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.
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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
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Hello hidden veggies! Fabulous idea, christin. I added some zucchini to some turkey mince yesterday and loved it. Now I’m on a zucchini roll, I think I might try these … and your chocolate zucchini muffins sound pretty good, too!
These have to be spectacular pancakes! They look spectacular. The zucchini is a great idea.
I like that you don’t wring out the moisture. I did that for the last zucchini bread recipe I tried and the bread actually seemed dry. Plus it was really time consuming.
Love these photos! You are making me really really want some pancakes and I am a waffle girl myself!! And I’m with you – I don’t have zucchini in my garden but I have been buying them like mad!
These look so fluffy and ever so delicious! Pinned 🙂
Thanks Ana! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
I NEVER would have thought to put zucchini in my pancakes! What a genius idea! These pancakes look like every kind of awesome, Christin! Love love all the gooey chocolate and your photos are stunning as always! (obsessing over those syrup pour shots!) Pinned. 🙂
Thanks Sarah 🙂
The zucchini helps me feel less guilty about the chocolate 🙂
I never eat pancakes, but I have to admit, I am a HUGE fan of zucchini – so I can just imagine that these are amazing. What a great flavor combination!
What???? You never eat pancakes!
I like the way you think! These pancakes look so fluffy and light! Do you wring out some of the moisture from the shredded zucchini or no need?
I did not wring out the moisture but I know alot of recipes call for that. You can add the buttermilk in gradually and maybe not use it all if you think the batter might end up to liquidy.
Drooling!
These look like the most fluffiest and yummiest pancakes, Christin! What a great idea to add in some zucchini! And you’re right, it’s everywhere! I always buy some from the farmer’s market and then scramble for recipes to make with it, so definitely trying this out soon! Pinned!