Thick and pillowy whole grain buttermilk pancakes bursting with juicy fresh strawberries and melty dark chocolate chips, slathered with crunchy peanut butter and sweet strawberry preserves. 
Everything you love about a PB&J, but made extra thick and fluffy, extra satisfying, extra flavorful, perfectly sweet-and-salty, healthy, fresh, seasonal, and with chocolate chips. These pb & strawberry buttermilk pancakes are the perfect nostalgic breakfast for special occasions, lazy weekends, and even busy weekdays once you realize how quickly a small batch comes together.
They have the most indulgent pillowy-soft texture and rich flavors of buttermilk, cinnamon and vanilla, dark chocolate, ripe strawberries, sweet jam, and peanut butter…but you would never guess they are 100% whole grain and pretty darn nutritious. 
A closer look at the ingredients:
- Buttermilk and Greek yogurt: Both lend the classic tangy buttermilk pancake flavor, while the acid in the buttermilk gives them an extra fluffy rise. Whisking plain Greek yogurt in with the buttermilk helps thicken up the batter for extra thick and hearty pancakes.
- Egg whites: For binding and creating a lighter, more delicate texture. May sub 1 whole egg.
- Neutral oil: Refined almond, avocado, vegetable, or coconut will all do. Watch out for oils with a distinctive flavor, as this will come through in the pancakes. May sub melted butter and increase amount by 1/2 tsp.
- Sweetener: For no-calorie sweeteners, I prefer a monk fruit blend. Sub cane sugar with 1.5-2 tsp sugar for 1 packet no-calorie sweetener.
- Salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves: A hint of yummy warm spices elevates the flavor of these pancakes.
- White whole wheat flour: 100% whole grain with a lighter texture than hard whole wheat.
- Baking soda and powder: It’s important to add the baking soda (pure base) when cooking with acids like buttermilk for the best resulting flavor and rise.
- Fresh ripe strawberries: Strawberries have a really high moisture content. So, make sure to dab them dry, chop them into fairly small pieces, and don’t overdo it on the amount mixed into the batter to avoid soggy pancakes on the inside.
- Dark chocolate chips: The bitterness from the dark chocolate makes the perfect contrast to the sweet strawberries and maple syrup, tangy buttermilk, and salty peanut butter.
- Peanut butter and strawberry jam: It’s all about nostalgic, comforting flavors and the ultimate mash-up of textures. I definitely think the crunch from crunchy peanut butter adds something special here. One of my favorites lately is the lightly roasted crunchy peanut butter from Santa Cruz. For the jam, make sure to look for “jam” or “preserves” (not “jelly”) for the optimal spreadable texture. Or make your own with the season’s best!
Pb & Strawberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Thick and pillowy whole grain buttermilk pancakes bursting with juicy fresh strawberries and melty dark chocolate chips, slathered with crunchy peanut butter and sweet strawberry preserves.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
- 2 egg whites (or 1 whole egg)
- 1 tsp neutral oil (avocado oil, almond oil, or melted coconut oil)
- 3 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt (2% or higher preferred)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 tsp sugar or 2 packets sweetener (such as monk fruit or stevia)
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 80 g | scant 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- ~3 oz fresh ripe strawberries, finely chopped and patted dry
- ~1/2 oz dark chocolate chips (I use Lily's dark chocolate baking chips)
- 2 Tbsp crunchy peanut butter (mixed with a pinch of sea salt if unsalted)
- 2-3 tsp strawberry jam or preserves
- 2-3 tsp pure maple syrup, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk the buttermilk, egg whites, oil, Greek yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla, sweetener, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until smooth.
- Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix just until combined (some lumps are ok). Fold in chopped strawberries and chocolate chips.
- Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease with butter if necessary. Spoon batter onto hot skillet to form pancakes of desired size. Cook over medium-low to medium heat. When bubbles start to form on the top, gently flip. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to plates. Repeat in batches.
- Top each with a smear of peanut butter, strawberry jam, and maple syrup to taste.
