Recipe: Gluten-Free Mexican Hot Chocolate Pancakes
For me, Christmastime means sipping hot cocoa by the fire and fighting with your siblings over who has more marshmallows in their cup. My mom would inevitably jump in and tell everyone that they have the exact same number of marshmallows floating on top of their cocoa, but I’d always remain skeptical. Luckily I’m a grownup now and can have all the marshmallows I want, or I can be even fancier and whip up a stack of hot chocolate-style pancakes with all of the fixings.
Being a grownup rules.
These gluten-free Mexican hot chocolate pancakes are the stickiest, sweetest, chocolate treat with just a hint of spice. The pancakes themselves are thick and rich and laced with dark chocolate chips. Once they’re loaded with toppings, they transform into something Buddy the Elf (or any kid) would gobble up with glee in their hearts. I mean, what child didn’t dream of smothering their pancakes in chocolate syrup and a handful of toasted marshmallows?
Don’t worry — these pancakes aren’t just for kids! If you’re not into topping your pancakes with chocolate syrup and the like, you can opt out and simply add a little butter and maple syrup to the mix. Either way, they’re going to be delicious. But maybe — just maybe, have some extra marshmallows on me. You know, for old times’ sake.
No need to count them!
Gluten-Free Mexican Hot Chocolate Pancakes
Makes 6 to 7 pancakes
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
- 1 1/4 cups
all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Cup 4 Cup)
- 1/4 cup
raw cacao powder
- 1/4 cup
coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon
gluten-free baking powder
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon
cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon
sea salt
- 2
large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups
almond milk
- 2 tablespoons
coconut oil, melted (plus more for frying)
- 1 teaspoon
gluten-free vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup
dark chocolate chips
Suggested toppings:
Toasted gluten-free marshmallows
Gluten-free chocolate syrup
Whipped cream
Instructions
Combine the gluten-free flour, cacao, sugar, baking powder, spices, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together well and set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the eggs and almond milk. Whisk well until smooth. Add in the melted coconut oil (taking caution that it is not too hot, as it might scramble the eggs — it should be lukewarm) and the vanilla extract. Whisk again until everything is very well-combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk again until a thick batter forms. The consistency of this batter is going to be much thicker than regular pancake batter due to the nature of the gluten-free flour. It might be sticky as well — this is fine. Finally, fold in the dark chocolate chips so they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Heat up a pancake griddle, or a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Melt a generous amount of coconut oil onto your griddle or into your skillet. Once the oil is hot and coats the bottom of the pan, pour a little more than a 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet to make each pancake. The batter is thick, so use a silicone spatula to even out the pancake into a round shape.
Allow the pancake to cook for approximately 3 to 5 minutes a side. The batter will not bubble in the center like it would if you were making non-gluten-free pancakes, so you have to keep a close eye on the texture of the edges as they begin to firm up. Once it seems firm, and the bottom is crispy, flip the pancake and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Repeat these steps until all of the pancakes are cooked.
Serve the pancakes with toppings of your choice, or make them extra hot chocolate-y by adding chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and toasted marshmallows.