Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Pancakes

I am a peanut butter and chocolate fanatic. I even have a round up of 30+ Vegan Chocolate and Peanut Butter Recipes!  Growing up, Reese's peanut butter cups were my all time favorite candy, and now my own home made peanut butter cups are. It is just an irresistible combination!  So a few days back at work I was kind of rungry (mid day hungry after running in the AM even though I ate a good breakfast, it just happens), I was daydreaming about what sort of chocolate and peanut butter concoction I could make when I got home.  I landed on pancakes after sorting through quite a few ideas in my head.  I thought peanut butter cup pancakes sounded amazing!  But I wasn't going to chop up peanut butter cups and mix them in.  I wanted the pancakes themselves to be chocolate and peanut butter.  An amazing stack of deliciousness!

This may sound like it would take quite a bit of time and effort to make, but not at all!  No pancake mixes here either.  I mean it is only about a minute more of your time to make your own so why not do it?  That way I can use the sweetener I want as well instead of just sugar.  I prefer maple syrup in my pancakes.  I made them with my classic gluten free batter, with plenty of peanut butter mixed in, then divided it in half and added in some cacao powder.  I thought about swirling the two batters and making the pancakes marble, but that was too much work, so I just cooked the two batters separately and decided to layer them together instead.  They cooked up beautifully and nice and fluffy.

They were lovely when stacked together with their opposite colors! But they needed a special decadent topping as well.  I was thinking fudge syrup and peanut butter syrup. So I whipped some up in just a few minutes and it was perfect on the pancakes.  Lastly, they needed a little crunchy element so I scattered some chocolate chips and peanuts 0ver them. It was a sight to behold. They were super delicious as well!  I consider them dessert, but I never make pancakes just for breakfast, it is usually in the evening when I get around to doing so!  But if you have the time on your day off in the morning, why not have dessert for breakfast and make yourself some of these?!

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Pancakes
Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cups filtered water
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp cacao powder mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water

Peanut butter and chocolate fudge syrup:

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• filtered water as needed
• 2 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder mixed with 1/4 cup filtered water

For serving:

• 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup roasted organic peanuts

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine all pancake ingredients (except the cacao mixture) and process until just blended, pour into a two bowls.
2. Whisk the cacao water mixture into one of the bowls.
3. To cook pancakes, preheat oven to 110 degrees. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the peanut butter batter in 1/4 cup amounts (I did 3 at a time, but it depends on your pan), and let cook for about 2-3 minutes on the first side until set and starting to brown, then flip with a spatula and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Do the same with the chocolate batter pancakes.
4. When cooked, place on a plate and keep warm in the oven while you cook the other pancakes.
5. To make the peanut butter and chocolate syrups, whisk together the peanut butter, maple syrup, and sea salt until smooth. Divide between 2 bowls.  Add the cacao water mixture to one and mix until smooth.  If either of the syrups are too thick, add a Tbsp or two filtered water and whisk it in until smooth.  They should both be pour-able.
6. Serve the pancakes topped off with the syrups, and sprinkle with peanuts and chocolate chips.

*Note: If you do not own a non-stick pan, you may need to lightly oil your pan to prevent sticking, if you do not mind these not being oil free.