Chocolate Covered Chocolate Pancakes

How about something new for your next weekend special? These pancakes are a chocolate lover’s paradise and, to really satisfy your craving for this not too sweet deliciousness, they come with a velvety, rich, dark chocolate sauce. Don’t even think about omitting the sauce – you would really miss out on a special treat!

For about 16 (4 inch/10 cm) pancakes 

Ingredients:

For the chocolate sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) plant based milk (I used soy)
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup (use more if you like)
• 3/4 cup (70 g) unsweetened cocoa powder cocoa powder
• 1.8 oz (50 g) cacao butter
• 1/8 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the pancakes:

• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) plant based milk (I used soy)
• 1 Tbsp freshly pressed lemon juice
• 2 generous Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups (250 g) all purpose einkorn flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
• scant 1/2 cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3.5 oz (100 g) vegan chocolate chips (optional)

• vegetable oil for frying

Serve with (optional):

• fresh strawberries
• coconut whipped cream

Preparation:

Chocolate Sauce:

Add all the sauce ingredients to a small sauce pan and use a whisk to combine. Bring to a boil on medium heat, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened. Stir frequently!

Pancakes:

In a medium size bowl, blend plant milk and lemon juice. Set aside and let thicken for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine einkorn flour, baking soda, baking powder, Celtic sea salt, cocoa powder, and the optional chocolate chips.

Once the milk/lemon juice mix has thickened, add melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Use a whisk to combine.

Preheat oven to 170°F (80°C), and preheat griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat.

Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to blend swiftly with only a few strokes. Batter should not be completely smooth or they won’t rise!

Add a thin layer of vegetable oil to the griddle/skillet, and ladle small portions of batter onto the hot surface to form 4″/10 cm pancakes.

Cook until small bubbles appear on the pancakes. This takes about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.

Transfer the pancakes to a heat-proof plate or platter and keep warm in the oven until all the pancakes are made.

Stack them up, if you want, and serve with the re-heated chocolate sauce. Perfect with fresh strawberries and coconut whipped cream. Enjoy!

Notes:

• If you prefer a thinner sauce, just add more plant milk.
• If you have any leftover pancakes, you can freeze them for at least a month.
• Instead of chocolate chips, you could add chopped pecans for a little crunch. They could serve  as a topping as well.