These Chocolate Chip Pancakes are soft, fluffy, and loaded with melty chocolate chips in every bite. They’re an easy breakfast favorite for weekends, birthdays, breakfast-for-dinner, or any morning when you want something a little more fun than plain Pancakes.
We love this recipe because it uses simple pantry ingredients and comes together quickly, but a few small steps make a big difference. Mixing the batter just until combined helps keep the pancakes tender, while baking powder gives them plenty of lift and cooking over medium heat helps the centers cook through without burning the chocolate chips.
Serve them warm with butter, Homemade Whipped Cream or Maple Syrup for an easy family breakfast everyone gets excited about. For more pancake favorites, try our Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, Buttermilk Pancakes and Funfetti Pancakes.
Why You’ll Love It + Why It Works:
- Kid Favorite. Soft pancakes with melty chocolate chips make breakfast feel extra fun without adding much extra work.
- Simple Ingredients. Pantry staples make these easy to put together for weekends, birthdays, or breakfast-for-dinner.
- Baking Powder Adds Lift. The leavening helps the pancakes cook up thick, soft, and fluffy.
- Gentle Mixing Keeps Them Tender. Stirring just until combined prevents the batter from becoming tough.
- Lower Heat Protects the Chocolate. Cooking over medium-low to medium heat gives the centers time to cook without scorching the chocolate chips.
Chocolate Chip Pancakes Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (2½ cups): Gives the pancakes structure and helps them cook up soft and fluffy.
- Sugar (2 tablespoons): Adds just enough sweetness without making the pancakes overly sweet.
- Cinnamon (½ teaspoon): Adds a warm flavor that pairs really well with chocolate and vanilla.
- Baking powder (1 tablespoon): Helps the pancakes rise and become light and fluffy.
- Salt (½ teaspoon): Balances the sweetness and brings out the other flavors.
- Eggs (4): Helps bind the batter while adding structure, richness, and moisture.
- Milk (2 cups): Adds moisture and helps create a smooth pancake batter.
- Butter, melted (½ cup): Adds rich flavor and helps keep the pancakes soft and tender.
- Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons): Adds sweet vanilla flavor that pairs perfectly with the chocolate chips.
- Chocolate chips (⅔ cup): Adds melty chocolate throughout the pancakes. You can use Milk chocolate or semi-sweet chips. Mini chocolate chips are especially good because they spread more evenly through the batter and give you chocolate in every bite.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Pancakes
PREP. Heat a griddle to about 350°F, or heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low to medium heat.
BATTER. Whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl stir together eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. A few small lumps are fine. Do not over-mix. Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes before cooking.
The batter should be thick but pourable. If it is too thick to spread slightly on the griddle, stir in a splash of milk.
COOK. Pour about ¼ cup batter onto the hot griddle for each pancake. Flip when bubbles form and begin to pop on the surface and the edges look set. (You can add extra chocolate chips to the tops of the pancakes when they come off the griddle so they melt just a tiny bit.)
WATCH THE HEAT. If the pancakes are browning before the centers cook through, lower the heat. Chocolate chips can scorch on a pan that is too hot.
KEEP THEM WARM. Place finished pancakes on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you cook the remaining batches.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Mix the dry ingredients together first so the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar are evenly distributed.
- Let the melted butter cool slightly before adding it to the eggs and milk so it does not cook the eggs.
- Fold the chocolate chips in gently so they stay evenly distributed throughout the batter. Mini chocolate chips can be used as well.
- Flip the pancakes when bubbles form on top and the edges begin to look set.
- Make-ahead tip: cook the pancakes ahead of time, refrigerate or freeze them, then reheat in the toaster, microwave, or oven when ready to serve.
Chocolate Chip Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup butter melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat a griddle to about 350°F, or heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low to medium heat.
- Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl mix together eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. A few small lumps are fine. Do not over-mix. Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes before cooking.
- Fold in chocolate chips and pour about ¼ cup batter onto the hot griddle for each pancake.
- Flip when bubbles form and begin to pop on the surface and the edges look set. If the pancakes are browning before the centers cook through, lower the heat. Chocolate chips can scorch on a pan that is too hot.
- KEEP THEM WARM. Place finished pancakes on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you cook the remaining batches.
Notes
- Mix the dry ingredients together first so the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar are evenly distributed.
- Let the melted butter cool slightly before adding it to the eggs and milk so it does not cook the eggs.
- Fold the chocolate chips in gently so they stay evenly distributed throughout the batter. Mini chocolate chips can be used as well.
- Flip the pancakes when bubbles form on top and the edges begin to look set.
- Make-ahead tip: cook the pancakes ahead of time, refrigerate or freeze them, then reheat in the toaster, microwave, or oven when ready to serve.
Nutrition
Recipe FAQ
The batter may have been over-mixed. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together just until combined, leaving a few small lumps, and let the batter rest for about 5 minutes before cooking.
The pan is probably too hot. Lower the heat so the centers have time to cook before the outside and chocolate chips get too dark.
Refrigerate leftover pancakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Warm in the microwave, toaster, skillet, or oven until heated through.
Freeze cooled pancakes in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. See How to Freeze Pancakes for more tips.
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This recipe was first shared August 2017.
Grandkids will love them thanks
Absolutely delicious Chocolate Chip Pancakes! I made them this morning and everyone loved them!
Kids are not hard to wake up every time we have these adorable chocolate chip cookies especially when paired with hot choco.
Chocolate chip pancakes are our favorite kind of pancakes! These were so fluffy!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them!
These pancakes were deliCious but i was still Unable to find the Special syrup recipe. WonderinG if you would be abLe to send me the link?
Here is the link, plus we added 1 cup of chopped macadamia nuts..https://lilluna.com/swedish-pancake/. Enjoy!
Made these this morning for the family..everyone loved them, even I did and I’m not a fan of pancakes. I added a little extra vanilla and a tbsp of brown sugar. I’m sure they would have been just as great without. So good!
Thank you for letting me know & thanks for trying them! I am happy that they were loved by everyone!
I love pancakes so much and this is best pancakes i’ve ever tried <3 thanks for sharing
You are welcome! I love pancakes too! Thank you!
A yummy pancake with bits of chocolate chips. If you like chocolate this is your pancake. Not overwhelming but just the right amount.
I don’t think there is a better way to eat pancakes!
These chocolate chip pancakes are the best. our favorite breakfast recipe.
Chocolate pancakes are our favorite! We love making a big batch and keeping the rest in the freezer for a quick breakfast. Can’t wait to make some of that syrup, too! Yum!
These pancakes were amazing!! Such a fun way to change up breakfast. Thank you so much for a great recipe!
you had me at chocolate Chip! My family loves these!
I am not really a pancake fan but when you add some chocolate to the mix I will definitely eat it.
Adding chocolate chips to pancakes is my favorite!! I could eat more than my share!!
Chocolate chip pancakes ive had before, but That syrup is a delicious addition. Great recipe!
These look great and the syrup to go with it looks great as well!
Wow, this is a creative way to make pancakes. They also look delicious too. Thanks for sharing it here Kristyn.
You are so welcome!! They are seriously so good!! Hope you’ll try soon!
hey girl- these pancakes look so yummy! Ya’ll have a great weekend!
Thank you so much! Hope you had a great one!
Hello Kristin
I was just looking at the chocolate chip pancake recipe but couldn’t find the syrup for it. can you please guide my were I might find that?
It was in the post, not the recipe box 🙂 I use this recipe…https://goo.gl/DKT3qE, but instead of the vanilla, I use 1 tsp of almond extract & 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts.