
Chocolate Pancake Mix Recipe
This chocolate pancake mix is a simple recipe that makes 8 large pancakes. I usually serve 1 of these pancakes with eggs and a few pieces of breakfast meat.
- Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons Imperial Sugar granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chip
Step 1: Over a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in salt and chocolate chips. Keep in an airtight container or storage bag in a cool dark place for 3 months.
Step 2: When you’re ready, to make your pancake recipe mix, in a medium bowl, whisk together 2 eggs, 1 1/4 cup milk, and 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter until smooth.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Preheat griddle to 300°F, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and pour 1/2 cup of pancake batter on the griddle for each pancake; cook for 2 minutes per side.
How to Make Homemade Cherry Syrup
This cherry syrup recipe is so easy to follow and makes the most delicious cherry syrup you’ll ever taste!
- Ingredients
- 12 oz. frozen dark cherries
- zest of 1 medium orange
- 3 tablespoons Imperial Sugar granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup whiskey
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Step 1: In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the cherries, orange zest, and sugar, and cook for 30 seconds. Add vanilla and whisky, ignite and allow flames to burn off. Stir in butter until it melts.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few notes I took down to make sure that these chocolate pancakes come out perfect every time.
- There are a few options when it comes to cocoa powder I find that natural cocoa powder works best in this recipe. I like to use dark cocoa powder when I’m looking for a deep chocolate flavor.
- Do NOT use dutch processed cocoa powder since this cocoa powder is alkalized, it will not react with the leaving ingredients, which means flat pancakes are about to be served.
- You can use almond milk, whole milk, or any milk you have at home as a swap for buttermilk. The buttermilk adds a slightly tangy flavor that will be noticeable when omitted.
- You can use coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee as a swap for the melted butter in the pancake batter.
- Feel free to use semi-sweet milk chocolate, dark chocolate chips, or a combination of them in place of the bittersweet chocolate chips.
- If you do not consume alcohol or you are worried about the kids, substitute cherry juice, pineapple juice, or orange juice for the whisky. Just bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thickens about 5 minutes.
- Do not overmix the batter, a few lumps are okay. Overmixing will make tough pancakes.
- To keep pancakes warm, place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and place in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
- Do not skip letting the batter sit for 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes. Letting the batter rest allows the flour to absorb more liquid and activates the leaving ingredients. All of this is key to getting perfect fluffy pancakes.
- Use a 1/2 cup dry measuring cup to get consistent uniform size pancakes. Make sure to wipe a 1/4 teaspoon of oil or cooking spray on the inside, so the batter slides out.
- You can use a 1/4 cup dry measuring cup to get 14-16 normal-size pancakes.
- Use a long handle stick lighter to ignite the sauce, be aware of your surroundings and remove anything that can catch fire. If the fire gets too high, keep calm, turn off the heat and wait for the flame to go out.
- The cherry syrup will thicken as it cools. If you want a thinner syrup, add a little water or cherry juice.
- I also like to serve fresh fruit or fresh berries with my chocolate pancakes to cut the sweetness.
FAQs
Here are the top questions readers have about making chocolate pancakes.
The secret to good pancakes is letting the batter rest for a while before cooking. This allows the flour to absorb more liquid and activates the leavening ingredients, resulting in fluffy pancakes every time.
To make my chocolate pancakes from scratch, you’ll need the following ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate chips, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
A simple way to break this down in 3 steps is: Mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients into the dry, cook pancakes for 2-3 minutes per side, and flip carefully.
The main ingredients that make pancakes fluffy are baking powder and baking soda. These help to create air bubbles in the batter, which make the pancakes light and fluffy. You can also try adding a little more buttermilk to the batter to make it even fluffier.
One way to make your pancakes taste even better is to serve them with delicious homemade syrup. My personal favorite is a cherry syrup made with frozen cherries.
In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make homemade cherry syrup that pairs perfectly with chocolate pancakes. It’s easy to make and only requires a few simple ingredients.
The answer to this question is a personal preference. Some people prefer to cook their pancakes with butter, while others prefer to cook them with oil. I usually cook mine with oil because I love crispy edges, but for this recipe, I used butter. Use whichever you prefer.
You can use self-rising flour instead of plain flour in your pancakes, but I find that the results are a bit denser. That’s because self-rising flour only has flour, baking powder, and salt. The addition of baking soda makes them fluffier.
One way to keep your chocolate chips from burning in your pancakes is by adding them to the batter with your dry mix. This will prevent them from burning while the pancake is cooking because the chocolate chips will be coated with the flour first, creating a protective barrier.
No, cherry syrup is not the same as grenadine. Grenadine is a syrup made from pomegranate juice and typically has a sweet and tart flavor. Cherry syrup is made with cherries and has a sweet and fruity flavor.
Cherry syrup can be stored for a few weeks in the fridge when kept in an airtight container.
More Chocolate Recipes
If you are a chocolate lover like me, here are some more chocolate recipes.
- Chocolate French Toast
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Cherry Galette with Chocolate Port Sauce
- Triple Chocolate Brownies
- German Chocolate Cake
- Chewy Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
Latest Recipe Video:
Before You Begin
Here are the steps I follow to get organized.
Step 1: Get all ingredients for the chocolate pancake mix and cherry syrup on the counter.
Step 2: To go faster, break down everything into separate bowls.
Step 3: We don’t want any surprised, so test the griddle to make sure it works before getting started.
Step 4: Start following the recipe and get ready for the best chocolate pancakes with homemade cherry syrup you’ve ever had!
If you are a chocolate lover and want to make the best chocolate pancake recipe, look no further. These chocolatey pancakes are ideal for any time of the day, but especially on the weekend for breakfast.
Below is how to make the greatest chocolate pancakes with homemade cherry syrup that will tantalize your taste buds. So, what do you have to lose? Get started on these delectable pancakes right now!
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Chocolate Pancakes with Cherry Syrup
Ingredients
Chocolate Pancakes:
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons Imperial Sugar granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chip
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter plus more for cooking
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cherry Syrup:
- 12 oz. frozen dark cherries
- zest of 1 medium orange
- 3 tablespoons Imperial Sugar granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup whiskey
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Chocolate Pancakes: Over a large bowl sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in salt and chocolate chips.
- In a medium bowl mix eggs, butter, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the wet mix to the dry mix and stir until incorporated. Batter should be thick with a few lumps not smooth. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Cherry Syrup: In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the cherries, orange zest and sugar, cook for 30 seconds. Add vanilla and whisky, ignite and allow flames to burn off. Stir in butter until it melts.
- Turn on the heat to medium in a large non-skillet or griddle to 300°F. Add 1 tablespoon butter, spread evenly with a brush or spoon. If butter is begins to burn add ½ teaspoon of oil. Use a ½ cup measuring cup to scoop pancakes, spreading to make a circle. Cook 3 pancakes at a time if using a skillet, for 2 minutes on each side. Keep pancakes warm in a 200°F oven.
- Serve 3 pancakes with some butter and 2 tablespoons of cherry syrup.
Notes
- There are a few options when it comes to cocoa powder I find that natural cocoa powder works best in this recipe. I like to use dark cocoa powder when I’m looking for a deep chocolate flavor.
- Do NOT use dutch processed cocoa powder since this cocoa powder is alkalized, it will not react with the leaving ingredients, which means flat pancakes are about to be served.
- You can use almond milk, whole milk, or any milk you have at home as a swap for buttermilk. The buttermilk adds a slightly tangy flavor that will be noticeable when omitted.
- You can use coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee as a swap for the melted butter in the pancake batter.
- Feel free to use semi-sweet, milk chocolate, dark chocolate chips, or a combination of them in place of the bittersweet chocolate chips.
- If you do not consume alcohol or you are worried about the kids, substitute cherry juice, pineapple juice, or orange juice for the whisky. Just bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thickens about 5 minutes.
- Do not overmix the batter, a few lumps are okay. Overmixing will make tough pancakes.
- To keep pancakes warm, place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and place in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
- Do not skip letting the batter sit for 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes. Letting the batter rest allows the flour to absorb more liquid and activates the leaving ingredients. All of this is key to getting perfect fluffy pancakes.
- Use a ½ cup dry measuring cup to get consistent uniform size pancakes. Make sure to wipe a ¼ teaspoon of oil or cooking spray on the inside, so the batter slides out.
- You can use a ¼ cup dry measuring cup to get 14-16 normal-size pancakes.
- Use a long handle stick lighter to ignite the sauce, be aware of your surroundings and remove anything that can catch fire. If the fire gets too high, keep calm, turn off the heat and wait for the flame to go out.
- The cherry syrup will thicken as it cools. If you want a thinner syrup, add a little water or cherry juice.
- I also like to serve fresh fruit or fresh berries with my chocolate pancakes to cut the sweetness.
