Hands down, the best recipe for fluffy chocolate chip pancakes that will soon become a weekend staple.

How do I know? With more than 50 pancake recipes on this website, I know the pancake batter recipe yields epic results every time. Add chocolate chips, and you’re in heaven!

stack of chocolate chip pancakes with bananas on a plate cut

Fluffiest Chocolate Chip Pancakes

The fluffiest chocolate chip pancakes start with a pancake batter recipe that’s made with pantry staples you already have on hand.

To make sure they turn out fluffy, make sure your baking powder is active and has not been open for more than a year.

The batter for this recipe will seem thick, don’t worry. Once you flip these pancakes over, when you see bubbles forming, and the edges are defined, THAT’s when they really take “lift”: after the flip!

Whether you add the chocolate chips after the batter is formed or right on the griddle, that’s 100% up to you.

Chocolate Chip Pancake Ingredients

The ingredients needed to make these chocolate chip pancakes are already in your pantry. No, not the pancake mix, I’m talking about staples like:

All-purpose flour: traditional, all-purpose flour for baking is what you want with this recipe (not self-rising). You can also use this 1:1 All-Purpose Gluten-Free flour.
Baking powder: used to give these pancakes “lift” and make them fluffy.
Salt: a little, used to aid in the chemical reaction for making pancakes fluffy. Omit if using butter that’s salted.
Sugar: balances out the baking powder and gives pancakes defied edges we love.
Milk: traditional dairy milk or non-dairy milk works here. If you’re out of milk, here is my recipe for pancakes without milk.
Egg: used to bind these ingredients together. Essential for pancakes. That said, here is my post on the best egg substitutes for pancakes.
Butter: a little goes a long way, don’t skip it. Gives the batter flavor.
Chocolate chips: the start of the show and what brought you to this recipe.

You’ll find all the measurements in a printable recipe card below.

stack of chocolate chip pancakes with bananas on a plate

How to Make Chocolate Chip Pancakes

You don’t have to go to an old-fashioned diner to enjoy great chocolate chip pancakes. You can make them at home by:

Measure the dry ingredients
Make sure to sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt well in a bowl, so the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Add the wet ingredients
To the dry ingredients, add the egg, milk, and melted butter. Whisk to combine to create a thick pancake batter.
Add the chocolate chips
You can add the chocolate chips to the batter or after you pour the batter onto the pan.
Make the pancakes
Grease or spray a non-stick pan or griddle and pour about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. Make sure there are enough chocolate chips on each pancake.
Cook and flip
Cook the pancakes over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes until you see defined edges and bubbles have formed. Flip them over and cook for an additional minute on the other side.
Remove and repeat
Once cooked on the second side, remove the pancakes from the pan or griddle onto a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining batter and serve.

Want to see how these pancakes are made? Hit play on this video.

When Do I Add the Chocolate Chips to the Pancake Batter?

You can add the chocolate chips to the batter bowl or manually place them over the batter when making pancakes. If adding them to the bowl, know that they tend to sink to the bottom, so make sure to include the same amount in each scoop.

How Do You Keep Chocolate Chips from Melting in Pancakes

The reason chocolate ships melt in pancakes is often that the batter is too thin, it spreads out on the pan, so when you flip the pancake, there’s not enough to cover them on the other side.

Thankfully, with this batter, you don’t have to worry about that since this pancake batter is thick, and it should cover the chocolate chips. You can always use a small spoon to cover your chips with a little extra batter before flipping.

Success Secrets for Fluffy Pancakes

Below are some of my best tips for making terrific fluffy pancakes every time:

Ensure your baking powder is still active by adding half a teaspoon into a cup of water. If it fizzles immediately, it’s still good. Otherwise, it might be time to replace it.

Using a non-stick pan or griddle is the way to go when making pancakes.

Don’t over-mix: once the egg is whisked with the milk and the wet ingredients are combined, stop mixing. The batter will be thick.

Heat the griddle or pan first: once the pan is hot, grease or spray it and immediately pour the batter.

Don’t over-crowd the pan or griddle. You want to have enough room to flip the pancakes and room for them to expand.

If placing the chocolate chips over the top of the batter on the griddle, use a small spoon to cover them with a little batter to keep them from burning after you flip.

stack of chocolate chip pancakes with bananas and syrup

Best Toppings for Chocolate Chip Pancakes

If you want to up the ante on your chocolate chip pancakes with toppings, here are a few I recommend:

Fresh banana slices
Mini chocolate chips
Homemade pancake syrup
Maple syrup
Whipped cream
Vanilla Greek yogurt

Want to go all out? Check out this post with more than 50 Pancake Toppings.

Fluffy Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Print Recipe

These fluffy chocolate chip pancakes are the perfect weekend breakfast kids and adults will love.

Author: Laura Fuentes
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 10
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt*
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 ¼ cups milk
1 egg
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
⅓ cup chocolate chips

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Instructions

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk, egg, and butter. Mix with a whisk or fork until smooth. Add chocolate chips and mix to combine.
Heat a non-stick griddle or large pan over medium-high heat, I set my electric griddle at 300-350 F.
Pour or scoop ¼ cup of batter for each pancake, making sure each pancake has an adequate amount of chocolate chips. Wait until bubbles form to flip. Continue cooking for an additional minute to cook through, and brown on the other side. Remove from the pan or griddle and serve.