Double Chocolate Whole Wheat Pancakes
Published May 28, 2021•Updated Mar 12, 2022
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Want to make your weekend morning a little more fun? Try adding some Double Chocolate Whole Wheat Pancakes into the mix! These are packed with chocolate (of course!) but they’ve also got the benefits of whole grains you can feel good about.
We’re headed off on vacation today (cue the happy dance), and so I bring you a breakfast that feels like that first-day-of-vacation mood. Lots of fun, and plenty of chocolate. Around here, we love a weekend breakfast run to our favorite bakery, but there’s something special and cozy about flipping pancakes in your pjs with a mug of coffee in hand. And double chocolate pancakes? Well they’re EXTRA cozy.
In our house almost all pancakes are based on Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes. While we’ve tried many other recipes, nothing beats the nutty flavor of pancakes made with whole grain flour. These are the pancakes I grew up eating at the Paradise Cafe in Lawrence, Kansas – it was a funky, cheerful, neighborhood diner that I wish was still around. In addition to being delicious, their food felt nourishing – full of good things that tasted great too. These pancakes are just that. Light, fluffy, delicious, and in this case, filled with melty chocolate chips and flavored with cocoa powder folded into the batter.
They’re easy to make too. You just need one bowl!
Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Flour – The heart of these pancakes is100% Whole Wheat Flour. You get great flavor from regular whole wheat flour, but white whole wheat flour would work well too.
- White Sugar – The original recipe this one is based on uses brown sugar, but using white sugar here helps to highlight the chocolate flavor of the cocoa powder.
- Cooking Oil – Use any neutral-flavored oil you use for cooking. I use avocado oil in most things these days (I buy it at Costco), but grapeseed oil and vegetable oil work well here.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk is the key ingredient to keeping these pancakes tender and light. See below for my favorite sub when I don’t have buttermilk on hand.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Any type will work – Dutch process or not. I usually just keep Hershey’s on hand for baking. I also LOVE Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder which has a really rich chocolate flavor.
- Eggs, Kosher Salt, Baking Powder – Pantry / fridge staples you’ll need to finish the pancakes.
- Chocolate Chips – For all the chocolate flavor, don’t forget the chocolate chips!
Substitute for Buttermilk
If you don’t have buttermilk, replace 2 cups of buttermilk with 1 ½ cups milk, 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice, and ½ cup plain yogurt. The yogurt and the vinegar / lemon juice thicken the milk and mimic the sour flavor of buttermilk.
How to Freeze Pancakes
Pancakes are one of the best things to have in your freezer. Cook the pancakes and then allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. They can be slightly overlapping. Once cool, transfer the cooling rack to the freezer until the pancakes are frozen through, 1 to 2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 6 months.
To serve, reheat pancakes in the microwave, toaster oven, or on a sheet pan in a 400°F / 200°C oven.
Do you love pancakes and waffles? So do we!
- Overnight Yeasted Whole Wheat Waffles
- Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Waffles
- Savory Waffles with Sausage and Cheddar
- Homemade Pancake Mix
- Loaded Potato Pancakes
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Double Chocolate Whole Wheat Pancakes
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Skillet or Griddle
Ingredients
- 2 large Eggs
- 1/3 cup Sugar (66g)
- 1/4 cup Cooking Oil (60mL)
- 2 cups Buttermilk (475mL)
- 1 3/4 cups Whole Wheat Flour (see note) (218g)
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (20g)
- 2 Tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Chocolate Chips
- Butter and maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, cooking oil, and buttermilk.
- Add whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and stir just until combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Ladle batter into an oiled griddle or skillet at low medium heat until bubbles form on the surface. Flip and cook on the other side until set. (Note: keep the heat lower than you would with other pancakes because the slightly higher sugar content in these can burn more easily.)
- Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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