These rich and indulgent vegan chocolate pancakes are the perfect way to enjoy dessert for breakfast! Made simply without dairy or eggs, these pancakes are then topped with plant-based whipped cream, sliced bananas and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Make these for the chocolate lover in your life – they are sure to impress!
These vegan chocolate pancakes, when smothered with whipped plant-based cream and chocolate syrup, taste like eating chocolate cake for breakfast and I love it.
You could of course pile on some fresh berries and serve more classically with maple syrup for something that more reassembles breakfast rather than dessert. But really, any way you eat these, any time of day, they are going to make you happy.
These are the pancakes that you make for the chocolate lover in your life (please note that if the chocolate lover in your life is you, that is very acceptable here), as this recipe doesn’t shy away from being rich and indulgent.
I love this recipe for brunch on a weekend for a special occasion or treat and I know that this is exactly what my husband would request on the morning of his birthday.
And of course valentine’s day is just around the corner so breakfast and dessert for dinner?? That sounds like a great idea to me.
If you love these vegan pancakes or are looking for something a little less desserty (is that a word?), then you definitely need to try my recipe for vegan banana pancakes.
Key Ingredients
Making vegan chocolate pancakes at home will require a few ingredients but most should be pantry staples. I’ve added notes on substitutions where possible but I don’t recommend veering too far from this recipe as it’s been tested to ensure that we get the best taste and texture from the pancakes without the need for eggs or dairy.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Oat milk – I like using oat milk but you can substitute with any dairy free milk that you prefer. Almond milk and soy milk both will work well.
- White vinegar – to be combined with the dairy free milk to create a vegan buttermilk substitution which is going to ensure our pancakes are light and fluffy.
- Banana – to replace the role of the egg, we’re using a banana to help give our pancakes structure and bind the batter. You can’t really taste the banana flavour over the chocolate.
- Maple syrup – as we’re going to be adding a lot of sweet things as our toppings, the pancakes themselves don’t need to be too sweet, but a little maple syrup balances out the bitterness of the cocoa powder.
- Coconut oil – melted and cooled. You could also use melted vegan butter instead.
- Vanilla extract – enhances the chocolate flavour.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US. You can replace this with a 1-1 gluten free flour blend as well if needed.
- Cocoa powder – for the best flavour, make sure to use a good quality cocoa powder.
- Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) – a combination of both ensures the pancakes puff up and react with the buttermilk creating a soft, light and fluffy textured pancake rather than a rubbery one.
Step-By-Step Instructions
These light and fluffy chocolate pancakes are very easy to make and you don’t need any fancy equipment.
Start by making your dairy free buttermilk alternative. Combine the oat milk or any plant-based milk you choose to use, and the white vinegar in a bowl and mix. The milk may start to curdle which is ok. Set aside for 5 minutes until you’re ready to use.
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk to mix together.
Next, in a large mixing bowl, mash the banana. I like to just do this with my whisk so I don’t need to use another implement but you can also use a fork. Mash it until it’s as smooth as possible. Add in the coconut oil, vanilla extract and maple syrup and whisk well to combine.
Add the milk mixture to your large mixing bowl and whisk to combine, followed by the dry ingredients. Whisk until a thick batter forms. Once the batter has come together, stop mixing as overmixing will result in a tough, rubbery pancake.
Heat a non-stick frying pan and lightly spray with cooking oil or vegan butter. Add ¼ cup of batter per pancake to the pan and once bubbles start to form on the surface, flip the pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Keep the heat of your pan and watch the edges to prevent burning.
Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out excess oil with a paper towel between batches.
Once your pancakes are cooked, serve them stacked on a plate with your favourite topping (see below for a list of suggestions!)
Topping Ideas
The best part of this recipe is what you choose to top your pancakes with! You can really use anything you like, but I like:
- Sliced bananas
- Fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries or blueberries)
- Whipped plant-based or coconut cream
- Chopped dark chocolate or dairy free chocolate chips
- Chocolate syrup
- Maple syrup
- Vegan butter
- Peanut butter
- Chocolate hazelnut spread (Vego does THE BEST vegan version)
- Chopped nuts, such as walnuts or hazelnuts
Tips for making chocolate pancakes
- Do not overmix your batter! Once you’ve whisked in the dry ingredients and formed a smooth batter, stop. Overmixing is the most common reason why your pancakes will be flat and dense.
- Let the batter rest! Once you’ve made your batter, let it sit for at least 5 but up to 10 minutes. This allows the reaction of the vinegar and the bicarbonate of soda to happen and you’ll see your batter puff up and get light and airy which will give you the best results.
- Keep your pan on a medium / low heat. Depending on your stove top, watch the heat of your pan to ensure the pancakes cook evenly and don’t burn.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can! I decided against it for this recipe as I felt the chocolate flavour of the pancakes was already quite rich and I knew I was going to add more chocolate to the toppings. But if you really love chocolate, feel free to add some chocolate chips to the pancake batter.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More vegan chocolate recipes:
Vegan Chocolate Truffles
Vegan Chocolate Sugar Cookies
One Bowl Vegan Chocolate Cake
Vegan Ferrero Rocher
Vegan Chocolate Pancakes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup oat milk
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 medium ripe banana
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons plain flour/all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
Optional to serve:
- Chocolate syrup
- Banana slices
- Whipped plant-based cream
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the vinegar with the oat milk and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda and whisk to combine.
- In another bowl, mash the banana and mix in the maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla. Add in the milk and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until a thick batter forms. Set aside and rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan and lightly spray with oil. Add ¼ cup of batter per pancake to the pan. Once bubbles start to form on the surface, flip the pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out excess oil with a paper towel between batches.
- Serve pancakes with desired toppings such as slices of fresh banana, chocolate syrup and plant-based whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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