Make breakfast much more fun for everyone in the family with these healthy chocolate pancakes. They’re easy to stir together, simple to make in festive shapes (if you want!) in minutes and even delicious as leftovers. Plus, they’re low in added sugars so they’re a nutritious way to start the day!
Chocolate Pancakes
One thing that I’ve tried to do since having a child is to start and maintain food traditions. We live far away from all of our family and only see them on big holidays or special occasions, so adding special moments to the rest of our days has become even more important to me. These Chocolate Pancakes are my favorite Valentine’s Day breakfast to share with my family.
Healthy Chocolate Pancakes
These healthy chocolate pancakes have fiber, protein, and complex carbs, and aren’t too sweet. They do have a hefty dose of cocoa flavor, so they tend to make everyone happy. They walk the line between healthy and indulgent and are a favorite weekend breakfast in our house!
Ingredients in Chocolate Pancakes
To make these healthy pancakes you’ll need:
- whole-wheat flour
- cocoa powder, sifted
- baking powder
- milk (dairy or unsweetened plain nondairy)
- maple syrup
- vanilla
- eggs
- melted butter or neutral oil
How to Make Chocolate Pancakes Step-by-Step
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this breakfast recipe.
- Gather the ingredients. (photo 1)
- Mix the dry ingredients together medium bowl. Whisk in the wet ingredients. (photo 2)
- Heat your pan. Prepare as rounds or hearts, cooking until edges are set and you see small bubbles. (photo 3)
- Flip carefully and cook through on the other side. Enjoy! (photo 4)
Can I add chocolate chips to these pancakes?
You can and they’re really yummy that way! Add 1/4-1/3 cup to the batter and cook as directed. You could also add blueberries or sliced banana as a fruit addition option!
Can I make these pancakes gluten-free and/or dairy-free?
Sure thing. Just use gluten-free flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour. To make them dairy-free, use oil instead of butter and a favorite nondairy milk.
Why do I have to sift the cocoa powder?
Why do I have to sift the cocoa powder?It has a tendency to be lumpy and those lumps are a little hard to get out without overworking the batter. By placing the cocoa powder through a fine-mesh sieve, you can get the lumps out to make a better overall batter.
How to Make Heart-Shaped Pancakes
I’ve never really gotten into making shapes or animals with my daughter’s food since I don’t want her to expect that level of entertainment at mealtime, but making pancake hearts is easy. You simply make a “V” shape with the batter, then spread it out to fill in a heart. Be a little more gentle when flipping these, but otherwise cook them like typical pancakes.
What toppings are good with these chocolate pancakes?
The Berry Yogurt Spread is an optional part of this recipe, but it’s a yummy way to make it a more celebration-worthy breakfast. (It’s also a nice option if you don’t want to give your toddler maple syrup quite yet.) It’s simply a combination of thawed and warmed frozen berries (since they are less expensive than fresh berries at this time of year where we live) and thick Greek yogurt.
You can also just use berry flavored yogurt—I like Siggi’s yogurt because it has a nice thickness and flavor without excessive added sugar. Let the little ones “paint” on the yogurt topping, serve it already spread on, or put it into a separate bowl and let them use it as a dip. It’s also pretty good just on it’s own!
And maple syrup always works too, or nut butter or even plain yogurt.
Do these work well as leftovers?
Let any leftovers cool fully on a wire rack and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in 15 second increments in the microwave. Sometimes we sandwich nut butter between two pancakes for a fun pancakes sandwich!
I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe if you try it so please comment below with feedback!
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The optional Berry Yogurt Spread is a delicious (and protein-packed) variation to maple syrup. Make it the day before or start it before you start the pancakes so the berries have a chance to cool. You can also simplify and warm the berries and serve them as a sauce over the pancakes, skipping the yogurt.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup milk (dairy or unsweetened plain nondairy)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or neutral oil
- Neutral oil or butter, as needed for cooking
- Berry Yogurt Spread (recipe below, optional)
Instructions
- Mix the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder together in a medium bowl.
- Whisk in the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, eggs, and melted butter in a separate bowl. The batter should be fairly thin and should fall easily off of a spoon easily.
- Heat a nonstick or cast iron pan over medium heat. Grease with nonstick spray or butter. Drop batter by 1/4 cup portions (or bigger or smaller, depending on your preference). To make hearts, make a “V” shape with the batter and spread into a heart until about 1/4-inch thick. Cook until edges are set and you see small bubbles, about 2 minutes.
- Flip carefully and cook through on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Serve, or place cooked pancakes onto a baking sheet and keep warm in a 225 degree oven. Cook the rest of the batter.
- Serve warm with Berry Yogurt Spread—or maple syrup or nut butter.
Notes
Berry Yogurt Spread
Place 2 cups frozen blueberries (or a berry blend) into a small saucepan. Warm on low, stirring occasionally, until thawed and starting to break down and release their juices, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir together with the yogurt and serve with the pancakes.
To Store: Let any extras cool fully and store them in a airtight storage container or freezer bag in the fridge or freezer for later use. Warm in 15-30 second intervals in the microwave until thawed, if frozen, and warm.
To make these gluten-free, use gluten-free flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour.
To make them dairy-free, use oil instead of butter and a favorite nondairy milk.
Cocoa powder has a tendency to be lumpy and those lumps are a little hard to get out without overworking the batter. By placing the cocoa powder through a fine-mesh sieve, you can get the lumps out to make a better overall batter.
You can also top with maple syrup, nut butter, applesauce or yogurt.
I make a big batch of pancakes on Sunday and then I can use them for quick breakfast for Mindy morning when we are always running late. I put them in the toaster on the lowest setting and they come out crisp and warmed perfect like they were fresh out of the pan! Just thought I’d share an alternative to the mic! Thanks for the new recipe to try!
Love that idea, thanks!
Am I supposed to add 2 tbsp of melted butter or oil into the batter? I wasnt sure if that’s a typo, and thought maybe that was for cooking?
Yes, add that to the batter and then use additional to grease the pan!
Oops, I skipped that part then, thank you! Also these didn’t have much flavor on its own, is it supposed to be like that? Mild?
I am moving soon and already packed my sifters, so I just whisked the flour with the cocoa. It came out great, there were very tiny lumps of chocolate in the batter. I didn’t have berries/yogurt to try that yummy sounding spread.. They are delicious with a little maple syrup. The first batch I made them small, the second I used the whole 1/4 cup. Much easier to make into the v-heart shape! (some looked like something from Dr. Seuss Ha! Will make again for sure!) Thank you Amy for another great recipe!
★★★★★
I’m so glad they worked out well and good luck with the move!
A quick note to say these were the rare combo of easy (I took a chance on not sifting the cocoa powder and was relieved that it didn’t seem to much matter) and delicious, plus it made me feel like a Pinterest-level genius on V-Day. Many thanks.
Hooray! So glad that you all enjoyed them and thanks for letting me know. (And good to know about the cocoa powder—apparently mine is lumpy:)