Forget The Morsels: Chocolate Stuffed Pancakes Give Dessert For Breakfast A New Meaning

Perfectly cooked, fluffy pancakes are one of the great joys of life, especially when they involve chocolate. But to give dessert for breakfast a whole new meaning, ditch the chocolate morsels you typically use and opt for larger chunks of chocolate instead (read: go big or go home). A cut into the pancake will reveal molten chocolate, flowing from the pancake with undeniable drama similar to a lava cake. Tons of melty chocolate is wildly appealing for a stuffed pancake fit for dessert — or dessert for breakfast. 

You want the chocolate to melt, but not too far before the pancake has the chance to cook. To make perfect chocolate-stuffed pancakes at home with a chocolate bar portion or large candy pieces in the center (as opposed to smaller chocolate morsels), it helps to freeze the chocolate before adding it atop raw pancake batter in the skillet. That way, the pancake will have ample time to cook thoroughly on both sides before the chocolate gets overly hot or oozy. 

The beauty of stuffed chocolate pancakes is that the filling options are almost limitless, from your favorite Easter chocolates to Halloween candies like Twix or Reese's. You can even experiment with fun bars like Tony's Chocolonely's chocolate pretzel toffee. It does help to have flat chocolate pieces to ensure the chocolate melts thoroughly and evenly. So, choose thinner chocolate chunks, if possible. Or you can melt chocolate and spoon it onto parchment paper to freeze into thin disks. Then, when you're ready, remove them from the freezer to use in stuffed pancakes. The same freezing method can be used to freeze and incorporate chocolate hazelnut spread or cookie butter to fill the center of your pancakes.

If you please, place a frozen chocolate bar chunk or disk and a marshmallow in the center of your pancake for a s'mores variety. Try out stuffed pancakes with Oreos or other cookies. And of course, you can always fill fully-cooked pancakes just like you would fill a croissant or puff pastry. For example, inject bright and fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes with fun fillings like fruit jams or lemon curd by poking a hole through the pancake and piping filling directly into the cooked pancake. Stuff cooked pancakes with fruit compote and peanut butter for elegant PB&J stuffed pancakes, or fill them with cream cheese and rich dulce de leche. Really, the list goes on when it comes to delicious ingredients you can stuff pancakes with.