Description

Mini Chocolate Pancake Cereal is a fun and delicious breakfast twist featuring tiny, fluffy chocolate pancakes cooked in a pan and served with classic toppings like butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar. Perfect for a playful morning treat or brunch, these bite-sized pancakes can be enjoyed as cereal with milk or simply as bite-sized pancakes with your favorite accompaniments.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

1 ¾ cup pancake mix (such as Trader Joe’s buttermilk mix or Krusteaz pancake mix)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
8 tbsp powdered sugar (for serving)

Wet Ingredients

1 egg (beaten)
1 ¼ cup milk (plus 2 tbsp extra if batter is too thick)
1 tsp vanilla extract

For Cooking and Serving

2 tbsp butter for cooking (plus more for serving)
Milk (for serving, as desired)
Maple syrup (for serving)

Instructions

Prepare Dry and Wet Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the pancake mix and cocoa powder until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, beat the egg, then add the milk and vanilla extract. Whisk these wet ingredients together until smooth.
Combine Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth and free of lumps. If the batter seems too thick, add up to 2 additional tablespoons of milk to loosen it slightly. Transfer the batter to a squeeze bottle or piping bag for easy mini pancake formation.
Heat Pan and Melt Butter: Place a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and melt a thick slice of butter, coating the surface of the pan to prevent sticking and add flavor.
Make Mini Pancakes: Using the squeeze bottle or piping bag, pipe quarter-sized dollops of batter evenly spaced across the pan. Leave room between each so they can be flipped easily.
Cook and Flip Pancakes: Cook the mini pancakes for about 1 minute or until bubbles start to form on the surface. Flip each pancake carefully with a spatula, chopsticks, or a butter knife. Cook for another minute until cooked through and slightly firm.
Keep Warm: Transfer the cooked mini pancakes to an oven-safe bowl placed in an oven set to the lowest temperature to keep warm while cooking remaining batches.
Serve: Serve the mini chocolate pancakes warm with a knob of butter, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. For a fun twist as ‘pancake cereal,’ place the mini pancakes in a bowl, add a splash of milk, and top with preferred toppings like fresh berries, fruit, or Nutella.

Notes

If batter is too thick to pipe easily, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until reaching a pourable yet thick consistency.
Cook pancakes on medium-low heat to prevent burning and ensure they cook evenly.
Keeping cooked pancakes warm in a low-temperature oven helps prevent them from becoming soggy or cold.
Feel free to customize toppings like nuts, chocolate chips, or fresh fruit for added flavor and texture.
Use a squeeze bottle or piping bag to achieve the perfect small, uniform pancake shapes ideal for this cereal concept.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Keywords: mini chocolate pancakes, pancake cereal, breakfast recipe, bite-sized pancakes, chocolate pancake cereal