These Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes take it to the next level with chocolate in every bite! They are fluffy, chocolatey and a perfect choice for an indulgent breakfast. This recipe for fluffy chocolate pancakes is quick and simple, so you can have these stacked on plates in a hurry!
The thing I like best about this simple recipe for these delicious pancakes is that there is just a slight chocolate flavor. You can taste the chocolate but still get that buttermilk pancake flavor too! If you are a chocolate lover and prefer a more intense chocolate flavor, you can add chocolate chips to the batter to take it up a notch.
If you are looking for more chocolate recipes, try: Chocolate Cookies with Buttercream Frosting, S'mores Fudge Pie or Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.
Jump to:
Why You Will Love These
- They are fluffy. These pancakes have the perfect ratio of baking powder and baking soda to promote a tall, fluffy pancake. This makes the pancake delicious but also fun to watch as it cooks!
- The cocoa powder. Using black cocoa powder in these pancakes gives them the deep, chocolatey color.
- They are easy. These pancakes can be prepared and cooked in about 15 minutes. Perfect for a busy morning or if you are cooking for a crowd!
Ingredients Needed
- Flour: All purpose flour is what you will need.
- Sugar
- Cocoa powder (I prefer to use this black cocoa powder for these to get the deep chocolate color.)
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk: Full fat, low fat, or fat free all work fine for this recipe.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter would work for this. I usually use what I have on hand.
- Egg: Large eggs at room temperature would be best.
- Vanilla Extract
Step by Step Instructions
These pancakes are super simple and only have a few steps. You should be able to whip these up real quick! Here is how to make these chocolate buttermilk pancakes.
STEP 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk until fully combined.
STEP 2: In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Stir with a whisk until combined.
STEP 3: Add the 1 ¾ cups buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, mix just until combined. The batter will be a bit lumpy, but that's ok. Just be sure to stir until you no longer see dry ingredients. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
STEP 4: Heat a griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. You can use butter or cooking spray to coat your griddle or pan.
STEP 5: Using cookie scoop or a ½ cup measuring cup, drop the pancake batter on to the prepared griddle or skillet. Once the pancakes are looking dry around the edges and bubbles are forming and popping in the middle without refilling with wet batter, it's time to flip them. Cook for another minute or two, checking for doneness. Remove from pan and repeat with the rest of the batter.
Expert Tips
- To determine if your griddle is ready, sprinkle a few drops of water on the top and if the water droplets bounce around before drying up, it's hot enough for the pancakes.
- If you prefer large pancakes, feel free to use a large cookie scoop or a 1 cup measuring cup to pour batter onto the griddle or skillet.
- For pancakes with even more of a chocolatey flavor, add a few mini chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate bars to the pancakes before you flip them over.
- Make these for any holiday or special event and customize with coordinating sprinkles. Valentine's Day, Christmas, Easter...you could decorate these for any/all holidays!
- Top the pancakes with butter, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, and/or whipped cream. The combinations of topping possibilities are endless, really!
FAQ
No. You do not have to use black cocoa powder. The black cocoa powder gives these pancakes their beautiful color and rich chocolate flavor. Dutch process cocoa powder works great too!
Yes. Regular milk in place of the buttermilk would work great.
Yes. This, along with not over mixing the batter, will help you to get fluffy pancakes.
Storing and Freezing
I wouldn't recommend saving leftover batter. Instead, cook all the pancakes and save them for another time.
Store pancakes in the refrigerator if you plan to eat them soon. Store in an airtight zip top bag or container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you are ready to eat them, wrap them in a paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until heated through.
Pancakes could also be stored in an airtight zip top bag or container and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wrap in a paper towel when you are ready to eat them and place in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.
Other Recipes to try
I was left with some extra buttermilk after making these pancakes. If you need some ideas for how to use up that buttermilk, check out these recipes:
Don't forget to leave a star rating below! This helps both me and other readers! Follow along on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook and subscribe to my newsletter so you never miss what Hey, Snickerdoodle is up to!
Recipe
Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 4 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine.1 ½ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a small bowl, add the buttermilk, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Stir with a whisk to combine. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Let stand 5 minutes.1 ¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature, 4 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled, 2 eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Heat a griddle or large frying pan on medium heat. Coat with butter or cooking spray. Using a large cookie scoop or ½ cup measuring cup, drop batter onto hot griddle of pan. Once you start to see bubbles form and pop in the middle of the pancakes, you can flip them over and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan. Repeat process with remaining batter.
Nutrition Information
Please note that these nutrition facts are approximations and may not be entirely precise.
Brad Douglas says
This is so wrong, which is why it’s so delicious. I tip my hat to the Snickerdoodle on this one.
RJ says
Thank you for this recipe! These are delicious! I did a few hack chef substitutions, which worked, for the most part. Lol
* For protein, I lightly crushed some sunflower seeds and toasted them in the cast iron.
* I didn’t have black cacao powder so I mixed chocolate milk with vitamin D, added the 2tbsp of ACV, sit for 15 min… buttermilk 🤩
* Rye is easier and happier for GI tract so I used 1/4 the amount of flour organic rye.
* I added 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips.
* Originally, I cut the sugar in half, used salted butter so omitted the salt and cut the sugar in half. (Used cane sugar) My rationale was the sugar from the chocolate milk would sweeten it up.
Welp! The toasted sunflower seeds was a bit overpowering on flavor. Fortunately once cooked, this issue mellowed out. It wasn’t going to sweet enough for the fam. So I cooked my pancakes first. (I usually serve myself last.) I added the remaining sugar for them.
Of course they’ve yet to eat, ran off to do this and that. Hopefully they like it as much as I did.
I’m extra. Don’t necessarily do what I did. Ahahahah
I would say the chocolate milk and chocolate chips was a solid move.
The rye flour worked, but I wouldn’t say hands down do it.
The sunflower seeds was a roll of the dice.
<3