Orange Pancakes with Chocolate Chips

Treat your loved ones to decadent Orange Pancakes with Chocolate Chips! This homemade orange pancake recipe gets its flavor from orange juice and orange zest and is speckled with chocolate chips, too! No matter when you make this homemade pancake recipe, you’re in for a treat. Makes 26 pancakes.

Love pancakes? Learn how to make the best homemade pancakes!

2023 Update: This recipe was originally shared in February 2015, right before I was due with our first child. I have simplified this recipe to include ingredients everyone can find. The post includes new photos, as well as more tips and tricks. I hope you love them!

This recipe came about when I was extremely pregnant in early 2015. I woke up craving pancakes, raided the fridge and discovered we had a ton of fresh satsumas.

I began pondering what went well with oranges, and I realized, well, duh, CHOCOLATE.

So I took our Old Fashioned Pancake recipe and did some tweaking… and the end result was glorious.

Why I love this recipe:

These pancakes with orange flavors are soft and gooey on the inside and bursting with orange and chocolate flavors. They have a delightful fluffy texture, too.

The brightness of the orange provides a great contrast to the richness of the chocolate chips.

To me, homemade pancake are satisfying because they’re simple to make (so long as you have the ingredients) and incredibly satisfying.

These Orange Pancakes with Chocolate Chips don’t really need anything extra but if you’re feeling decadent, add some maple syrup, chocolate chips and orange zest.

Because all three of these are a brilliant idea.

Other pancake recipes you might enjoy: The Very BEST Oatmeal Pancakes | Apple Cider Pancakes | Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes | Chocolate Pancakes with Chocolate Chips | Peanut Butter Pancakes with Raspberry Preserves Syrup | Sweet Potato Pancakes

Need breakfast inspiration, but don’t know where to start? Head on over to my Breakfast and Brunch Recipe Index.

What you need to make this recipe:

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• Large mixing bowl
• Small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop
• Cast iron griddle—you can also use an electric one if you have one
• Pastry brush—to brush oil or melted butter onto your griddle
• Metal spatula—if you’re using a nonstick skillet, make sure your spatula is plastic so it doesn’t scratch the surface!

Here’s what you need:

• All-purpose flour — we always have unbleached at our house, but the regular kind works perfectly, too!
• Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this gives a little sweetness to our pancake batter.
• Leaveners — we’re using a combination of baking powder and baking soda to give our pancakes some lift. Make sure yours are fresh.
• Kosher salt — I use a medium-grain kosher salt. If you only have finer salt, consider using a little less so your batter does not become too salty.
• Orange juice — when I originally wrote this recipe, I called for fresh squeezed. You can use the kind from the store, too. We’re going to need a lot to give these pancakes excellent orange flavor.
• Eggs — these help bring the batter together. I use large eggs.
• Vanilla extract — the real deal stuff brings all the flavors together.
• Flavorless oil — avocado vegetable or canola oil are perfect here! You can also use unsalted butter if that’s your jam, too.
• Orange zest — grab your zester or microplane and zest 1-2 larger oranges for this. If you’ve got extra, you can use it as a garnish for the pancakes.
• Chocolate chips — use your favorite here. My original recipe calls for dark chocolate chips, though I think bittersweet and semisweet totally work, too.
• Toppings — maple syrup (or possibly Strawberry Syrup or Homemade Peach Compote), whipped cream, fresh fruit, extra chocolate chips, orange zest and more!

A note on ingredients:

This original recipe calls for equal parts almond meal and whole wheat pastry flour. While a delicious combo, I do not keep either of these in my pantry. I bet you do not, either.

How to make the BEST Orange Pancakes

Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together until incorporated, and set aside.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Measure the orange juice, eggs, vanilla extract, oil and orange zest into a smaller bowl or a liquid measuring cup. Mix vigorously with a fork until combined—you want to ensure that the egg is fully mixed in.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this will affect the texture of the pancakes.

Set the batter aside, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.

While the batter rests, heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grease the pan lightly with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

Dollop the pancakes onto the preheated skillet when ready. I use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out my pancakes. You can use a larger scoop (like a 1/4 cup measuring spoon) if you’d rather larger pancakes.

When several bubbles have formed on the surface, flip the pancakes, and cook through. Repeat until all batter has been made into pancakes.

Make a stack of pancakes, and serve with warm maple syrup, softened butter and your favorite fruits. These are particularly excellent with extra chocolate chips and orange zest sprinkled on top.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

I previously thought pancakes would be fussy to prepare for brunch at home, but they really aren’t! It just requires a little patience, planning and working ahead to get ‘em made before guests arrive.

Here are a few tips and tricks to transforming this recipe into a brunch centerpiece:

• Depending on the amount of people you’re serving, double this recipe. You can also half it if you’re not feeding a crowd.
• Make the flapjacks before guests arrive, and keep them warm in the oven. We put ours on baking sheets* (affiliate link) and keep them warm in a 200°F oven.
• Transform your table into a pancake bar! Offer various toppings, like real maple syrup, sweetened whipped cream, fresh orange slices. You can even transform them into a Pancake Board if you’re feeling creative!

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Tips and Tricks for the Best Pancakes

• Don’t overmix your batter! Just mix the batter until it has just come together. Lumps are OK. If you mix until it’s smooth, the pancakes won’t be as fluffy.
• When do you know how to flip? When big ‘ol bubbles start to form in the batter. Lift up the edge a little bit with a spatula to confirm the color on the other side before committing… because when you flip them, you won’t flip them again. (Yep. We only need to flip our pancakes once.)
• Once you’ve flipped your pancakes, don’t press down on them! This will deflate them. Obviously, we want them to puff up and be as light and airy as possible.
• Leftover pancakes? Freeze ’em! Line a baking sheet with wax paper, and pop them in the freezer for 4-6 hours. When the pancakes are fully frozen, transfer them to a freezer baggie. Reheat in the toaster oven, toaster or the oven until warm.

More pancake recipes to try:

• Bacon Pancakes
• Nutella Pancakes (Chocolate Hazelnut Pancakes)
• Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

Interested in these beauties? Scroll down to learn how easy they are to make!