Chocolate Chip Pancakes

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5 from 41 votes
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My chocolate chip pancake recipe is SO simple, yet the results are stacks of golden brown, fluffy pancakes filled with gooey chocolate. My family asks for them every Sunday morning!

chocolate chip pancakes.

Craving fluffy homemade pancakes? Try my healthy banana pancakes, chocolate pancakes, or cottage cheese pancakes next.

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Key ingredients
  3. How to make chocolate chip pancakes
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Frequently asked questions
  6. Chocolate Chip Pancakes (Recipe Card)
  7. More easy breakfast recipes

Is there anything better than a batch of old-fashioned homemade chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast? I don’t think so!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for quirky flavor combinations or unique ingredients (hello, protein pancakes!), but when my family’s expecting a foolproof and decadent breakfast, it’s chocolate chip pancakes all the way.

Why I love this recipe

  • Freezer-friendly. If I’m going to make pancakes, you better believe I’m making DOUBLE what I need so I can freeze the rest for a pancake emergency. 
  • Pantry staples. I made sure there were no complicated or unnecessary ingredients in this recipe. 
  • Nostalgic flavor. I was raised on chocolate pancakes, and I’ve made sure to recreate those same experiences for my own family. 
  • Make as much as you need. Once you know the ratio of ingredients, it’s easy to scale up or down depending on how many hungry mouths you have to feed. 
chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream on top.

Key ingredients

  • Flour. Nothing fancy is needed here. Just regular, all-purpose flour. I suggest sifting it first to remove any clumps. 
  • Granulated sugar. I used plain white sugar as it yields a lighter pancake, but you could use brown sugar if you prefer. 
  • Baking powder. Makes the pancakes rise. Make sure it’s not expired, or else you’ll be left with flat pancakes. 
  • Salt. To help bring all of the flavors together.
  • Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk will do. 
  • Oil. I used vegetable oil, but any neutral-flavored oil will work, or you can use unsalted butter. 
  • Eggs. My secret weapon! The egg yolks bind the batter, while the whipped egg whites are the secret to light and fluffy pancakes. 
  • Chocolate chips. You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips. Or stick with my sugar free chocolate chips to cut down on the sweetness.

How to make chocolate chip 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.

pancake batter in a bowl.

Mix the batter. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl. Combine the milk, oil, and egg yolk in a second bowl. Stir together the dry and wet ingredients. 

whipped egg whites in a bowl.

Whip egg whites. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter.

adding chocolate chips to batter.

Add the chocolate chips. Fold them through slowly.

stack of chocolate chip pancakes.

Cook. Pour the batter into a hot griddle, cover it, and cook the pancakes for several minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook in the skillet for several minutes. Repeat this process with the remaining pancake batter.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Let the batter rest. I like to give the batter 5 minutes to settle so more gluten develops and yields a thicker, fluffier pancake. 
  • Some lumps in the pancake batter are okay. You don’t want to overmix the batter, or else you’ll end up with dense, flat pancakes. 
  • Cover the pan. If you are a veteran pancake maker from my website, you know this is my top tip. Covering the pan traps in all the heat and forces the pancakes to puff up.
  • Chocolate sinking in the pancakes? I didn’t have this problem personally, but if you’re worried, toss the chocolate chips in flour before adding them to the pancake batter. 
  • Add extra mix-ins. Like bananas, strawberries, or a drizzle of peanut butter.

Frequently asked questions

How do I stop chocolate chips from melting in pancakes?

If your chocolate chips are melting in the pancakes, try freezing them for 15-20 minutes before adding them to the pancake batter. 

How to stop chocolate chips burning in pancakes?

If your chocolate chips are burning, it could be because they’re not fully mixed into the batter or the heat is too high. Make sure the chocolate is fully incorporated into the pancake batter, and they’re cooked no higher than medium-low heat. 

Can I make the batter ahead of time?

The batter can be made up to 24 hours before cooking, but no longer. After 24 hours, the baking powder deactivates, and the pancakes won’t rise as much as they should.

stack of chocolate chip pancakes.
chocolate chip pancakes recipe.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

5 from 41 votes
My family loves these thick and fluffy chocolate chip pancakes. They use pantry staples and cook up in minutes. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Total: 10 minutes

Video

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, oil, and egg yolk. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. 
    pancake batter in a bowl.
  • In the third bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Slowly fold in the beaten whites into the batter until combined.
    whipped egg whites in a bowl.
  • Fold through the chocolate chips. 
    adding chocolate chips to batter.
  • Add oil to a non-stick pan and place over medium heat. Once hot, drop large spoonfuls of the pancake batter onto it and cover the pan immediately. Cook the pancakes for 2-3 minutes, remove the lid, flip, and cook for another 2 minutes. Repeat the process until all the pancake batter is used up.
    stack of chocolate chip pancakes.

Notes

TO STORE: Keep any extra pancake batter covered in the fridge and use it within 24 hours. If you have leftover pancakes, keep them wrapped in plastic or an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. 
TO FREEZE: Layer the pancakes between sheets of waxed paper in a freezer-safe sealable bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months and reheat directly from frozen. 
TO REHEAT: Microwave a few pancakes at a time for 20 to 60 seconds. To reheat a large batch, it’s best to rewarm them on a baking sheet covered with foil in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 150kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSodium: 206mgPotassium: 30mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 46IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 20g
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

More easy breakfast recipes

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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5 from 41 votes (38 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    You are such a great young man (and very good looking too ) I can’t wait to receive your recipes and try them out , I am a 70 male who loves cooking and gadgets , great about the air fryer recipes.
    Thank you for keeping life interesting

  2. 5 stars
    I just have box of protein pancakes (vanilla). But it seems to me I can make homemade using these ingredients. Its cheaper!

    1. Hi Glenda- You can easily calculate it by adding the ingredients into myfitnesspal or another calorie calculator 🙂 Enjoy!

  3. HI! What was the difference in taste and texture when you used pumpkin versus the applesauce in these pancakes? I’m curious because I’d really love to try to make these using some organic canned 100% pure pumpkin that I have on hand. They look absolutely delicious. Yum! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m looking forward to making these.

  4. Hi, Armand,

    I keep reading about aquafaba replacing eggs. Have you gotten on that bandwagon, yet? Just wondering if you have tried it instead of the eggs in this or any other recipes.
    Thanks a bunch!

  5. Just made these! YUM! Thank you for a great recipe. I’m on a low carb diet for prediabetes, and I feel like this was the first coconut flour recipe I truly LIKED and wasn’t just a consolation prize. I only used half the amount of milk and my batter was still a little too thin, I think. Maybe it’s the brand of coconut flour I used? Anyhow yummy yummy!

  6. as someone who is counting carbs and calories it would be nice if you or somone else could give how many calories and carbs are in this??? dont want to make this if i cant eat it.

    1. Totally understand! You can easily calculate it yourself using an online calculator- there are so many out there and so easy to do 🙂

  7. What is the carb count per serving? I don’t know if it’s low enough to include in my ketogenic diet. Thanks!

    1. Hi Vanessa! If you go to myfitnesspal and plug in the ingredients, it will provide it for you 🙂 Enjoy!

  8. Tried these this morning. Very yummy but wouldn’t consider them fluffy. Mine turned out flat. Omce i mixed everything, the batter did not need any added milk. Any suggestions? Maybe extra baking powder?

    1. Hi Jenny! It sounds like it is the coconut flour you used- Sometimes it helps to let them sit a little before cooking. You definitely should need to add at least a little milk- Try also cooking them slowly on low heat 🙂

  9. These look amazing!! I would love to know exactly which “Mashed Starch of Choice” you used to make the ones shown in the picture ?

  10. The recipe indicates it is for 1 serving. How many pancakes (of what approximate size) are in 1 serving?

  11. I have recently started a low carb diet for the medicaiton I am on (metformin…not diabetic but using it to control my insulin resistance and to help lose weight so I can get pregnant again). I tried almond flour pancakes and they were…well ok…it satsified my pancake need for that day…but these look… AMAZING.. I am goin to go out and get some coconut flour and try these out! I’m also lactose intollerant so these are a win win!

    1. Oh fantastic- I hope you enjoy these Stephanie- Remember to let the pancake batter sit for a few minutes to allow the coconut flour to absorb a little bit of the liquid 🙂

      Hopefully your medication is assisting your insulin 🙂

  12. Like everything else you post, I want to grab the mixing bowl and make this ASAP! One problem though, I can’t get coconut flout where I live, and it drives me crazy because I want to make al your pancake recipes! Is it possible to sub all purpose for the coconut? I know the absorbency is different, so add a little more of the all purpose, perhaps?

    1. Hi Laurel! I haven’t tried it with all purpose and I can’t see it working, as it absorbs much differently.

  13. Hi! I was so excited to find this recipe! I love high protein — especially when it involves something scrumptious as pancakes. I make a go of it this evening (using egg whites and applesauce), and I thought it was thick, but when I tried to flip in the pan, it was a crumbly mess. I noticed on another comment had the same problem and you replied to cook slow and cover….but I missed that in the recipe. Is this the problem? Do you have to cover the pan while cooking? Would love to nail it, cause even though the pancakes were a disaster and did not resemble your beautiful picture at all, they tasted delish and I would love to give it another try! Tips?

    1. Hi Shannon! You really need to let the batter sit for a little while- That gives time for the coconut flour to thicken the batter. Also, definitely cover the pan while cooking 🙂

  14. Arman, you have done it again! This recipe looks wonderful! I’ll be sitting here at work dreaming about these chocolate chip pancakes all day!!!!

  15. I love… love … LOVE pancakes but avoid them like the plague! The more processed the foods are the more difficicult they are to digest. One would not think that but it is true…sad to say. BUT… these are definitely going on my list of foods to make every now and then. Of course I only use REAL Maple Syrup… thinking I will save this recipe for my Birthday Breakfast!

    1. Please do, Cindy- Just ensure you cook on low heat and covered- This will ensure thick, fluffy and filling pancakes 🙂

  16. I tried this and it predictably fell apart like most coconut flour recipes do. I doubled it to make enough for two. I used stevia, canned pumpkin and almond milk, with Enjoy Life mega chunk chocolate chips. I got it to a thick batter, but only a couple of the smaller pancakes held together enough to even allow me to flip them. Rest just completely crumbled. I know part of it is the larger cups, but still, I was disappointed. Taste was fine but maybe pumpkin is not good choice? I’m curious what exact Chino you did to get them to hold together like ones in pictures! Thank you!

    1. Hi Karen! I’m not sure why it didn’t turn out- As mentioned within the post, you need to be extremely cautious with the pancakes and cook slow and covered- These ensure thick and fluffy pancakes each time 🙂

  17. Everyone who has made these, I need help because when I cooked the batter and flipped these they stuck very badly to my ceramic pans (with cooking spray on low medium heat) and fell apart. I really wanted to make them look pretty like in the picture.
    I followed the recipe exactly, using apple sauce as the starch and egg beaters egg whites 1/2 cup plus one normal egg white for double the recipe that I made. I couldn’t find my whisk so I used a fork and a spoon to combine everything. The end batter wasn’t the regular super smooth but thick batter. It was thick, but a little gritty of course. Can someone help me out?

    1. Hi Lorraine! I’m so sorry to hear it didn’t work out- Sometimes, if your pans have been overused, this tends to happen. The batter (as you’ve mentioned) sounds absolutely ideal!

  18. made these (the vegan version) this morning but not sure where I went wrong – adding that much milk made the batter supper thin (though in fact I only added half of what is recommended as I did it spoon by spoon as you said) and the pancakes consequently didn’t work at all – they went into the pan more like crepes and then died a sad death there. Any idea what I could have done wrong?

    1. Hi Anna! I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you- the batter should be EXTREMELY thick- If it’s thin, you can slowly add more coconut flour until the consistency is achieved. They should scoop onto the pan and then lightly spread, but continue to be thick 🙂

  19. Hi Arman, just discovered your website while searching for high protein low carb recipes. I do lift weights with a passion. I don’t compete though, doing it just for the sheer fun of it. I laughed so hard as I read through your friends competition prep, loved it! Can’t wait to try these pancakes, thanks for the recipe ; )

    1. Hi Christine! 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind words! Hahaha my friend’s prep drove us crazy, but he ended up winning! 🙂

  20. These look so fluffy! I can’t believe how fluffy they are. My “healthy” pancakes have always been flat and lacklustre.

  21. These look awesome. Do you find that using only egg whites (vs whole eggs) in conjunction with coconut flour gives them extra fluffiness?

    1. Hi Patricia- It’s easy to calculate using myfitnesspal- I avoid including information as I focus on the ingredients VS the number.

  22. As I was scrolling through this post I was praying you used Coconut flour because i just bought some. Chocolate chip pancakes are my thing and I’m super excited to try these 🙂

  23. I used to try hard core ketosis for a few days. It did NOT go well. But I do love my low carb dinners and gluten free/grain free recipes, especially savory ones or ones that get really creative like these pancakes! I could never give up carbs to save my life, but then again, I wouldn’t give up fat and protein either! I need all three!

  24. Definitely making these over the weekend! Thanks for sharing Arman! I have never gone low-carb and I probably never will…I don’t think it’s a healthy option for a dancer such as myself. We need carbs for fuel! Plus I’m Italian so pasta. Always and forever.

  25. Omg any talk of low carb drives me crazy. That’s because most people I hear talk about low carb thinks that means eating only protein.

  26. Damn, you’re getting even me as a non-pancake person hungry here. These look amazing. Only I assume the vegan ones won’t come out as fluffy as these shown here?
    Low-carb is never ever going to happen in my life. Obviously just to save the people around me from my moodiness ;).

  27. I love making pancakes…and I happen to have a lot of coconut flour on hand. I may just have to give these a shot since they look so nice and fluffy.

  28. These pancakes are so crazy thick! It’s pretty amazing that only 3 tbsp of coconut can do that. I am also amazed by the bodybuilder diet. I don’t think I could do it. Too much you have to give up. Granted it is temporary, but my body has already been through it’s own challenges. I don’t want to mess that up.

  29. I thought my life was complete after you posted the first recipe to this blog. BUT then this happened!!!!! I have been picky about my pancakes as of late and haven’t been happy with how any of the recipes turned out. Can’t wait to try this one out 😉

  30. There’s a woman at my gym who does those competitions and in the past 5+ years I’ve been going to that gym I’ve literally NEVER seen her skip a day. Ever. It’s insanity because I skip all the time, but she is there at 5 AM every single day without fail. It’s pretty impressive.
    As far as low-carb goes, I think you know how I feel about that 😉

  31. Guess I know what I’m having for breakfast tomorrow! 😉 ..these look so deceiving…like they’re packed with wheat flour and sugar!! Genius..

  32. Again, is butter a carb?
    I love that these DON’T use, like a cup of egg whites! Very cool and pinning for later!

  33. This reminds me of the days when I competed in bodybuilding competitions! Oh wait, I never did that. Haha. Seriously, though, these pancakes look insanely fluffy. I’m running on pure fumes these days b/c the rest of the house is crazy sick, and I want nothing more than a huge stack of these flapjacks. (I just typed flapjakes. I don’t know who that is…)

    1. Geebuz! Seeing as these are low carb and you need energy, you totally get to replace the maple syrup with pure sugar.

  34. omgsh these look amazing! so fluffy and chocolatey. i don’t know how those competitors do it… i would last maybe two hours until i was caught eating peanut butter from the jar

  35. I am going to start my own list and I put pancakes on top 😉
    When I think about prep diet I have this sad picture of tons and tons of tupperware with plain chicken and broccoli in mind. I love chicken and broccoli but not like that. To me it’s such a masochistic sport. Not necessarily for the body but for the mind.

    I once met a female figure competitor and I better keep my opinion about her to myself. Though this was surely a character thing not a figure competitor thing.

  36. Yay for pancakes! Carbs are awesome. Brains absolutely love them! Though I love trying things with new flours and vegetables in different ways, so sometimes I try low-carb recipes for fun. Like this one!

  37. When I started Paleo I definitely ate more low carb than I do now, but I found I need more carbs in my life for sure. These look so insanely fluffy it’s unreal – need to try! With a side of bacon of course, still low carb!

  38. I was on keto diet in the past summer. It is low carb but I had a tons of fats so everything was good. I love to eat fatty food!?

      1. Hi Meecie- I think it should work (my previous pancake recipes have, I just haven’t tried this particular one)- You might need to add a dash more liquid though 🙂