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No Time Like the Present for Great Food!
For #PancakeSunday I posted these chocolate ice cream pancakes. Yes, you read that right. Ice cream pancakes. Chocolate. This is not a joke.
It was a cold winter’s morning and I still wanted something cold! I’m here to tell you that although it's winter that doesn't mean you can't indulge in a cool treat! Here is an awesome chocolate ice cream sandwich pancake that I'm sure you're going to love, resembling your favorite ice cream sandwich! We all know the feeling of a tasty ice cream sandwich, and we all know how satisfying pancakes are. What happens when you merge the two together? So much deliciousness in the morning! And no, you don’t have to wait till summer to eat these! These chocolate ice cream sandwich pancakes will let you enjoy ice cream and chocolate for breakfast!
Why Ice Cream Pancakes?
I gave it that name because it incorporates a chilled CHOCOLATE cream cheese glaze. Yes, chocolate, since I'm a huge chocoholic! The chocolate cream cheese glaze will be made as I make my classic cream cheese glaze with the addition of cocoa powder. While I usually say it’s optional to refrigerate the cream cheese glaze or serve it at room temperature, for this recipe it’s essential to chill our cream cheese glaze for at least thirty minutes. If you serve it at room temperature, the glaze will not thicken up and it will melt with the hot pancakes. To make these ice cream pancakes, we really need the glaze to be firm and not have it drip down the stack!
Tools Needed
How to Make Chocolate Ice Cream Pancakes
Because of the extravagant cream cheese glaze, we’re going to keep the pancakes simple by making plain oat or classic pancakes. It’s recipes like these that you appreciate how great pancakes are without any add-ins!
After the pancakes have finished cooking, we’ll be layering them with the cream cheese glaze and white chocolate chips. This is quite mandatory as the name is “ice cream SANDWICH!” Why white chocolate chips? I just find that they add a nice pop of color to contrast the chocolate cream cheese glaze. Also, white chocolate is so creamy, and I find that really adds to the ice cream experience of these pancakes.
The finishing touch for these ice cream pancakes will be some pieces of your favorite chocolate bar. I saw Aero Minis at the store and really wanted to try them for these pancakes, since they're already cubed up and seemed like lots of fun, but feel free to use whatever chocolate bar you like. Enjoy!
If you’re looking for more white and chocolate pancakes? I recommend you try my Yin and Yang Cookie Pancakes and my Ultimate Chocolatey S’mores Pancakes for your next Pancake Sunday!
Frequently Asked Questions
What gives the ice-cream-sandwich effect?▼
A chilled chocolate cream cheese glaze spread between the pancakes. Because it's cold and set, it behaves like the ice cream layer in a sandwich rather than melting into the stack.
Why do I have to chill the glaze?▼
Chill it for at least 20 minutes. If it's too warm it melts against the hot pancakes and the stack slides and collapses — cold, firm glaze is what holds the sandwich look together.
What's in the chocolate glaze?▼
Cream cheese whisked with powdered sugar, cocoa powder and a little milk until smooth. Chilling it firms it up into that thick, scoopable layer.
How do I keep the pancakes warm while cooking?▼
Hold the cooked pancakes in a 200°F oven as you go. Let them cool slightly before assembling, though, so they don't melt the chilled glaze when you stack them.
There Is No Actual Ice Cream in These Pancakes
Despite the name, nothing here goes in the freezer and there is no scoop of ice cream. The ice cream sandwich effect comes from a chilled chocolate cream cheese glaze: 5 oz of cream cheese, 3 tbsp of powdered sugar, 3/4 tbsp of milk, and 2 tbsp of cocoa powder, whisked vigorously until combined and then chilled in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. Skip the chilling and the glaze melts on the hot pancakes and the stack is likely to collapse. The pancakes themselves stay plain, with no add-ins in the batter, so the glaze gets all the attention.
Making the Pancake Batter: Wet Ingredients and Dry Ingredients
The batter is a simple classic pancake batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of all purpose flour and 2 tsp of baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients: 1 1/4 cups of milk, 1 large egg, 1 tbsp of honey, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk, by hand or with a stand mixer, until you get a thick but runny pancake batter. If you'd like oat pancakes, grind quick oats into oat flour and use it in place of the all purpose flour, and you can swap water for the milk. For the vanilla, vanilla bean paste works in an equal amount (it has a more intense flavor), or scrape half a vanilla bean per teaspoon.
Cooking, Keeping Warm, and Stacking the Pancakes
Preheat the oven to 200°F before you start. Heat a pan over medium heat, add a bit of butter (2 tsp in total for the batch, or cooking spray if you prefer), and scoop about 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan for each pancake. Cook for a minute or two until bubbles start forming on the surface, then flip and cook the other side. A flat griddle works the same way as a pan. Move each finished pancake to a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm and repeat with the rest of the batter.
When all 6 pancakes are cooked, take the glaze out of the fridge. Put one pancake down, spoon a bit of glaze into the center and spread it out, then add 4 to 5 white chocolate chips around the perimeter. Layer on another pancake and repeat until you've coated the second-to-last pancake. Spoon the rest of the glaze on the top pancake and finish with more white chocolate chips and 4 squares of chocolate bar (I used Aero Minis). Serve hot.
Swaps and Serving Ideas
Mascarpone can replace the cream cheese for a richer, slightly less tangy glaze, and Neufchâtel gives a lower-fat glaze with a nearly identical texture. For the cocoa powder, Dutch-process cocoa is richer and less acidic, and carob powder is a naturally sweet, caffeine-free option. No white chocolate chips? Chop a white chocolate bar into small pieces, and milk chocolate chips work in place of the chocolate bar squares. Each pancake comes to about 284 calories, with 9g protein, 32g carbs, and 14g fat. The glaze already works as the sauce, so maple syrup is optional, but it's a fun weekend treat that kids tend to love, especially if they help build their own stacks.
Measurements at a Glance and More Pancake Recipes
Most of the measurements here are small, so it helps to have them handy: 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and 3/4 tablespoon of milk for the glaze, plus 1 tablespoon of honey and 2 tsp of butter for the pancakes. You only need a little butter in the pan, just a bit before each batch of batter. If you like this stack and want more pancake recipes, my Classic Buttermilk Pancakes are a great starting point for a plain, fluffy base.
If you liked this recipe please let me know in the comments. Tag your post on social media using #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich Pancakes are the ultimate indulgent treat. Fluffy, chocolatey, and loaded with chips, this best pancake recipe will wow everyone at the breakfast table.
Stovetop
Rate this recipe ✦
30 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
40 min
Total
6
pancakes
medium
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
For the pancakes
For the chocolate cream cheese glaze
Instructions
For the chocolate cream cheese glaze
- 1
To make the cream cheese glaze, add the cream cheese, milk, cocoa powder and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until the ingredients have combined well.
To make the cream cheese glaze, add the cream cheese, milk, cocoa powder and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until the ingredients have combined well.
- 2
Let it chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. If you do not chill it, not only will it not have the ice cream sandwich effect (which we want!) but the glaze will melt from the hot pancakes, and the stack is likely to collapse.
Let it chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. If you do not chill it, not only will it not have the ice cream sandwich effect (which we want!) but the glaze will melt from the hot pancakes, and the stack is likely to collapse.
For the pancakes
- 1
Preheat the oven to 200°F.
Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C).
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour/oat flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients - water/milk, egg, honey and the vanilla extract.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour/oat flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients - water/milk, egg, honey and the vanilla extract.
- 3
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and begin whisking using either a whisk or a stand mixer, until you get a thick but runny pancake batter.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and begin whisking using either a whisk or a stand mixer, until you get a thick but runny pancake batter.
- 4
Heat a pan to medium heat. Add a bit of butter and scoop out about ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the pan. Cook for about a minute or two, until the pancakes start forming bubbles at the surface.
Heat a pan to medium heat. Add a bit of butter and scoop out about ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the pan. Cook for about a minute or two, until the pancakes start forming bubbles at the surface.
- 5
Then, flip the pancake and cook the other side. Once both sides are cooked, transfer the pancake onto a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat these steps for the remaining batter.
Then, flip the pancake and cook the other side. Once both sides are cooked, transfer the pancake onto a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat these steps for the remaining batter.
- 6
When all the pancakes have cooked, take out the chocolate cream cheese glaze. Place one pancake and spoon a bit of glaze onto it in the center and spreading it out. Then add 4-5 white chocolate chips around the perimeter. Layer another pancake and repeat until you've coated the second-to-last pancake. For the top one, spoon the rest of the glaze and finish with more chocolate chips and squares of chocolate. Serve hot and enjoy.
When all the pancakes have cooked, take out the chocolate cream cheese glaze. Place one pancake and spoon a bit of glaze onto it in the center and spreading it out. Then add 4-5 white chocolate chips around the perimeter. Layer another pancake and repeat until you've coated the second-to-last pancake. For the top one, spoon the rest of the glaze and finish with more chocolate chips and squares of chocolate. Serve hot and enjoy.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
Filed under
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