How To Make Chocolate Chip Pancakes, The Decadent Breakfast Treat

My family didn't eat much in restaurants when I was growing up. When we did, it was always a special occasion. I'm in possession of a few glorious memories of eating breakfast at IHOP. We'd sit at a booth and I'd order the same thing every time -- chocolate chip pancakes.

I still remember feeling nervous every time I placed the order. I worried that surely a treat this decadent would never meet my parents' approval as a breakfast food. But somehow it did and the server would appear with a freshly made chocolate chip pancake as big as my head.

Now that I'm an adult, chocolate chip pancakes still hold a special place in my heart. So, it was only natural that I taught myself how to make chocolate chip pancakes in the comfort of my own home. And I was able to come up with an amazing chocolate chip pancake recipe that can be whipped up in minutes.

Intrigued? I'm happy to share the recipe! Continue below to learn how to make chocolate chip pancakes that will leave both children and adults begging you for more.

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons of softened or melted butter
• 1 cup of milk (whole milk or two percent work best)
• 2 eggs
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1¼ cups flour
• ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 4 teaspoons of baking powder
• A third of a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a bowl.
2. In a second bowl, mix the eggs, four tablespoons of the butter, milk, and vanilla extract.
3. Mix the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips. If you used melted butter instead of softened butter in the batter, be sure to let it cool before you add the chocolate chips. Tip: To prevent the chocolate chips from settling at the bottom of the bowl, coat them lightly with flour before adding them to the batter.
5. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
6. Ladle in the pancake batter and allow it to cook until small bubbles appear on the top of the pancakes and the bottom edges appear golden brown.
7. Enjoy!

The recipe yields approximately 6-8 regular sized pancakes.

Variations

1. Vegan chocolate chip pancakes

To make a vegan version of this recipe, substitute soy, almond, or coconut milk for the cow's milk and margarine or butter flavored shortening for the butter. And of course, be sure to use vegan chocolate chips.

2. Whole wheat walnut chocolate chip pancakes

Substitute whole wheat flour for the white flour and add ¼ teaspoon of chopped walnuts. You can also add a third of a teaspoon of ground nutmeg if you have it on hand. This recipe goes best with dark chocolate chips instead of the semi-sweet variety.

3. Bacon jalapeno chocolate chip pancakes

Prepare the standard recipe and fold in ¼ cups of chopped, crisp fried, premium bacon and 1-3 tablespoons chopped fresh jalapeno to taste (depending on how much heat you prefer).

Suggested Toppings

• Fresh whipped cream
• Fresh raspberries sprinkled with sugar or raspberry syrup.
• Ice cream. I suggest making own your ice cream in a bag. It just takes minutes.
• Nuts
• Caramel syrup
• Toasted coconut
• Cherry preserves
• Frosting
• Dried cranberries, sweetened or unsweetened, depending on preference.

I hope you'll love this recipe for chocolate chip pancakes as much as I do. They're easy enough to make on a busy morning but impressive enough to make for a fancy brunch. Breakfast never tasted so good!