Thick, fluffy, soft & satisfying whole grain buttermilk pancakes are filled with warm cinnamon & spices, dark chocolate chips, and slices of sweet caramelized pear. Finished with a drizzle of chocolate hazelnut spread (or almond butter, tahini, etc.) and pure maple syrup.Continuing with the fall fruit theme, we can’t forget about pears. Really good, sweet, juicy, ripe pears can be pretty difficult to come by here in Florida (most are produced in the Northwest), so it’s always a treat to find them around September and October. My top favorites are Starkrimson and Red Bartlett because of their super juicy and smooth texture, but yellow-green Bartletts are a great alternative. Of course you can eat them on their own, in salads, with yogurt and granola, in oatmeal, etc., but also don’t forget about adding them to smoothies, crumbles and cobblers, quick breads and cakes (like this chocolate pear streusel loaf cake), and pancakes!

These caramelized pear pancakes make a beautiful, beyond delicious, wholesome, and shockingly easy fall breakfast–complete with sweet slices of caramelized pear, warm fall spices and melty dark chocolate chips.

The Buttermilk Pancake Batter

The pancake batter is based off my tried and true whole grain buttermilk & Greek yogurt pancake recipe. It really doesn’t fail. These pancakes are extra thick, soft and fluffy, and far more substantial, filling, and satisfying than you’ll get with a box mix. The magic starts with:

Buttermilk – The thicker, the better, so full fat is generally preferable.
Plain Greek yogurt – I recommend at least 1-2% fat for flavor and texture.
Egg
Neutral oil – Like refined almond, avocado, or melted coconut oil. Vegetable oil is ok.
Sweetener – You can use a sweetener like stevia or monk fruit to keep these low in sugar, or the equivalent of granulated sugar
Fine sea salt
Spices – For these spiced pear pancakes, we’re using cinnamon, espresso, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.
Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
White whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour – 100% whole grain flour but with a lighter texture and milder flavor for perfectly fluffy pancakes.
Baking soda and baking powder
Mini dark chocolate chips

Broiled Pear

I know “caramelizing” pear sounds elaborate and time-consuming, but this is actually the easiest thing ever and can be done in a toaster oven (which I prefer over the big oven for convenience). Ripe Bartlett pears are already buttery soft, so they don’t need much time to cook. The point is to (1) evaporate out excess water so the pancakes don’t get soggy, and (2) caramelize the sugars and concentrate the flavors so the pear shines through in the pancakes and doesn’t get lost.

Just slice the pear very thin, spread the slices out in a single layer on a piece of foil, sprinkle with cinnamon, and broil until the skin shrivels and the edges start to brown. This takes about 10-12 minutes on the broil setting in my toaster oven, but I imagine it would be faster under the broiler of a standard oven.

To make the pancakes:

Butter a hot nonstick skillet.
Place a few slices of broiled pear down on the skillet first, cinnamon-side-down.
Spoon batter on top to form a pancake.
Place a couple more slices of broiled pear on top of the batter.
When bubbles are rising to the surface, the edges are set, and the bottom is golden, gently flip each pancake and continue cooking until both sides are toasty and there is no wet batter in the center.

The Toppings

You have total freedom with your toppings, but I have to recommend including a drippy (perhaps chocolate) nut butter, such as:

Chocolate hazelnut spread (pictured) – This brand is not nearly as sweet as Nutella and delivers more hazelnut flavor which I love.
Chocolate almond butter – Barney Butter melts like a dream.
Chocolate tahini – GAME. CHANGER. Who would have known?
Maple, vanilla, or plain almond butter also work!

Finish it all off with a light drizzle of pure maple syrup. A little goes a long way with the good stuff.