Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes

These fluffy buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes are soft, tender, and loaded with mini chocolate chips in every bite. The buttermilk gives them a tangy lift that makes them the best sweet treat for breakfast!

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Ingredient Notes

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• All-purpose flour. Standard all-purpose works best. You can swap up to half with white whole wheat for a slightly nuttier flavor, or use a cup-for-cup gluten free blend. I’d skip going fully whole wheat, the pancakes turn out dense.
• Granulated sugar. Just enough to give the batter a hint of sweetness without competing with the chocolate chips.
• Baking powder AND baking soda. You need both. The baking soda reacts with the buttermilk for an instant lift on the griddle, and the baking powder kicks in as the pancake heats up to keep them light.
• Salt. Don’t skip it. Salt balances the sugar and brings out the chocolate flavor.
• Buttermilk. The non-negotiable ingredient. The acidity reacts with the baking soda and gives these buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes their tangy lift.
• Eggs. Two large, at room temperature if you can. Cold eggs can cause the melted butter to solidify into little flecks when they hit the batter. If you forgot to pull them out, set them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
• Unsalted butter. Melted and cooled. Unsalted lets you control the salt level. If all you have is salted butter, use it and cut the salt in the recipe to half a teaspoon.
• Vanilla extract. Two teaspoons, which is more than most pancake recipes call for. The vanilla rounds out the chocolate and adds depth you’d otherwise miss.
• Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. I prefer mini chips for this recipe. They distribute through every bite and the batter coats them, which protects them from burning on the griddle. Regular chips work too but you’ll get fewer melty pockets per pancake. Ghirardelli and Guittard both melt beautifully.

How to Make Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Melt the butter in the microwave and set it aside for 3 minutes so it doesn’t scramble the eggs. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until there are no white streaks.

Stir in the buttermilk and cooled butter, then add the eggs and vanilla. Stir just until the batter comes together. A few lumps are good. Smooth batter means over-mixed, which makes rubbery pancakes.

Use a spatula and fold (don’t stir) in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed.

Rest the batter for 5 minutes. This is the step most recipes skip. Resting lets the gluten relax and the leaveners start working, so your first pancake is as light as your last.

Heat a griddle to 325°F or a nonstick skillet over medium heat, then butter it lightly. Pour a scant ¼ cup of batter per pancake. Cook about 2 minutes, until bubbles form across the surface and pop open and the edges look matte. Flip and cook 1 more minute, until golden brown. Don’t press down with the spatula, you’ll squeeze out the air.

Serve right away while the chocolate chips are still melty. For a crowd, hold finished pancakes on a baking sheet in a 175°F oven until ready to serve.

Recipe Tips

• Mix the chocolate chips into the batter, not on top. Sprinkling chips onto pancakes already on the griddle is a quick way to burn them. Folding the chips into the batter coats them in a layer that protects them from the direct heat.
• Test your baking powder if it’s been sitting around. If your baking powder is more than six months old, it might be dead. Drop ½ teaspoon into ¼ cup of hot water. If it fizzes hard, it’s good. If it just sits there, replace it before mixing the batter.
• Don’t worry if the first pancake looks weird. The first one is always a sacrifice while the griddle finds its temperature. Adjust the heat if it browned too fast or too slow, and your second pancake will come out right.
• If chocolate chips sink, toss them in flour first. A teaspoon of flour tossed with the chips before folding them in helps them stay suspended in the batter.
• Cool the pan between batches if it’s running hot. If your pancakes start browning faster than they’re cooking through, take the pan off the heat for a minute or run the bottom under cold water. A too-hot pan burns the outside before the inside sets.
  

Serving Suggestions

These pancakes are sweet enough to eat plain with butter and a drizzle of maple syrup, but I love to dress them up. A few of our favorites:

• Sliced bananas or strawberries on top
• Caramelized bananas with homemade whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar
• Peanut butter and extra mini chocolate chips
• A drizzle of buttermilk syrup

For a special weekend brunch, pile everything onto a pancake charcuterie board and let everyone build their own stack.