Light and fluffy golden vegan pancakes studded with bits of melted chocolate chips. Delicious on their own, with fresh fruit, non-dairy whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or pure maple syrup. Naturally oil-free, dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free, and vegan. Can be made gluten-free.
These Chocolate Chip Pancakes are exactly what you need today. They are light, fluffy, and delicious. All the things that pancakes should be. And I love all super simple they are to make. Plus, they have little miniature chocolate chips sprinkled through so that each bite contains just a hint of semi-sweet chocolatey goodness.
I enjoy eating pancakes or waffles on the weekend. I always have. I’ve already shared some of my favorites, including Banana Walnut Pancakes, Lemon Poppy Pancakes, Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes, Eggnog Pancakes, Belgian Waffles, Chocolatey Chip Belgian Waffles, and Cornmeal Pancakes. Each recipe is egg-free, dairy-free, vegan, plant-based, and can be made gluten-free. Now this is yet another delightful breakfast worthy of your appreciation.
I love that these Chocolate Chip Pancakes are super easy to make, using pantry staples. Plus, they maintain that perfect pancake texture – light, fluffy, moist, a little chew – all without the use of eggs, dairy, refined sugar, or oil. If I’m being honest, I think they’re kinda perfect. You know you want some. So grab a bowl and a mixing spoon!
Let’s take a moment to chat about the ingredients. First, if you have followed me at all, you know I like to blend flours. For one thing, you get a nice balanced texture and flavor in your finished product. For another, whole grain flours are much healthier and nutritious for us to consume; but they don’t always create the best or desired structure for baked goods.
For example, these pancakes. They have great structure, texture, are just the right balance between moist and dry, rise perfectly, and taste great! That’s why I sometimes use a 50-50 blend of whole grain flour and all-purpose flour. Also important, flours vary from one to another and they all behave a little differently.
I started using King Arthur’s white whole wheat flour years ago and really enjoy the texture it produces since it’s made from soft white wheat and contains less gluten in it, resulting in a lighter more neutral baked good compared to whole wheat flour. Sometimes I use 100% white whole wheat flour, but not always. These pancakes are great either way, but they may be lighter and fluffier if you use a half and half blend.
You can easily substitute the flour for a gluten-free baking blend if you follow a gluten-free diet. You may need to adjust the liquids. If your batter is too thick, simply add in a little more milk until you get the right consistency. I have not tried this recipe using almond flour or coconut flour. I’m a starch kind of girl.
These wouldn’t be Chocolate Chip Pancakes without some incredibly dark and tasty chocolate chips! I like using mini chocolate chips because you get the prefect bit of chocolatey goodness in every bite. You can absolutely use chocolate chunks, regular chocolate chips, or even sprinkles in these pancakes. Honestly, you can use whatever you have on hand.
If you follow a dairy-free diet or are vegan, you want to pay special attention to the list of ingredients on the back of the package. Most commercially available chocolate chips contain dairy in some form or another. I really like and recommend Enjoy Life brand mini chocolate chips. They’re free of many allergens, including nuts, soy, and dairy. Also, I like using semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use extra dark or milk chocolate – it’s your choice.
I like mixing in one-half cup chocolate chips into the batter. That’s about four ounces or so. I feel that this is just the right balance of melty chocolate bits through the pancakes. Feel free to increase or decrease, depending on your preference and mood. I also add a hint of vanilla to flavor these delicious pancakes. It pairs quite nicely with the chocolate chips.
And one of my favorite ingredients in healthy baked goods is applesauce. It isn’t a super stealthy secret; but it is a great way to reduce the amount of oil and sugar. Plus, applesauce really does help maintain the amount of moisture and texture needed in a good hearty but wholesome pancake. I’m pretty pleased with the results.
I like to use a one half cup measuring cup to scoop up my batter and pour onto the preheated griddle; though I don’t use the entire contents of the measuring cup. It’s just less messy to use this half cup size for scooping and pouring. The results are much more uniform. You can make smaller or larger pancakes, depending on your preference. I usually can make about ten pancakes with a batch of batter.
One of the great things about these Chocolate Chip Pancakes is that they freeze very well. Make sure your pancakes are completely cool, and then wrap a paper towel around them. This will absorb any trapped condensation. Then place the pancakes in a freezer bag or container for up to two months.
Then, when you want to enjoy these delicious pancakes, remove them from the freezer and reheat them by microwaving for 20-30 seconds or placing in a covered skillet on low heat. You can also put them in a toaster for a short stint, but be careful that they don’t overcook. Nobody likes dry hard pancakes. meh.
Another awesome thing that I love about pancakes is that you can actually store leftover batter in the refrigerator for another day. I like to share this tidbit with every pancake recipe I post, because it allows you to make fresh hot-off-the-press pancakes really easy. Simply make the amount you want when you make your batter, and then cover the bowl and store in the refrigerator for up to two days. When you want to make pancakes, allow the batter to come to room temperature while your griddle is preheating.
It’s important that you use double-acting baking powder if you aren’t going to make your pancakes right away. Double-acting baking powder is activated twice – once when it comes into contact with liquid and again when it gets hot. I like using aluminum-free double-activated baking powder. I get a one pound bag for $3 here.
Please note that I do refill a regular baking powder can with the bag of baking powder – it’s so much easier to scoop out of the can since it has that little built-in leveling tool. It’s also easier to use while cooking and works better for photos.
I really enjoy eating my pancakes and waffles with pure maple syrup. Honest. You could go crazy with chocolate syrup and non-dairy whipped cream, but to me, that’s a bit much. I don’t want my pancakes overdone. I like the subtle chocolatey goodness from the chocolate chips.
What do you think? Does this need more whipped cream?
I hope you enjoy this Chocolate Chip Pancakes as much as I do.
I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook! Enjoy!!
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Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened plant milk*
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 2 tsp vanilla or cake batter extract (or combination)***
- 1 cup all-purpose flour**
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour**
- 2 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
- Spray oil or vegan butter for griddle (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat electric griddle to 350° F or heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.
- In a large bowl, stir together the milk, apple sauce, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, along with the chocolate chips. Stir just until combined.
- Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
- Using a ½ cup measuring cup, scoop the batter and pour onto the hot griddle.
- Allow the pancakes to cook until the edges are dry and bubbles form on the center, about 3-4 minutes.
- Flip over and wait another 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the griddle.
- Serve with fresh fruit, non-dairy whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or pure maple syrup.
Notes
* You may use any non-dairy milk in these pancakes.
** I like using a blend of all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour. You can use either, just know that the pancakes will be even lighter and fluffier with all-purpose flour or a little denser and heavier with whole wheat flour. You may also need to add in a little more plant milk. If you follow a gluten-free diet, be sure to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend. I like using King Arthur.
Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Equipment
- stovetop or griddle
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened plant milk*
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 2 tsp vanilla or cake batter extract or combination***
- 1 cup all-purpose flour**
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour**
- 2 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
- Spray oil or vegan butter for griddle optional
Instructions
- Preheat electric griddle to 350° F or heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.
- In a large bowl, stir together the milk, apple sauce, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, along with the chocolate chips. Stir just until combined. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
- Using a ½ cup measuring cup, scoop the batter and pour onto the hot griddle.
- Allow the pancakes to cook until the edges are dry and bubbles form on the center, about 3-4 minutes.
- Flip over and wait another 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the griddle.
- Serve with fresh fruit, non-dairy whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or pure maple syrup.
Notes
** I like using a blend of all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour. You can use either, just know that the pancakes will be even lighter and fluffier with all-purpose flour or a little denser and heavier with whole wheat flour. You may also need to add in a little more plant milk. If you follow a gluten-free diet, be sure to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend. I like using King Arthur.