Double Chocolate Pancakes

Name: Double Chocolate Pancakes
Prep time: 18 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 63 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 120 g (about 2/3 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour; 20 g (3 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted; 30 ml (2 tbsp) granulated sugar; 6 ml (1 1/4 tsp) baking powder; 1 ml (1/4 tsp) baking soda; 1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt; 190 ml (3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp) buttermilk, cold; 30 ml (2 tbsp) melted coconut oil or unsalted butter; 1 large egg, separated; 50 g (1 3/4 oz) rough chopped dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa); butter softened, for pan greasing

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 25 September 2025 • Recipe tested & approved

Fluffy double chocolate pancakes with folded egg whites and chunks of dark chocolate. Uses buttermilk and a mix of cocoa and unbleached flour. Leavened with baking powder and baking soda. Folded batter rests briefly for better rise. Cooked in butter till golden, flipping once bubbles form. Serve with chocolate sauce or syrup. Substitutions for milk and butter included. Timing cues based on color and bubbles, not just minutes. Egg white folding technique keeps pancakes light. Chocolate chunks add texture and bursts of cocoa. Slight adjustments in sugar and resting time improve texture from previous attempts.

Prep: 18 min

Cook: 45 min

Total: 63 min

Servings: 4 servings

#pancakes #chocolate #breakfast #baking #egg whites #buttermilk

Before You Start

Started out with regular cocoa pancakes. Too dense. Added whipped whites. More sugar needed for sweetness balance. Chunks of dark chocolate, not chips, give bursts, not melting into one mass. Buttermilk adds tang, acidity reacts with baking soda for lift. Resting batter changed texture drastically, stops gluten from toughening. Pan temp crucial. Too hot and edges char, inside raw. Too low, batter spreads thin, pale, no crust. Butter in pan adds flavor, prevents sticking, browns pancakes nicely. Flipping once is key; flipping multiple times deflates.

Ingredients

120 g (about 2/3 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
20 g (3 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
30 ml (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
6 ml (1 1/4 tsp) baking powder
1 ml (1/4 tsp) baking soda
1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt
190 ml (3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp) buttermilk, cold
30 ml (2 tbsp) melted coconut oil or unsalted butter
1 large egg, separated
50 g (1 3/4 oz) rough chopped dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)
butter softened, for pan greasing

About the ingredients

Flour: unbleached for better texture; bleached adds softness but less flavor. Cocoa: sift to avoid clumps, unsweetened only — sweetened cocoa messes balance. Sugar is split; half in dry for caramelization, half beaten with whites to stabilize meringue. Baking powder and soda must be fresh for rise. Buttermilk brings acidity and moisture—milk plus lemon/vinegar works but less rich. Butter versus coconut oil (latter adds subtle nutty flavor, dairy-free). Egg separation vital; yolk enriches, white aerates. Dark chocolate chunks melt unevenly, adding texture; chips melt smooth but less exciting. Butter softened, not melted, to grease pan so it browns but doesn’t burn.

Method

Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl; whisk in half the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine cold buttermilk, melted coconut oil, and egg yolk. Stir briefly just to blend.
In a clean dry bowl, whisk egg white with an electric mixer until frothy, then gradually add remaining sugar while beating to soft peaks. The right texture is slightly glossy, folds hold but tip droops.
Pour wet mixture into dry; fold gently with a spatula till just moistened. Lumps okay. Then fold in whipped egg white and chopped chocolate carefully. Too much mixing kills airiness.
Rest batter at room temp for 12 minutes. Resting makes batter thicker, bubbles more stable, pancake surface less rubbery.
Heat nonstick pan over medium heat. Brush with softened butter—don’t overdo or pancakes will fry.
Scoop about 45 ml (3 tbsp) batter per pancake. Cook 3-4 at once, spreading slightly if needed.
Watch for tiny bubbles forming and edges looking set, around 3 to 4 minutes. That’s cue to flip gently with a thin spatula.
Cook other side 1 to 2 minutes till golden but not overbrowned. Texture should be springy but fully set when touched.
Serve immediately. Optional: drizzle with chocolate sauce, vanilla cream, or pure maple syrup.
If buttermilk isn’t on hand, sub 180 ml milk plus 10 ml fresh lemon juice or vinegar, let sit 5 min to curdle; coconut oil can replace butter for lighter flavor and dairy-free variation.
Overbeating whites or overfolding pancake batter kills height; too much resting leads to thick batter that won’t spread. Adjust heat to prevent burnt bottoms or raw middles.

Cooking tips

Three bowls needed: dry, wet, whites. Whites whipped separately for air. Adding whites last careful folding to preserve fluffiness; heavy mixing kills lift. Resting batter essential to hydrate starch and activate leaveners. Don’t skip. Pan temp medium; hotter skims outside quickly but cooks inside poorly; lower temps produce flat, pale cakes. Watch bubbles carefully—edges set first, then tops bubble. Flip with thin spatula, slow and deliberate. Cooking second side shorter period. Immediately serve or keep warm in low oven but beware drying out. Variations: add orange zest for zing, teaspoon espresso powder to intensify chocolate, or swap half flour for oat flour for earthier note.

Chef's notes

💡 Separate eggs carefully; yolk enriches, white traps air. Whip whites till frothy, then add sugar gradually to soft peaks. Right texture? Slightly glossy, folds hold but tips droop. Overwhip and meringue stiffens, pancake toughness follows.
💡 Rest the batter at room temp minimum 12 minutes. Hydrates flour, activates baking soda with acid in buttermilk. Rest makes bubbles stable, surface less rubbery. Skipping rest? Pancakes turn dense, no rise, flat and pale crust.
💡 Pan temperature critical. Medium heat, not too hot or edges burn before inside sets. Butter or softened coconut oil greases without burning. Don’t overdo butter, it fries rather than browns neatly. Watch for tiny bubbles, then edges set—that’s your flip signal.
💡 Fold wet into dry gently, lumps okay. Then fold egg whites and dark chocolate chunks carefully. Overmix and air escapes, batter heavy. Chocolate chunks bring texture contrast, not chips which melt smooth and dull experience.
💡 If no buttermilk, mix milk with lemon juice or vinegar, sit 5 minutes. Coconut oil substitutes unsalted butter for dairy-free, adds subtle nuttiness. Sugar split—half with dry mix caramelizes, half in egg whites stabilizes meringue. Adjust timings based on visual cues, not clock.

Common questions

Can I skip folding egg whites?

Folding whites gives lightness, skip and pancakes get dense. Alternatively use whole eggs but rise drops. Batter texture changes, no fluffy lift from trapped air.

What if batter too thick or thin?

Thicker batter spreads less, causes heavy cake. Thin batter flows too much, pancakes pale with no crust. Adjust with small milk or flour changes, add resting time for hydration.

How to tell when to flip?

Tiny bubbles on surface, edges slightly dry, not jiggly. Flip once bubbles appear and edges are set. Flip too soon? Pancakes break. Too late? Bottom overbrown, inside raw.

Can I store leftovers?

Refrigerate in airtight container, reheat in pan to revive texture. Microwave makes them rubbery. Warm oven option good but watch not drying. Freeze wrapped between parchment sheets up to 1 month.