The Best Chocolate Chip Pancakes Recipe
These chocolate chip pancakes are fluffy, buttery, and packed with melted chocolate chips in every bite. Using a combination of whipped egg whites for extra fluffiness and a rich buttermilk batter, these pancakes make the perfect breakfast treat. Cooked on a griddle or skillet and optionally kept warm in the oven, they serve a large group and bring a comforting classic breakfast to your table.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 4 large eggs (separated)
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons salted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 4 cups (480g) all-purpose flour (measured by weight or spoon and sweep method)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons table salt
Add-ins and For Cooking
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
- Cooking spray or a little butter for greasing the skillet
Instructions
- Preheat oven (optional): If serving all pancakes at once, preheat your oven to 200°F to keep pancakes warm between batches.
- Separate eggs: Separate egg whites into a small mixing bowl and reserve yolks in a different container for later use.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg yolks, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Mix batter base: Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined with no dry flour visible; the batter will be thick.
- Whip egg whites: Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites on low increasing to high speed until stiff peaks form—when the beaters are lifted, the whites stand up straight without collapsing.
- Fold in egg whites: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter using a rubber spatula to keep the mixture light and airy—avoid overmixing.
- Add chocolate chips: Fold in the chocolate chips carefully to evenly distribute.
- Heat cooking surface: Preheat an electric griddle to 325°F or heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Cook pancakes: Lightly grease the cooking surface with cooking spray or butter. Pour slightly heaping ⅓ cup portions of batter spaced evenly. Cook until bubbles form on the top surface, then flip and cook the other side until done.
- Keep warm: If cooking in multiple batches, place cooked pancakes on a cookie sheet in the warm oven to keep them ready to serve.
- Serve and enjoy: Add your favorite toppings such as syrup, fruit, or extra butter, serve immediately, and enjoy your delicious chocolate chip pancakes!
Notes
- Use fresh baking powder and baking soda for best pancake rise.
- Measure flour by weight for accuracy or use the spoon and sweep method to avoid dense pancakes.
- Whipping egg whites separately adds air for extra fluffy pancakes.
- Keeping pancakes warm in a low oven prevents them from drying while you finish cooking the batch.
- Feel free to substitute chocolate chips with nuts or berries for variations.
