Healthy Dark Chocolate Pancakes
Yields: about 16 silver dollar pancakes
 
These pancakes are perfect for any chocoholic! They almost remind me of brownies, in a way, with how rich and chocolaty they taste. They’re light and fluffy, just the way I love my pancakes to be. Leftovers will keep for at least 5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they freeze well, too!
  • 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)
  1. 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.)
  2. Lightly coat a large nonstick pan or griddle with nonstick cooking spray, and briefly preheat over low heat.
  3. 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.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following blend: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, 2 tbsp (15g) brown rice flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.

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}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/10/23/healthy-dark-chocolate-pancakes/