Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Yes, you read that right.  Chocolate, peanut butter, AND chocolate chips -- in a pancake. Yum!

Since Jeremy and I are preparing to move, we're working on using up all the ingredients we have around our apartment.  We've been doing well with this but now I'm completely out of sugar.  Most of the pancakes I make call for sugar so most of my recipes were out.  In thinking about what I had around to use, I realized that I had all the ingredients to make these -- and it would help use up more flour.  (Yeah... using up flour... that's why I make pancakes...)

These tasted like cookies and were nice and soft and fluffy.  The chocolate flavor in the actual pancake wasn't too overpowering for the peanut butter.  The chocolate chips added a nice burst of flavor.  We didn't use any butter or syrup or anything on top of these.  Just picked them up and ate them as is (which is normal for Jeremy... but I usually dump syrup on any pancake.  I didn't have any syrup or honey left in the apartment but these really didn't need it.).

This recipe made 20 pancakes.  And we have 11 left over.  I'm looking forward to eating these again. Did I mention that I love pancakes... nothing like a soft, fluffy, yummy little cake to perk up your morning. :)

Just about ready to flip...

Ta Da! Nicely golden brown. :) 

Recipe (makes 20 pancakes... for me at least):
2 c. white whole wheat flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1/4 c. baking cocoa (dutch process. NOT hot cocoa mix.)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. creamy peanut butter
3 c. skim milk
2 eggs
2 tbs. vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients (the flour, baking powder, baking cocoa, and salt).
2. Place peanut butter in a medium bowl (large enough to hold all the wet ingredients). Microwave for approximately 30 seconds until it loosens up and is easily mixable.
3. Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the peanut butter (eggs should be after the milk to make sure the peanut butter isn't too hot for them).  Mix to combine.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined (don't overmix).
5. Heat a griddle* over medium to medium-low heat (adjust heat as needed for your stove so that they brown, but not too quickly).  Add pancake batter in 1/4 c. portions, top each with a few chocolate chips.  Cook the pancakes until they start to bubble and begin to dry on the edges.  Flip and continue cooking until cooked through. (Only like 2 minutes per side I think... I don't time this.)
6. Serve with desired toppings (if any)**.

* I have a non-stick griddle so I don't use any added fat to grease it.  If you don't have a non-stick griddle, you might need to use some margarine or cooking spray to make sure these don't stick.  (Or invest in a non-stick griddle... I love mine.)

**You can keep the pancakes warm in a 200 degree oven if you want them to all come out at the same time.  Jeremy and I just eat them as they come off the griddle (which means I'm eating while cooking...).  Works for us. :)