Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day with these delicious Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes. They’re fluffy, soft and packed with chocolate chips. Made with gluten-free flours, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, baby spinach and fresh mint. These pancakes are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free, and have no artificial dyes.

Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes

March is here which means so is the time for green everything. Even your foods! These Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes are perfect to celebrate this St. Patty’s Day! They are the perfect shade of green for this fun holiday while being healthy and nutritious. Even the pickiest of eaters will love these. They make for a great family breakfast as everyone can enjoy them. From babies, to toddlers, to adults.

These Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes are gluten-free, dairy-free and refined-sugar free. They are a much healthier option to ordinary pancakes and they even have a hidden veggie. The beautiful green hue is accomplished with out the need of any artificial dyes. Instead, a mixture between baby spinach and mint leaves give this classic breakfast food it’s vibrant green shade.

Ingredients needed to make Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes:

• Flours– Almond flour and tapioca flour.
• Baby Spinach– Gives the pancakes a natural green color.
• Mint Leaves– Gives the pancakes a natural mint flavor and deepens their green hue.
• Unsweetened Applesauce– Helps pancakes get fluffy.
• Baking Powder– Makes pancakes rise and get fluffy.
• Egg– Binding agent.
• Vanilla Extract– Add depth to the flavor.
• Pink Sea Salt– Balances sweetness and elevates flavor.
• Maple Syrup– Adds sweetness.
• Coconut Oil– Adds moisture to the pancakes.
• Dark Chocolate Chips– You can also use chocolate chunks.

Equipment needed to make Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes:

• Blender– To blend wet ingredients.
• Large Mixing Bowl– For mixing the ingredients to make the batter.
• Whisk– For whisking the batter.
• Spatula– To flip pancakes.
• Griddle or Large Cast Iron Pan– For cooking the pancakes on.

How to make Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes:

• Step 1– Place baby spinach, mint leaves, applesauce, egg, vanilla extract, maple syrup and coconut oil in a blender and blend until spinach and mint leaves have dissolved. 
• Step 2– In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until all ingredients are well combined. 
• Step 3– Pour blended wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk well making sure there aren’t any flour streaks left. Fold chocolate chips into batter. 
• Step 4– Grease a griddle or cast iron skillet with coconut oil and bring to a heat at 350 degrees F or medium-high heat on stovetop. 
• Step 5– Scoop about 1/4 cup batter at a time and pour onto heated surface. Pan fry pancakes for 5 minutes on one side. Carefully use a spatula to flip over and pan fry for 5 minutes again. You’ll know when the pancakes are done on each side when you can easily stick spatula under them and flip. Repeat until all batter is gone.
• Step 6– Serve pancakes while still warm with butter and maple syrup. If meal prepping keep in fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Tips and Substitutions:

1. Use a griddle to make pancakes- if you don’t have a griddle and make pancakes on a regular basis, I highly recommend to invest in one. They are pretty cheap and great for making pancakes. Your pancakes won’t stick to the bottom and you can make more at a time. 
2. No applesauce? No problem– Substitute for a large ripe banana. The applesauce in this recipe helps the pancakes get fluffy. A ripe banana will help achieve the same result. 
3. Not a fan of coconut oil or you’re out of it?- Substitute for olive oil, unsalted butter, or ghee. 
4. Look for the small bubbles that pop-up on pancakes while cooking them- This is a good sign that they are ready to be flipped. 
5. Gently stick a spatula under the pancake when ready to flip- if it easily slides right through without getting stuck, it means the pancake is done on that side and ready to flip. If the spatula gets stuck and won’t easily slide under the pancake, don’t force it. Remove spatula and allow pancake to continue cooking for another few seconds.
6. Keep cooked pancakes on a cooling rack if possible- This will help pancakes to evenly start to cool-down preventing them from getting mushy and will remain fluffy and soft. 

How to serve Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes:

I like serving these mint chocolate chip pancakes in a stack just like regular pancakes. I like topping them with some butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. Serve them with a mint leaf for some garnish.

Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes FAQ’s:

Are these mint chocolate chip pancakes gluten-free?

Yes. These mint chocolate chip pancakes are gluten-free. They are made with a blend pf almond flour and tapioca flour. Which are both gluten-free.

What are the best chocolate chips to use for these pancakes?

I like to use any kind of chocolate chips as long as they are dark chocolate. I like using either dark chocolate morsels or dark chocolate chunks.

Will these pancakes taste like baby spinach?

No. These pancakes do not taste like baby spinach. The amount of baby spinach used in this recipe is enough to give the pancakes a nice bright green hue. However, it is not enough to overpower the mint and chocolate flavors or the sweetness from the maple syrup.

Why you should incorporate veggies in your Breakfast:

Adding veggies to breakfast foods is something that I personally love. It’s a great way to start the day as veggies add extra nutrition to any foods. From my personal experience, adding veggies to the first meal of the day sets up the rest of your day for healthy choices and clean eating. This is a great habit to get into especially for kids.

Meal Prepping it:

To meal prep these Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes you can either make one or two batches and keep them refrigerated. You can also either freeze one batch or both if you’re thinking of having these later on.

Another meal prep option is to prep the ingredients ahead of time. Measure out the dry ingredients and keep them in a mason jar. Rinse your baby spinach and mint and portion them out too. When you’re ready to make the pancakes most of your food prep will be all set.

Storing and Reheating:

Place any leftover mint chocolate chip pancakes in an airtight container or zipper bag. Keep them refrigerated for up to 3-5 days. Reheat by placing back on griddle or stovetop. You can use a microwave too but I wouldn’t recommend it. Microwaving the pancakes makes them soft and almost soggy.

Freezing Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes:

Once your mint chocolate chip pancakes have complete cooled-off, place them in a large freezer bag. I like to place a piece of parchment paper between each pancake to prevent them from sticking to each other as they freeze. Keep pancaked frozen for up to 2-3 months.

To defrost these pancakes place in the fridge overnight. The next morning pop them in the oven or heat up on a griddle again or skillet.

Did you like this Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes recipe? You may also like these other pancake recipes:

• Banana Oat Pancakes
• Best High Protein Pancakes
• Best Gluten-Free Pancakes
• Butternut Squash Chia Pancakes with Homemade Berry-Chia Sauce
• Banana-Berry Sheet Pan Pancakes
• Green Smoothie Pancakes

4.75 from 4 votes

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Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Celebrate this St. Patrick's Day with these delicious Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes. They're fluffy, soft and packed with chocolate chips. Made with gluten-free flours, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, baby spinach and fresh mint. These pancakes are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free, and have no artificial dyes. 

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Gluten-Free Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 pancakes

Calories 292 kcal

Author Angelica Arias

Ingredients

• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/3 cup mint leaves
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (plus more for greasing)
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Place baby spinach, mint leaves, applesauce, egg, vanilla extract, maple syrup and coconut oil in a blender and blend until spinach and mint leaves have dissolved. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until all ingredients are well combined.

3. Pour blended wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk well making sure there aren't any flour streaks left. Fold chocolate chips into batter.

4. Grease a griddle or cast iron skillet with coconut oil and bring to a heat at 350 degrees F or medium-high heat on stovetop.

5. Scoop about 1/4 cup batter at a time and pour onto heated surface. Pan fry pancakes for 5 minutes on one side. Carefully use a spatula to flip over and pan fry for 5 minutes again. You'll know when the pancakes are done on each side when you can easily stick spatula under them and flip. Repeat until all batter is gone.

6. Serve pancakes while still warm with butter and maple syrup. If meal prepping keep in fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

Tips and Substitutions:

1. Use a griddle to make pancakes- if you don’t have a griddle and make pancakes on a regular basis, I highly recommend to invest in one. They are pretty cheap and great for making pancakes. Your pancakes won’t stick to the bottom and you can make more at a time. 
2. No applesauce? No problem– Substitute for a large ripe banana. The applesauce in this recipe helps the pancakes get fluffy. A ripe banana will help achieve the same result. 
3. Not a fan of coconut oil or you’re out of it?- Substitute for olive oil, unsalted butter, or ghee. 
4. Look for the small bubbles that pop-up on pancakes while cooking them- This is a good sign that they are ready to be flipped. 
5. Gently stick a spatula under the pancake when ready to flip- if it easily slides right through without getting stuck, it means the pancake is done on that side and ready to flip. If the spatula gets stuck and won’t easily slide under the pancake, don’t force it. Remove spatula and allow pancake to continue cooking for another few seconds.
6. Keep cooked pancakes on a cooling rack if possible- This will help pancakes to evenly start to cool-down preventing them from getting mushy and will remain fluffy and soft. 

Nutrition Facts

Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Amount per Serving

Calories

292

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

18

g

28

%

Saturated Fat

 

8

g

50

%

Trans Fat

 

0.003

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.3

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Cholesterol

 

27

mg

9

%

Sodium

 

195

mg

8

%

Potassium

 

164

mg

5

%

Carbohydrates

 

31

g

10

%

Fiber

 

3

g

13

%

Sugar

 

14

g

16

%

Protein

 

6

g

12

%

Vitamin A

 

622

IU

12

%

Vitamin C

 

2

mg

2

%

Calcium

 

139

mg

14

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.

**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used. 

**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family. 

*Post updated as of 3/30/2020

**Photos and Recipe updated as of 3/17/2021