Homemade Pancakes with Chocolate and Hazelnuts Recipe
Thick, soft pancakes with chunks of chocolate and crunchy hazelnuts are a breakfast that feels more like dessert than an ordinary morning. In American breakfast diners, pancakes like these often appear on the menu as a weekend “special”. They taste like a cross between brownies and crêpes, but are lighter and less sweet.
They turn an ordinary morning into a small celebration, combining the flavors of chocolate, roasted nuts and fluffy pancakes. The batter is simple and forgiving, so even less experienced cooks can achieve café-style pancakes at home.
Chef's tips
Don’t overmix the batter – a few small lumps are fine and will keep the pancakes light and fluffy. Cook them over medium, not high heat, so they have time to rise without burning on the outside. If the chocolate melts too quickly and sticks, wipe the pan lightly between batches.
How to serve
Stack the pancakes on a plate, drizzle generously with maple syrup and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Add some fresh berries or sliced banana on the side for color and freshness.
Ingredients
- wheat flour - 200 g
- milk - 250 ml
- egg - 1 piece
- chocolate - 80 g
- hazelnuts - 50 g
- sugar - 2 tablespoon
- baking powder - 2 teaspoon
- salt - 0.25 teaspoon
- vegetable oil - 2 tablespoon
- vegetable oil for frying - 2 tablespoon
- maple syrup
Preparation
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces with a knife. If the hazelnuts are not roasted, toast them in a dry pan for 3–4 minutes until fragrant, then roughly chop.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- In a second bowl, whisk the egg with the milk and oil until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon just until combined. The batter should be thick but still pourable.
- Add the chopped chocolate and most of the hazelnuts (reserve some for sprinkling on top). Gently fold them into the batter so they are evenly distributed.
- Heat a pan over medium heat, add a little oil and spread it over the surface.
- Spoon the batter onto the pan to form small pancakes. Fry for 2–3 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges start to set.
- Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1.5–2 minutes, until golden and the chocolate inside has slightly melted.
- Serve the pancakes immediately, drizzled with maple syrup or honey and sprinkled with the remaining hazelnuts.
Storage
Leftover pancakes can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently in a dry pan over low heat or in the toaster. Frozen pancakes can be reheated straight from the freezer in a toaster or oven at low temperature.
These pancakes are my favorite lazy-weekend treat. I like to prep the dry ingredients the night before so in the morning I only have to mix in the wet ingredients and chop the chocolate – breakfast is ready in minutes.
