Easy Coconut Milk Chocolate Pancakes Recipe

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Hello! I hadn't made some chocolate pancakes in a while so I felt like doing something really fun with these ultra chocolate coconut milk pancakes!

I love breakfast, especially when I know that I’m going to have a fluffy pancake stack for a relaxing weekend morning! These coconut milk pancakes sure hit the spot for me. I’m always eager to make chocolate pancakes. They always remind me of massive brownies! With this stack I felt like doing something a little different than simple chocolate pancakes…

Nuts over Coconuts!

I've made some chocolate coconut pancakes before, but I really wanted to emphasize the coconut in these pancakes. So, the batter for these pancakes is slightly different from my traditional pancake batter. Instead of making the batter with water or milk, we're going to make these pancakes super fluffy with coconut milk! To get that awesome coconut taste and sweetness, these chocolate coconut milk pancakes will be layered with coconut flakes and white chocolate chips!

Other coconut breakfast ideas:

• Coconut Flavored Banana Chocolate Chip Overnight Oats
• Pumpkin Puree Stovetop Oats

Tips for Using Canned Coconut Milk

Coconut milk can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store. Don’t confuse coconut milk with the coconut milk beverage that can be found in the non-dairy or organic sections of grocery stores. Make sure you read the label of the can carefully - we don’t want coconut cream or coconut water!

When you open the can, it will appear thick. However, I’ve made the mistake of pouring the coconut milk directly from the can into my recipe and I’ve been left with thin liquid! That’s not good! Before opening the can, shake it well. Then, I recommend transferring all of the coconut milk into a bowl and mix well, so that you achieve the same consistency throughout. Store the rest of the coconut milk in a container for later use. Coconut milk will stay good in the fridge for 2 days after opening.

I would like to let you know that the coconut flavor in the batter is quite subtle! That’s why we’ll top the pancakes with some additional coconut flakes. The coconut milk pancakes themselves will have a primarily cocoa flavor.

Tools Needed

• Large bowl
• Whisk
• Nonstick skillet
• Spatula
• Baking sheet
• Measuring cups

How to Make Chocolate Coconut Milk Pancakes From Scratch

Begin by preheating your oven to 200 F. As always, this is to make sure the pancakes stay hot after they’ve been cooked while you’re cooking the others.

To make the pancake batter, first whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Whisk either by hand or using your stand mixer. Then, gradually add the coconut milk. You may need more or less coconut milk than 1 1/2 cups, depending if you’re using full fat coconut milk or light coconut milk. Add in your honey and vanilla extract. You want your pancake batter to be thick but still runny.

Heat your pan on medium heat. Once your pan is hot, add a bit of butter. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out your pancake batter. Your pancakes will be ready to flip when you start to see bubbles forming, flip your pancake. Once both sides are cooked, transfer the pancake onto a baking sheet and leave it warm in the oven. Repeat this step for the remaining batter.

Then, we’ll layer our pancakes with coconut flakes and white chocolate chips. Add one pancake on a plate, and add a few coconut flakes and white chocolate chips. Repeat until you’ve reached the top pancake, and add the coconut flakes, chocolate chips, and maple syrup, honey, or chocolate syrup if desired.

Tips for the Best Chocolate Coconut Pancakes

A few small steps make all the difference between good and great pancakes:

• Mix wet and dry separately: whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in one bowl, and beat the egg with the coconut milk, honey, and vanilla in another. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until combined.
• Don't overmix: a few lumps in the batter are fine — overmixing develops the flour and makes pancakes tough instead of light and tender.
• Cook in butter over medium heat: melt a little butter in the pan, pour in the batter, and flip with a spatula once bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set.
• Keep them warm: hold the finished pancakes on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you cook the rest of the stack.

Topping and Add-In Ideas

These chocolate pancakes are a blank canvas — here's how I like to finish them:

• Classic finish: pile on coconut flakes and white chocolate chips, then add a generous drizzle of maple syrup.
• Add warm spice: a pinch of cinnamon in the batter gives the chocolate a cozy depth.
• Make them your own: swap the white chocolate for dark chocolate chips, or fold extra chips right into the batter for double-chocolate pancakes.

Easy Swaps and Storage

A few easy swaps and how to keep leftovers:

• Use oat flour in place of the all-purpose flour to keep them gluten-free.
• Swap the coconut milk for evaporated milk or cashew cream, and the white chocolate chips for butterscotch chips. Dutch-process cocoa gives a deeper chocolate flavor.
• Keep cooked pancakes warm in a 200 degree F oven, then refrigerate or freeze leftovers between parchment and reheat in a toaster or microwave.

Batter Notes: Salt, Milk, and Getting the Consistency Right

Two things about this batter are worth saying plainly. The first is salt: there is none in the ingredient list. If you like a little salt in your pancakes, a small pinch whisked into the dry ingredients is all it takes, and it sharpens the cocoa rather than making the stack taste savory. The second is the milk. The recipe card lists water or milk alongside the coconut milk, so ordinary cow's milk works perfectly well here. The coconut milk is what carries the flavor and the lift; the water or milk is simply there to loosen the batter.