Sonja Overhiser – Page 5

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

This chocolate chip pancakes recipe is your go-to for delicious mornings! They come out golden and fluffy with a subtle…

This chocolate chip pancakes recipe is your go-to for delicious mornings! They come out golden and fluffy with a subtle tangy flavor from buttermilk, making them the perfect canvas for pops of rich chocolate.

Why we love this recipe

When it comes to special breakfasts, pancakes are at the top of our list. So here’s a fun celebratory morning treat: chocolate chip pancakes! This is the stuff birthdays are made of (just add sprinkles!), or a fun morning with extended family in town.

Our secret to the best ever pancakes? Buttermilk. Alex and I have found that this magical substance really does make a difference, giving a lift to the fluffy texture and a slight tang to the flavor. Add a few pops of rich chocolate, and it’s the perfect Saturday or Sunday morning treat. Of course, our kids are over the moon for these (though on a regular basis we prefer these banana oatmeal pancakes!).

Ingredient notes for chocolate chip pancakes

When it comes to pancakes, we’ve found on particular ingredient is key: buttermilk. Other than that, you just need a few pantry staples! Here are a few notes:

All purpose flour: If desired, you can substitute up to ¼ with whole wheat flour. For a gluten-free pancake, try our Almond Flour Pancakes and add chocolate chips.
Granulated sugar: You could also substitute brown sugar or even maple syrup or honey here.
Egg: Egg is the binder and necessary for these pancakes to hold together. For pancakes without eggs, go to our Pancakes without Eggs and add chocolate chips.
Buttermilk: Real buttermilk makes the fluffiest pancakes, and adds a hint of tangy flavor. We recommend it if at all possible! We prefer it to a buttermilk substitute, but you can use that in a pinch.
Butter: Butter adds richness and a smooth texture; you can substitute neutral oil if desired.
Semi sweet chocolate chips: Semi-sweet have the classic flavor. You can also use dark chocolate chips for a richer, more nuanced flavor.

Tips for cooking these chocolate chip pancakes

We’ve created a lot of pancake recipes over here at A Couple Cooks, from blueberry pancakes to cottage cheese pancakes. Here are some best practices we’ve learned:

Use a large griddle: a non-stick surface is helpful. Some griddles have uneven heating, so use a quality griddle or skillet. A non-stick surface is a plus.
Experiment to find the right heat level. Medium low heat is ideal. If it’s too low the pancakes don’t puff up and brown on the outside, but if it’s too high it burns the outside before the interior cooks.
The batter can become very thick while cooking the first batch. If so, add a teaspoon or two of milk until the batter is pourable.

Variations, mix-ins and toppings

There’s not a lot you need to add to these chocolate chip pancakes, except for a drizzle of maple syrup! They taste amazing and perfectly sweet as is. If you’d like, you can add some of the following to step them up:

Sprinkle with toasted nuts, like toasted almonds, toasted pecans or toasted walnuts. Or add them to the batter with the chocolate chips.
Serve with fancy syrup, like this homemade raspberry syrup.
Serve with homemade compote or sauce, like strawberry sauce or strawberry compote.

Storing leftovers

Leftover pancakes store up to 5 days refrigerated. Leftover maple caramel stores refrigerated for up to 3 days; gently re-warm it on the stovetop before serving.

More pancake recipes

There are so many fun flavors of pancake recipes: we’re just getting started! Here are a few more of our weekend favorites:

Try family favorite Oatmeal Pancakes or Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Go for Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Mix up decadent Brown Butter Pancakes with Maple Caramel Syrup
Make Almond Flour Pancakes or super simple 3 Ingredient Banana Pancakes

Best-Ever Oatmeal Pancakes

Brown Butter Pancakes with Maple Caramel Syrup

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

12 Healthy Pancakes Recipes

Dietary notes

These chocolate chip pancakes are vegetarian. For vegan, go to these Vegan Pancakes. For gluten-free, go to Gluten Free Pancakes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the batter ahead of time?

It’s best to cook the pancakes immediately after mixing the batter. However, you can store the batter in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. Give it a gentle stir before cooking.

Can I freeze leftover pancakes?

Allow the pancakes to cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container for longer storage. To reheat, pop them in the toaster or microwave.

What kind of chocolate chips are best?

While semi-sweet chocolate chips are the classic choice, feel free to experiment with dark chocolate, peanut butter chips, caramel chips, or even white chocolate chips. You can also try chopping up a chocolate bar for larger chunks of chocolate in your pancakes.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

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5 from 1 review

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 medium pancakes

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Description

This chocolate chip pancakes recipe is your go-to for delicious mornings! They come out golden and fluffy with a subtle tangy flavor from buttermilk, making them the perfect canvas for pops of rich chocolate.

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter
½ cup semi-sweet (or dark) chocolate chips

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Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, then whisk in the buttermilk and butter. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms. Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
Lightly butter a skillet or griddle and wipe off extra grease with a paper towel. Heat the skillet to medium low heat. Pour the batter into small circles (about ¼ cup). Cook the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top and the bottoms are golden. Then flip them and cook until cooked through.
Place the cooked pancakes under and inverted bowl to keep them warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain an even temperature. Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup. Store leftovers refrigerated for 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Category: Breakfast
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Breakfast
Diet: Vegetarian

Butternut Squash Soup

This classic vegan butternut squash soup recipe has just the right fall flavor! Creamy and cozy, serve it with crusty…

This classic vegan butternut squash soup recipe has just the right fall flavor! Creamy and cozy, serve it with crusty bread for an easy meal.

When the air gets that certain chill, it’s like a flip switches. Suddenly the name of that pale orange, oblong squash is on everyone’s lips. It’s butternut squash season! Here’s a recipe that morphs this tough-to-cut squash into a silky orange puree.

Meet our go-to Butternut Squash Soup recipe! To put a modern spin on the classic, it’s a plant based and vegan butternut squash soup. You’ll find the flavor is so lusciously creamy, it makes all your fall dreams come true.

Ingredients in this butternut squash soup recipe

Our go-to butternut squash recipe happens to be vegan and plant-based: which is fitting as a modern spin! Instead of rich and heavy butters and creams of the past, butternut squash soup of today can feature beautiful flavors that are fully made of plants. Here’s what we included in this vegan butternut squash soup recipe:

Yellow onion, garlic, fresh ginger and carrot: These vegetables add subtle supporting notes to this recipe. Fresh ginger is key to the nuanced fall flavor profile!
Butternut squash: Squash is a good source of fiber, with 7 grams per 1 cup diced, or about 28% of your daily need (source) in one serving of this soup. The same serving size also provides 457% of your daily Vitamin A and 52% of your daily Vitamin C. (Source)
Olive oil: Olive oil is our cooking oil of choice.
Vegetable broth: Use your favorite brand of vegetable broth.
Dried sage: Sage adds just the right fall flavor profile.
Chickpeas: This trick adds protein to the vegan soup, making it more filling than most!
Coconut milk: We’ve made lots of butternut soup recipes, and we think coconut milk is the best ingredient pairing to make the soup creamy and complement the flavor profile of the squash.

How to cut butternut squash

The longest lead time item in this soup is cutting the butternut squash! This squash is notoriously difficult to peel and chop. We recommend using a fresh squash in this recipe for best results, though you can use frozen in a pinch. Here are some tips for best way to cut it:

Slice off the neck first. Peeling and chopping the base and neck separately makes its oblong shape easier to handle.
Peel with a serrated peeler. It’s easier to peel tough-skinned vegetables with a squash peeler because the serrated edges grip the skin. (Here’s the serrated peeler we use.)
Slice into planks, then chop. Cut the base and neck into planks, then dice them. Here’s a video to show the process.

Tip: make sure the squash is bright orange

When you cut into your butternut squash, make sure it’s bright orange in color. This means that it’s perfectly ripe and will result in the best sweet flavor and creamy texture.

If you cut into it and it’s pale yellow in color: alert! This means the squash is not ripe. We had this happen to us on one of the test runs of this soup. If this happens: abort! We hate to say it, but the squash will not taste as deliciously sweet as it should.

How to make butternut squash soup: overview

This butternut squash soup recipe is easy to make, once you’ve gotten past the cutting part! Here are the basic steps to a butternut squash soup:

Prep the ingredients. Chop your onion, ginger, carrot and garlic. Specific instructions are in the recipe below!
Saute the onion. Cook until it’s translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir until it’s just fragrant.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer. Simmer until the veggies are tender.
Blend! Add the chickpeas and coconut milk and blend until pureed. We used a large high speed blender, so the entire soup fit. If you have a standard blender, you’ll have to do it in batches.

Chickpeas make it more filling

A unique ingredient in this butternut squash soup helps it stay filling by giving it a boost of protein and fiber: chickpeas! Don’t worry if you’re not a chickpea fan. You’ll puree them right into the body of the soup, so the flavor is barely perceptible and the texture is non-existent. You can omit the chickpeas if you like, but we love adding a boost of nutrients and keeping the soup as filling as possible.

What to serve with butternut squash soup

Once you’ve simmered and blended, let’s get to eating this tasty soup! There are lots of ways to serve a butternut squash soup recipe, but remember: you’ve got to add something to make it filling! Here are some options we love:

Crusty bread. Grab and artisan loaf or try homemade.
Cornbread. Try our favorite classic cornbread, cornbread muffins or vegan cornbread.
Grilled cheese. Add a baked grilled cheese, spinach artichoke grilled cheese, or one with brie and apple.
Crackers. Try homemade crackers or nut-based crackers.
Salad. Add arugula salad, spinach salad or arugula beet salad.

Dietary notes

This butternut squash soup recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.