Classic Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Fluffy, golden buttermilk-free pancakes made with everyday pantry staples and studded with melty semisweet chocolate chips. Cooked on a griddle, they're tender inside with lightly crisp edges.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Makes
- 12 pancakes (4 inches/10 cm each)
Steps
Before you start
- Take the milk and egg out 20 minutes ahead so they are not fridge-cold; cold liquids can make the melted butter clump.
- Melt the butter and let it cool slightly so it won't scramble the egg.
- Plan for a 10-minute batter rest; it makes pancakes fluffier and more tender.
- Keep the oven at 200°F (95°C) if you want to hold finished pancakes warm.
Warm the ovenOven 200°F / 95°C
- If holding pancakes, heat the oven to 200°F (95°C) and place a wire rack on a baking sheet inside.
- Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a small bowl or saucepan and set aside to cool slightly.
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Ready when: Butter is fully liquid but only warm, not hot, to the touch.
Tip: Skip the oven if serving straight off the griddle.
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt for 20 seconds until evenly combined with no lumps of baking powder.
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Ready when: Mixture looks uniform in color.
Whisk wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, egg and vanilla until the egg is fully broken up.
- Slowly whisk in the cooled melted butter; small flecks of butter are fine.
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Ready when: Liquid is smooth and uniformly pale yellow.
Tip: If the butter hardens into clumps, your milk was too cold; warm the mixture briefly in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Combine gently
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.
- Fold with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour remains, about 15 strokes.
- The batter should be thick and lumpy.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
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Ready when: Batter is thick, pourable and still has a few small lumps; no dry streaks.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes tough, flat pancakes.
Rest the batter
- Let the batter sit uncovered at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- It will thicken slightly and show a few bubbles on the surface.
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Ready when: Surface shows small bubbles and batter looks puffier.
Tip: Use this time to heat the griddle.
Heat the griddle
- Set the griddle or skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Rub a little cold butter over the surface to coat it very thinly.
- A drop of water should sizzle and skitter before evaporating.
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Ready when: Water droplets dance and evaporate within a few seconds.
Tip: Chocolate burns fast; do not use medium-high. Pancakes should brown gently.
Pour the pancakes
- Scoop ¼ cup (60 ml) batter per pancake onto the griddle, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) between them.
- Spread lightly into a 4-inch (10 cm) round if needed.
- Sprinkle a few extra chips on top if you like.
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Ready when: Batter holds its round shape without running together.
Cook first side
- Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles form across the surface and pop, leaving small holes, and the edges look dry and set.
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Ready when: Bubbles pop and stay open; edges look matte; underside is golden when you peek.
Tip: Flipping too early causes batter to spill out and makes pancakes dense.
Flip and finish
- Slide a thin spatula under each pancake and flip once.
- Cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until golden brown and the center springs back when pressed lightly.
- Don't press down with the spatula.
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Ready when: Golden brown on both sides; center springs back when lightly touched.
Tip: Melted chocolate that leaks onto the griddle will scorch; wipe it with a paper towel between batches.
Repeat and serveOven 200°F / 95°C
- Transfer cooked pancakes to the rack in the warm oven.
- Wipe the griddle, re-butter lightly, and repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat down slightly if pancakes brown too quickly.
- Serve hot with warmed maple syrup.
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Ready when: All 12 pancakes are evenly golden; chocolate chips are soft and melty.
Tip: Stack pancakes in a single layer on the rack, not piled, so they stay crisp at the edges.
Good to know
Tips
- Keep the heat at medium and adjust as needed; the first pancake is often a test for temperature.
- Use a ¼-cup measure for uniform size so they cook at the same rate.
- For even chocolate distribution without burning, sprinkle some chips onto the batter after pouring rather than all in the bowl.
- Don't stir the batter again after resting; deflating the bubbles makes pancakes flatter.
Make ahead
"Whisk the dry ingredients up to 1 week ahead and store airtight. Mix the wet ingredients and refrigerate up to 12 hours; combine with the dry ingredients and chips just before cooking. Fully mixed batter is best used within 30 minutes, as the baking powder loses power."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: cool completely and store airtight up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze in a single layer on a tray, then bag, up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a toaster or in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or microwave 30 to 45 seconds."
Substitutions
- whole milk → unsweetened oat or soy milk. Use 1:1; pancakes will be slightly less rich but still tender.
- semisweet chocolate chips → mini chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate. Mini chips distribute more evenly; use the same weight.
- unsalted butter → neutral oil such as canola. Use 3 tablespoons (45 ml); you lose a little buttery flavor.
- all-purpose flour → white whole wheat flour. Replace up to half of the flour; add 1 to 2 tablespoons extra milk if the batter is too thick.
