Chocolate Chip & Sprinkles Birthday Pancakes

- Amanda

We celebrated my son’s 7th birthday this week. (I still can’t get over the fact he is SEVEN already. Like, seriously, how. But I’ll spare you a trip down gushing mama memory lane.) He’s been so excited and counting down the minutes till his day was finally here, for maybe the past 7 months. No joke. And while it may not have had all the bells and whistles of years past, these Chocolate Chip & Sprinkles Birthday Pancakes sure started the day off on a celebratory note.

I’m usually all about a healthy breakfast for the kids, but sometimes and especially in these strangest of times, I think any extra little thing we can do to mark a special day and show those we love just how much we care, goes a long way. And for Mr. T, chocolate, sprinkles and pancakes will do just that. But combine those three together and I knew he would just be over the moon. And over the moon he was. While also thinking mom had maybe officially lost her mind with such a treat of a breakfast.

I’ll let you in on a little secret though. These do indeed have chocolate and sprinkles and no whole wheat flour like my usual pancakes. But that doesn’t mean, I didn’t sneak in at least one really healthy ingredient. If you’ve been following along here, you might have an idea what that is. You guessed it, zucchini, my favorite sneaky ingredient. And in the case of these pancakes, you’d really never know it was there. The sprinkles make the little specks of green just look like more sprinkles. Magic.

These pancakes are so delicious, so much fun, and have a little healthy element. But that’s not all. They are easy peasy. Mix up the dry ingredients, stir in the wet, then fold in the shredded zucchini, chocolate chips and sprinkles. Cook ’em up, add some maple syrup, more sprinkles or even fresh whipped cream if you’re feeling extra fancy and instant morning party any time the occasion calls or you just want to start the day on a fun note. Or, honestly, you could skip all the toppings and eat them straight out of the pan, they are still so wonderful.

Try these. The kids or the kid in you will love them. Happiest 7th birthday to my sweet sweet boy. And happy weekend to everyone!

Print

Chocolate Chip & Sprinkles Birthday Pancakes

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 12 pancakes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (192g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk* *see note
  • 1 egg, lightly whisked
  • 3 tbsps (42g) butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup (90g) chocolate chips (mini are good too)
  • 1/2 medium zucchini, shredded and excess moisture wrung out (will come to just over a half cup zucchini)
  • 2 tbsps colored sprinkles/ jimmies

Instructions

  1. Grate the zucchini and wring out most of the excess liquid in a clean towel. Set aside.

  2. In a large bowl whisk the dry ingredients- flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

  3. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, melted butter and maple syrup. Stir to combine.

  4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid as well as the grated zucchini. Fold everything together until combined. (Be careful not to overmix in order to have the most tender pancakes possible.) Fold in the chocolate chips and sprinkles. Set aside.

  5. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Then pour or scoop the batter with about a 1/3 measuring cup for each pancake onto the pan. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side until light golden brown. Repeat using the rest of the batter, lightly oiling the griddle as necessary. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If you don’t have buttermilk, don’t worry, just add two tablespoons apple cider or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup then pour in enough milk to hit the 1 cup mark.  Let sit for just a couple minutes then it’s ready to use.