Einkorn Rye Chocolate Chip Pancakes

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I woke up this morning wanting chocolate chip pancakes, so after Tim and I split an apple (fruit in the morning, every morning!), we made these einkorn rye beauties, studded with melted chocolate throughout, to enjoy in front of our computer screens while we started our work for the day.

Vertical image of a stack of flapjacks topped with chocolate chips on a white plate next to a plaid towel, with text on the top and bottom of the image.

I went with rye because there was a bag of leftover rye flour in the freezer. I love trying new flours and I think it’s fun to find new recipes and ways to use them up.

I can see myself getting into grinding my own flour with a small home grain mill. These appliances are generally low speed, meaning they don’t overheat the flour, and keep more of the vitamins and nutrients intact as they operate.

Back to the flapjacks.

Vertical image of a stack of flapjacks topped with a pat of slightly melted butter and mini candies on a white plate next to a red plaid towel.

Should you wake up tomorrow morning wanting pancakes like I did today, here are a few things you’ll want to know:

Using half rye and half all-purpose einkorn flour creates a light and fluffy griddle cake texture. All-purpose einkorn flour is a perfect base for both pancake and waffle!

Mixing the batter takes just minutes. The process is lazy-morning easy: mix dry, mix wet, combine, cook in a skillet. That’s all there is to it.

While we added chocolate chips (popping a few into my mouth while making the batter made me feel like a kid again!), you could add anything you like: sliced bananas, pecans or other nuts, blueberries, apple chunks, tart aronia berries, and so on.

Vertical image of a stack of pancakes topped with butter and maple syrup next to a stick of butter, a bottle of maple syrup, and a bowl of flour.

Finally, while drizzling maple syrup on top of these already decadent hotcakes may seem like an example of gilding the lily, I will say I enjoyed every bite. Go for it.

And perhaps just once, I would even venture outside the realm of plain maple syrup and use a syrup infused with warming spices, or this recipe for strawberry syrup for drizzling all over these flapjacks for a chocolate-covered-strawberry experience.

If you aren’t a huge fan of rye bread, don’t panic and swear off trying this recipe because of the rye flour it contains.

Listen: the rye offers a mild flavor note here, but it is not the star. Rather, the flapjacks are soft and sweet, made a little more interesting because of this extra hint of taste.

Vertical image of a stack of flapjacks with maple syrup and mini candies next to a red plaid towel.

If there are certain days when eating pancakes feels ordinary and others where eating a batch made from scratch feels like a luxury, I wish you more and more of the latter.

Happy hotcake-eating! May the things that fill your bellies be the things to lift your gaze and gladden your heart.

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Horizontal image of a stack of flapjacks topped with butter and maple syrup next to a stick of butter, a bottle of maple syrup, and a bowl of flour.

Einkorn Rye Chocolate Chip Pancakes


  • Author: Shanna Mallon
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 medium pancakes (serves 2-4) 1x

Description

Studded with sweet chocolate chips, these nutty rye and einkorn flour pancakes are a perfectly delicious way to start your morning.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup rye flour
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose einkorn flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup full-fat buttermilk (or plain kefir)
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 23 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter), to coat the pan

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°F.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the rye flour, einkorn flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, whole milk, vanilla, maple syrup, egg, and 2 tablespoons melted butter.
  3. Gently stirring and folding as you pour, add the wet ingredients into the dry. Do not overmix the batter some lumps are okay.
  4. Fold in the chocolate chips. Allow the batter to sit at room temperature for at least 5 minutes.
  5. Heat a large heavy skillet (or electric griddle) over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil or butter and swirl to coat the pan.
  6. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the prepared skillet. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface, approximately 2-3 minutes, and then flip the pancake and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 1 additional minute.
  7. Place the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet or wire rack, and keep warm in the oven while you continue with the remaining batter. Add additional coconut oil or butter to the pan as needed. Serve warm with additional butter and maple syrup as desired.

Notes

Adapted from Naturally Ella and A Cozy Kitchen.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Pancakes
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Keywords: pancake, einkorn, chocolate chip, rye, breakfast

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Mix Dry Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Measure out all of your ingredients.

Horizontal image of white dry ingredients in a metal bowl.

I prefer using mini chocolate chips when I make these. The more morsels there are dotting my pancakes, the better! But you can use regular full-size ones instead, if you prefer.

If you have trouble tracking down rye flour at your favorite specialty shop or your local grocery store, you can always snag it online via Amazon.

Cutting it with einkorn keeps the flapjacks from being overly dense, but feel free to swap in white or wheat all-purpose flour instead.

Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. You can do this in the microwave, or over low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Sift the baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl and then whisk in the rye flour, einkorn flour, and salt.

You can also sift the flours, but the reason for sifting the baking powder and soda is to avoid adding any little clumps that won’t disperse properly into the batter. Biting down onto one of those in a pancake could really ruin your breakfast!

Step 2 – Mix Wet Ingredients

Horizontal image of whisking liquid ingredients in a metal bowl.

In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk (or kefir), milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, egg, and 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Step 3 – Stir the Wet Ingredients into the Dry

Gently stirring and folding as you pour, add the wet ingredients into the dry, making sure you don’t overmix the batter, and then fold in the chocolate chips. Some lumps are okay.

Horizontal image of stirring batter and chocolate chips with a blue spatula.

Allow the batter to sit at room temperature for at least 5 minutes. Giving the batter some time to rest gives the liquids a chance to soften the flour and dissolve any remaining lumps.

It also “relaxes” the gluten, which gives you a lighter, fluffier final texture.

Step 4 – Cook the Pancakes

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat, or turn your electric griddle on medium. Add 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil or butter and swirl to coat the pan, or brush a thin coating across the cooktop.

Horizontal image of cooking three flapjacks in a buttered pan.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake on the prepared skillet. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface, approximately 2 to 3 minutes on the first side.

Flip the pancakes and cook until the other side is golden brown, for about 1 additional minute.

If the heat is too high, the pancakes will burn on the first side and not solidify enough to flip. Adjust the heat accordingly.

Step 5 – Serve

Place the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet or wire rack, and keep them warm in the oven while you cook the remaining batter in batches. Add coconut oil or butter to the pan as needed.

Horizontal image of a tall stack of pancakes with maple syrup and chocolate chips next to a bowl of flour and a red plaid towel.

Serve them warm with additional butter and maple syrup as desired.

The batter can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 or 4 days. Just bring it close to room temperature before cooking. If it’s too cold, the pancakes won’t cook evenly.

Mingling Milky Flavors

Using rye flour in a recipe does not magically manifest rye bread – so if you’re expecting caraway seed-scented pancakes, think again.

Horizontal image of a stack of flapjacks topped with butter and maple syrup next to a stick of butter, a bottle of maple syrup, and a bowl of flour.

A slightly sweet, malty flavor is what you’ll encounter when you make these golden rounds, and the milky notes of the flour enhance the tang of the buttermilk.

Got milk? These certainly do.

What will you serve alongside these beautiful breakfast creations, and how will you change up their flavor profile? Feel free to share your secrets and suggestions in the comments below! And don’t forget to give this recipe a five-star rating if you loved it.

I find it’s impossible to say no to pancakes, and these fierce flapjack recipes will get you a resounding hell, yes! from your breakfast guests if you’re looking for even more ideas:

Photos by Fanny Slater, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on March 27, 2015. Last updated on August 25, 2021. With additional writing and editing by Fanny Slater and Allison Sidhu.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Shanna Mallon

Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.

10 thoughts on “Einkorn Rye Chocolate Chip Pancakes”

  1. Those look amazing! I just love the combination of unusual flours. I would love to have some of this for breakfast 🙂

    Reply
  2. Ooh, I’m working from home today and now I can’t think about anything other than making myself a big plate of chocolate chip pancakes. I love the use of rye flour here – a great way to add another level of flavour and it works so well with chocolate.

    Reply

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