Fluffy buttermilk pancakes full of shredded zucchini and chocolate chips will get your weekend started on a positive note. With warm spices (cinnamon and nutmeg), plus some brown sugar, these pancakes have the flavor of a loaf of zucchini bread fresh from the oven.
Adding zucchini to pancakes is much like adding it to bread. It adds moistness, perhaps a little sweetness, and it loves to be covered in spices and sugar. Plus it doesn’t mind sharing the limelight with chocolate.
Zucchini seems to be everywhere this time of year. I don’t have a garden but I can’t resist buying it when I am at the farmers market. It’s an easy way to add nutrition to recipes and it is wonderfully inexpensive.
Be sure to finely shred the zucchini. Since pancakes only cook for a few minutes, you run the risk of having a little crunch in your pancakes if you don’t. I shred it on the small grate on my box grater and then give it a quick whirl in my mini food processor just to make sure.
I don’t add much sugar to the batter because I like to drown my pancakes in maple syrup, plus there’s ¾ cup of chocolate chips added to the batter. If you like to go light on the syrup you may want to add another tablespoon or two of sugar to the batter.
And if you have a tendency to over buy zucchini like I do and you still have some left, try Dark Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. They’ll really help you get your chocolate fix and they work great as an on the go snack or breakfast.
There’s no better way to start the weekend than with hot, fluffy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Pancakes.
Never miss a recipe! Follow Spicy Southern Kitchen on Pinterest and Instagram.
Sign up HERE for the Spicy Southern Kitchen Newsletter.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups finely shredded zucchini
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs,, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Vegetable oil or butter
- maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients, flour through baking soda, in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk, and melted butter.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients.
- Fold in shredded zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat the cooking surface with either oil or butter.
- Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to pour batter onto griddle. Cook until lightly brown on bottom, flip, and continue to cook until batter is set all the way through. Turn heat down some if they are browning too quickly.
- Serve with maple syrup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Zucchini Recipes
Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Curious as to why you didnt wring out the zucchini. I did because I was afraid of it being to wet, and they turned out fantastic. Although I used my hands and not a towel or cheesecloth, which meant I didnt get all the moisture out, just most. Kids absolutely loved them, so did myself and my wife. Going in the ‘cook again’book for sure!
I made these yesterday morning for my family. They were delicious! I actually just popped the leftovers into the freezer and this morning popped one in the toaster for a quick snack. YUM!
So glad you enjoyed them Ragen! Great idea to put them in the freezer and reheat in the toaster!
I can’t believe I haven’t made anything sweet with zucchini yet. I need to get on it! These pancakes look SO delicious, and I wish I had a big stack right now! 🙂
What a gorgeous stack of pancakes! I love your awesome idea of adding zucchini to pancakes – such a great way to sneak in some veggies!
OMG these are amazing! I love that you’ve added zucchini !!! :):) Now, I really can’t wait for my zucchini to grow in my garden, I’ll be making these for sure! Especially with lots of chocolate chips! Awesome recipe 🙂
Ohhhh wow. I’ve been making tons of zucchini pancakes lately, but they look nowhere near as yummy as these do! Your shots are gorgeous as well!
Sounds like a good way to add zucchini for breakfast. Today I made oats waffles for my girls, I really want to try these too. I am sure they will love it. Especially for the chocolate 🙂