Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 8 g baking powder
- 3 g baking soda
- 3 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 300 ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 eggs, large, room temperature
- 60 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Mix-ins and Cooking
- 100 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 15 g unsalted butter
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt until well combined and uniform in color.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the room temperature buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter while whisking constantly to prevent the butter from solidifying.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold the mixture together until just combined. The batter should be thick and lumpy; do not overmix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Allow the batter to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate and the baking powder to activate, yielding fluffier pancakes.
Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat to approximately 175 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat the surface with a small amount of butter.
Pour roughly 100g of batter per pancake onto the preheated skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the edges look set and a few bubbles burst on the surface. Chocolate batter makes it harder to see browning, so rely on the texture of the edges.
Carefully slide a spatula under the pancake and flip it in one quick motion. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes on the second side until cooked through and puffed.
Transfer the cooked pancakes to a warm plate and loosely tent with foil to keep warm while cooking the remaining batter. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder provides a smoother, deeper chocolate flavor than natural cocoa powder and reacts optimally with the baking powder in this recipe.
- Resting the batter is crucial; it relaxes the gluten and allows the starches to swell, which gives the pancakes their signature tender, cake-like crumb.
- Because the dark color of the batter masks traditional browning, pay close attention to the matte appearance of the edges to know exactly when to flip.
- For an extra indulgent twist, substitute half of the semi-sweet chocolate chips with milk chocolate or white chocolate chips.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container separated by parchment paper.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer-safe bag.
Reheating: Toast from frozen in a toaster, or warm in an oven at 175 Celsius for 10 minutes.
