These chocolate pancakes are my family’s favorite way to have dessert for breakfast! They are thick, fluffy, and made with just 5 simple ingredients.

Need an excuse to have dessert for breakfast? My mom’s chocolate pancakes are your answer. 

Mornings are always a rush in our house, but that doesn’t stop us from having something satisfying for breakfast. A chocolate pancake goes a very long way to making our mornings a little special, especially on weekends.

These were always such a hit because they didn’t need buttermilk or eggs, yet turned out ultra-fluffy and thick. Mom calls them her “kitchen sink chocolate pancakes”.

Table of Contents

1. Key Ingredients
2. How to make chocolate pancakes
3. Arman’s recipe tips
4. Chocolate Pancakes (Recipe Card)
5. More easy pancake recipes

Recipe highlights

• Only 5 ingredients. Five pantry staples are all that’s needed. The fewer ingredients you use, the less mess you create in the kitchen.
• Made in one bowl. Speaking of mess, all you need is one bowl and one skillet to make the magic happen. 
• Thick, fluffy, and chocolatey. Despite being made without eggs, oil, or buttermilk, these pancakes turn out soft, tender, and with real chocolate flavor.

Key Ingredients

• Flour. I use sifted whole wheat flour for this recipe because it is healthier than white flour, but you can use regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour if you prefer. If you use GF flour, make sure it contains xanthan gum to prevent it from turning gummy.
• Cocoa powder. Unsweetened and sifted to remove clumps. Choose Dutch-processed cocoa powder for its richer flavor. 
• Sugar. I used white sugar, but brown sugar or a sugar-free substitute works just as well. 
• Baking powder. To help the pancakes rise.
• Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk to keep these dairy-free/vegan, but whole milk works too.  
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips. Optional, but who doesn’t love double chocolate pancakes?

How to make chocolate pancakes

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Make the pancake batter. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the milk and whisk until a batter forms. Stir in the chocolate chips (if using), and let the batter sit for 5 minutes.

Step 2- Cook. Heat nonstick cooking spray in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, pour 1/4 cup portions of the pancake batter and cover the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip the pancakes, and cook for another 2 minutes. Repeat until all of the batter has been used. 

Arman’s recipe tips

• Avoid overmixing the batter. More mixing means more air is lost, resulting in flatter pancakes. 
• Don’t skip the resting time. Those 5 minutes help the baking powder activate and give the pancakes their rise. If you’re not concerned with fluffy pancakes, you can skip this step. 
• Cover the pan. If you’ve made any of my pancake recipes before, you know this is my non-negotiable tip. Doing this traps the heat, which yields uber fluffy pancakes.
• Cook over low-medium heat. Chocolate pancakes can brown faster than regular pancakes, so a gentler heat lets the centers cook through without burning the outside.

More easy pancake recipes

• Zucchini pancakes
• Almond flour pancakes
• Oat flour pancakes
• Red Velvet pancakes

Originally published February 2023