During high school, our 200+ member marching band almost always sat in the stands during the first half of each varsity football home game. Between plays and touchdowns, we performed a variety of pep songs until the last few minutes of the second quarter. Then, we walked in a single file line through the crowd and onto the north side of the stadium, where we waited on the track for the first half of the game to end and the cheerleaders to finish their routine.
After performing our field show, our band director dismissed us for the rest of the night. We usually ran back to the band room to change out of our uniforms and rush off to the movies (or back home to get warm!), but a few friends and I decided to do something different when we walked to the parking lot after the first football game of our senior year.
We drove to IHOP instead.
Since we rarely left the school campus before 9 pm and IHOP was one of the few restaurants that stayed open late, we ended up seated at a booth with menus propped open in front of us. After scanning through the options, one of my friends mentioned, “You know what actually sounds really good right now? Chocolate chip pancakes.”
We laughed and agreed with him, so when the waitress stopped by to scribble down our order, she ended up bringing back four plates stacked high with chocolate chip pancakes. As we dug into the hot steaming “brinner” (breakfast-for-dinner!), the chocolate chips melty and gooey and oh so satisfying, we immediately decided that CCPKs (Chocolate Chip PancaKes) at IHOP after football games needed to become a tradition.
And it did! After almost all of the home varsity games that year, we ended up at IHOP once we finished the field show. We ordered chocolate chip pancakes every time, although depending on who was in charge in the kitchen, they actually varied…
Most of the time, we received plain buttermilk pancakes with chocolate chips mixed in, but every once in a while, the kitchen sent out chocolate pancakes with chocolate chips. Those were my favorite! Up until then, I had never eaten pancakes with a different flavored batter. Sure, I had tasted pancakes with things mixed in, like chocolate chips or blueberries or nuts, or pancakes with a variety of toppings, like bananas or peanut butter or sprinkles… But never chocolate-flavored pancake batter.
As a huge chocoholic, I immediately fell in love!
And I think about those fun nights with my high school band friends every time I make these Healthy Dark Chocolate Pancakes! My homemade pancakes are much more rich and chocolaty than the IHOP ones, although they’re just as fluffy, and they also contain no refined flour or sugar. Plus they have just 128 calories in each serving!
Pure. Chocolate. Bliss.
Let’s go over how to make these healthy dark chocolate pancakes!
You’ll start with a combination of white whole wheat flour (this kind!) and unsweetened cocoa powder (this kind!). Because you’re using almost as much cocoa powder as flour, these pancakes already taste really rich and chocolaty without Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. I actually recommend against them in this recipe because their flavor is more muted than regular unsweetened cocoa powder… And you know how much I love strong chocolate flavors! ?
And yes, white whole wheat flour actually exists! It’s made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the fluffy texture and rich chocolate flavor of these healthy dark chocolate pancakes truly shine!
Remember, it’s extremely important that you measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either ingredient will make your pancakes dry, instead of light and fluffy. Too much cocoa powder will also make them taste bitter.
Next, you just need 1 teaspoon of butter or oil and 1 egg white. That really helps keep these healthy dark chocolate pancakes low in calories! Then the rest of their light and fluffy texture comes from…
Greek yogurt! If you’ve scrolled through my blog before, you probably know how much I love Greek yogurt. I’ve used it in pancakes, waffles, muffins, scones, brownies, cupcakes… Even frosting! Here, it adds the same moisture to your batter as extra butter or oil, and it gives your healthy dark chocolate pancakes a protein boost, too!
The next three ingredients may sound a bit weird… So just bear with me for a bit while I share them and explain why you need them to make these healthy dark chocolate pancakes!
You’ll actually mix a bit of vinegar into this pancake batter. Yes, vinegar! It reacts with the baking soda to make these pancakes really fluffy. Since most people (myself included!) don’t normally keep buttermilk in the fridge, I decided that it’d probably be easier on everyone to use any milk + vinegar in these pancakes to achieve that same fluffy effect as buttermilk. (Remember, “DIY” buttermilk can be made from milk + vinegar!)
Hint: You cannot taste the vinegar in the cooked pancakes. I pinky swear promise!
You’ll add just a teensy tiny amount of pure maple syrup to your pancake batter. No, maple syrup isn’t a weird ingredient… But the amount is! I just use 1 teaspoon in my healthy dark chocolate pancakes because I know my family loves to douse their hot-off-the-griddle stacks with plenty of maple syrup, so adding a lot to the batter isn’t necessary.
Just remember to use the real kind that comes directly from maple trees! The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it typically comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).
Lastly, you’ll mix a small amount of water into your pancake batter. I’ve found that adding water helps thin out the batter better than any other ingredient, which means the batter spreads better in your pan. If you want thicker healthy dark chocolate pancakes, then just reduce or omit the water!
Since I’ve already covered how to cook the perfect pancakes in great detail here, I highly recommend reviewing that before you get started! But then, once you’ve mixed up your batter and patiently flipped your pancakes on the stove…
It’s time to eat! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your healthy dark chocolate pancakes!
| Healthy Dark Chocolate Pancakes | | Print |
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp (75g) whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp (30mL) white vinegar
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- ½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
- ¼ cup (60mL) water
- optional: chocolate drizzle, for serving (see Notes)
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg white, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the vinegar and maple syrup. Stir in the milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the water, beginning and ending with the flour, stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
- Lightly coat a large nonstick pan or griddle with nonstick cooking spray, and briefly preheat over low heat.
- Using a scant 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake, dollop the batter onto the hot pan, and spread into a circular shape using a spatula or back of a spoon (if desired). Let the pancakes cook for 2-3 minutes, or until a slight skin starts to form around the edges and the top turns a deeper shade of brown. Slide a spatula underneath, and flip. Continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes or until cooked through. Re-coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray, and repeat with the remaining batter.
White whole wheat flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the whole wheat pastry flour.
I recommend using regular unsweetened cocoa powder, like this. Dutched and special dark cocoa powder (a) have a more subtle flavor, (b) are darker in color, and (c) aren’t as acidic as regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
Remember to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either will dry out your pancake batter, and too much cocoa powder may make your pancakes taste bitter.
The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to make these pancakes fluffy and tender. I promise you can't taste it in the cooked pancakes!
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
These pancakes taste really dark—and that’s intentional! Because my family usually covers their pancakes in lots more maple syrup, I found that adding more to the batter was completely unnecessary. However, if you prefer sweeter pancakes, increase the maple syrup by 2-3 tablespoons, and reduce the water by the same amount.
This batter is on the thin side! Remember… Thick batter = thick pancakes. Thin batter = thin pancakes. However, when you add thick batter to your pan, it doesn’t spread, so you’ll need to spread it a bit yourself using a spatula, the back of a spoon, or the bottom of a measuring cup to get that nice, circular pancake shape.
For thicker pancakes, decrease the water by 2 tablespoons, or omit it altogether.
For thinner pancake batter, add more water or milk until you achieve your desired pancake batter consistency.
For more cooking tips, see the text and pictures in this blog post of mine.
This recipe is easily doubled to make more. If you have any leftovers, they freeze really well too!
Optional Drizzle: Stir together 2 tablespoons (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, and 2 ½ teaspoons of milk in a small bowl. Transfer to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle over the pancakes.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar, higher protein}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Buttermilk Pancakes
♡ Healthy Red Velvet Pancakes
♡ Healthy Cinnamon Apple Pancakes
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes
♡ Healthy Peach Pie Pancakes
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
How would you re-heat these after freezing them?
I typically reheat mine in the microwave on 30% or 40% power until they’re completely warmed through! I’ve found that the lower power level is perfect for thawing them evenly without overcooking them or drying them out. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these pancakes if you try making them Alli!
Hummm.It looks like very delicious.May be we can add some melted chocolate tomthe batter to underline cholcolaty taste.
But ther is no such a thing like Greek yogurt.There is plain yogurt .Its origins is Middle Asian steppes so means Turkish…
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Muzo! Regular plain yogurt (non-Greek!) is fine to substitute. I don’t recommend adding melted chocolate to the pancake batter, but you can easily drizzle some on top after cooking!
I’d love to hear what you think of these pancakes if you try making them!
How big is each pancake
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe! I’ve included the amount of batter to use per pancake in Step 3 of the Instructions. I know it can be easy to miss though! 😉 The width of each pancake will depend on how much you spread the batter once it’s in the pan. (Again, see Step 3!)
I’d love to hear what you think of these pancakes if you try making them!