Chocolate Chip Pancakes

We are firm believers that there is room to have your cake and eat it too–-decadence and nostalgic pleasure can go hand in hand with ingredients that are gentler on the body. While we certainly aren’t here to reinvent the wheel on the childhood classic of chocolate chip pancakes, we wanted to make a version that was free of both gluten and refined sugar. Always seek out the best ingredients you can access and afford, as this is the real secret to making anything more delicious and nutritious. 

For the pancakes

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk or kefir 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for frying 

1 cup gluten-free pancake mix of your choosing, this is our favorite 

1 bar Fine & Raw Lucuma, broken into small pieces 

For the spiced nuts and assembly

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 

½ cup walnut halves 

A pinch fine sea salt 

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

¼ teaspoon aleppo pepper 

1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving 

Whipped heavy cream 

Begin by making the spiced nuts. In a medium frying pan set over medium low heat, add the butter and the nuts. As the butter melts, shake the pan to thoroughly coat all of the nuts. Toast, shaking the pan frequently, until the nuts begin to smell toasted and turn golden. Season with a pinch of salt, then add the cinnamon, aleppo pepper, and maple syrup. Toss the pan a couple times to thoroughly lacquer the nuts, then remove the pan from the heat. 

To make the pancakes, combine the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and melted butter in a medium mixing bowl. Mix till thoroughly combined, then add the pancake mix and mix until no streaks of flour remain. 

Heat a 12” frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot but not smoking, add a pat of butter and tilt and swirl the pan to coat it in the foaming butter. Add three ¼ cup dollops of batter to the pan, making sure they have at least an inch between them as the batter will spread as it makes contact with the hot pan. Cook for about a minute, then adorn each pancake with plenty of chocolate pieces - enough to ensure that each bite of pancake will be rich with chocolate. Once the bottom of the pancake is golden and bubbles appear on the surface, carefully flip the pancake and cook for another minute on the other side. Repeat with any remaining batter. 

To serve, stack 2-3 pancakes and saturate them in syrup. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and a handful of spiced nuts.