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Small batch chocolate chip pancakes are soft, fluffy, and made from scratch for one in about 15 minutes. Simple pantry ingredients cook up two golden pancakes with melted chocolate in every bite.
Featured Comment
“This recipe is YUMMY and was an immediate hit with the family. I appreciate the simple ingredients that are required. No more store-bought pancakes for us.”
– Kay L
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Equipment: 10-inch skillet
- Cook Method: Stovetop
- Servings: 2 pancakes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Buttery and lightly sweet, with a subtle vanilla note. The semi-sweet chocolate chips add pockets of chocolate as you eat, so it tastes like a soft, buttery pancake with chocolate running through it.
This single serving chocolate chip pancake recipe is made from scratch with everyday ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Pancake Recipe
Some mornings I want chocolate chip pancakes without a tall stack left over on the counter. This recipe makes just two, enough for one person, so there’s nothing to wrap up and save for later.
It’s the kind of breakfast I can put together before I’ve finished my coffee. The batter is quick to stir together, and the pancakes cook in one skillet, so there’s no griddle to haul out and not much to wash.
Cooking for one is what we do here, and getting the batter right for a single serving takes a specific ratio of egg to flour to milk. We tested ours until the batter poured right, and both pancakes cooked evenly every time.
I wrote this recipe for the thickness I like best, but pancakes are personal. If you want yours thinner, stir in a splash more milk. You can keep the chocolate chips as written or swap in blueberries or a mashed banana. I eat them hot from the pan, with a little butter and syrup.
Pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast for one recipes. Here are a few more of my single serving pancake recipes to try: fluffy pancakes for one, small batch buttermilk pancakes, small batch banana pancakes, and small batch pumpkin pancakes.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what goes into these homemade chocolate chip pancakes and why each one matters. If you have any ingredients leftover, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the pancakes their structure. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level off the top for an accurate cup, since how you measure the flour is the biggest thing that affects how thick your batter turns out.
Baking powder: This is what makes the pancakes rise and keeps them light. Use aluminum-free baking powder so there’s no metallic taste, and make sure yours is fresh. To check, stir ½ teaspoon into ¼ cup of hot water; if it bubbles, it’s still good.
Sugar: Just ½ tablespoon. It adds a little sweetness and helps the pancakes brown as they cook.
Egg: One large egg binds the batter so the pancakes hold together.
Milk: Whole milk gives the richest flavor and softest texture, but skim, low-fat, or plant-based milk all work if that’s what you have.
Butter: Salted butter melted into the batter adds flavor, and you’ll use a bit more in the pan to cook the pancakes.
Vanilla: A quarter teaspoon of vanilla rounds out the flavor.
Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chips are my first choice, but milk or dark chocolate work too. I like Ghirardelli because the chips run a little larger and give you more chocolate in each pancake. Nestlé Toll House and Guittard are good options as well. If you have chips left over, use them in chocolate chip banana bread for one or a deep dish chocolate chip cookie.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few ways to change these chocolate chip pancakes, whether you want more chocolate or need a dairy-free or gluten-free version.
More chocolate or double chocolate chip pancakes: For a heavier chocolate load, use ½ cup of chips instead of ⅓ cup. To make them double chocolate, also replace 1 tablespoon of the flour with 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder.
Dairy-free: Use ¾ cup of a plant-based milk in place of the dairy milk, and swap the melted butter for 1 tablespoon of a neutral oil.
Gluten-free: Swap the 1 cup of all-purpose flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend.
Add nuts: Fold 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter along with the chocolate chips.
How To Make Chocolate Chip Pancakes For One
These step-by-step photos walk you through this chocolate chip pancake recipe. For the full ingredient amounts and instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In another bowl, beat the egg. Add the milk, vanilla, and melted butter, and whisk until smooth.
- Make the batter: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until you no longer see dry flour. A few small lumps are fine. If the batter feels thicker than you want, stir in another tablespoon of milk.
- Fold in the chocolate chips: Add the chocolate chips and stir gently until they’re spread evenly through the batter.
- Cook the first pancake: Melt a little butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Pour in about ¾ cup of batter. Cook until bubbles form across the top and the edges look set, about 2 to 3 minutes, then flip. Cook the second side until golden, about 1 minute more, then move it to a plate.
- Cook the second pancake: Add a little more butter to the skillet and cook the rest of the batter the same way.
- Serve: Eat them warm with butter and a pancake syrup, or the toppings you like best.
Expert Tips
Don’t overmix the batter: Stop stirring as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing works the gluten in the flour and makes the pancakes tough and flat.
Cook over medium heat: Medium heat lets the inside cook through while the outside browns slowly, so the chocolate chips don’t scorch before the pancake is done.
Use a 10-inch skillet: The batter makes two large pancakes, about ¾ cup each. Cook them one at a time so each has room to spread and hold its shape.
Don’t press the pancakes down: After you flip, leave them alone. Pressing with the spatula pushes out the air and makes them dense.
Sprinkle extra chips on top: After you pour the batter into the skillet, scatter a few chocolate chips over the surface before it sets. You get visible chocolate on top and a little more in each bite.
Troubleshooting
If your chocolate chip pancakes aren’t turning out quite right, here’s how to fix common issues like thick batter, sinking chips, or burning chocolate.
Why is my chocolate chip pancake batter too thick?
Your flour is most likely over-measured. Scooping the cup straight from the bag packs in extra flour, which thickens the batter. Spoon the flour into the cup and level the top instead. To fix batter you’ve already mixed, stir in a tablespoon of milk at a time until it pours the way you want.
Why are my chocolate chips sinking to the bottom?
Your batter is probably too thin to hold them. This recipe makes a thick batter, so the chips usually stay put. If yours sink, whisk in a tablespoon more flour to thicken it, and fold the chips in right before you cook so they don’t have time to settle.
Why are my chocolate chips burning?
Your pan is running too hot. Chocolate scorches quickly, so cook over medium heat rather than high. If the chips look too dark when you flip the first pancake, turn the heat down before you cook the second one.
Why did my pancakes turn out flat?
Old baking powder is the usual reason. Baking powder is what makes the pancakes rise, and it weakens with age, so check that yours is fresh and that you used the full amount. Overmixing can flatten them too, so stir the batter just until the flour disappears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Double all of the ingredients to make four pancakes, enough for two servings. Cook them one at a time the same way.
Yes. Let the pancakes cool, freeze them flat on a baking sheet, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Warm them in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds, or in a 325°F oven until heated through.
Yes. Use half the batter for a single pancake and refrigerate the rest to cook the next day.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
These are the best chocolate chip pancakes and if you’ve tried them, please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon butter -melted
- ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Optional toppings: butter, pancake syrup, whipped cream, fruit
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- In another bowl, beat the egg, then whisk in the milk, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of melted butter until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until the flour disappears. A few lumps are fine. If the batter is thicker than you like, stir in another tablespoon of milk.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Melt a little butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Pour in about ¾ cup of batter and cook until bubbles form across the top and the edges look set, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip and cook until the second side is golden, about 1 minute more, then move to a plate.
- Add a little more butter to the skillet and cook the remaining batter the same way.
- Serve warm with butter and syrup.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Easy to make and delicious 😋
I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
This recipe is YUMMY and was an immediate hit with the family. I appreciate the simple ingredients that are required. No more store-bought pancakes for us. Thanks for sharing such a simple, delicious recipe with us! Baking from 🇬🇧 xx
1 serving of chocolate syrup would be perfect.
IF you just want 1 pancake, divide the batter in half. And there really should be 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the recipe. 1/3 cup of chocolate chips really isn’t enough for chocolate addicts.
I was eating chocolate chip pancakes one day in a restaurant. Before I could top them with maple syrup, the waitress came over with a bottle of chocolate syrup and suggested I use that instead. The pancakes were so tasty! That is how I eat chocolate chip pancakes now. This is a terrific and tasty recipe.
That sounds like such a fun (and delicious!) way to enjoy chocolate chip pancakes — thank you for sharing it. I’ll have to add homemade chocolate syrup to our list of recipes to work on.