Forget Plain Pancakes: Give Them A Chocolate Twist With One Hershey's Addition

In this world, you're either a pancake person or you're not. If you are a fan of the sweet breakfast, then you know all about the endless possibilities the dish presents. There are regular, whole wheat, and spelt varieties, plus you can throw in chocolate chips, strawberries, or bananas and nuts — and that doesn't even begin to touch on the toppings. A lot of the time, we tend to keep the base of the batter the same, but if you're a fan of chocolate, there's another twist you need to try: adding Hershey's chocolate syrup.

By incorporating a little Hershey's syrup right into the batter, you can create a deep, uniform chocolate flavor that infuses throughout the mixture, leading to pancakes that are packed with a chocolate punch in each bite, rather than just in the spots like you get with chocolate chips.

The liquid syrup also mixes into the batter seamlessly and it provides a touch more sweetness than cocoa powder, which is the add-in typically used for a chocolate pancake recipe. Plus, the pancakes will take on a lovely, dark color that's sure to impress anyone at the breakfast table.

To try it out, just add a few tablespoons of chocolate syrup to the batter of any easy pancake recipe along with the rest of the liquid ingredients. Boxed mix should work too — here are some of the best pancake mixes of 2026 if you need recommendations. Whisk until thoroughly combined, ensuring there are no streaks, and fry up the pancakes as normal.

You can use more or less syrup depending on how strong you want the flavor to be. Just keep in mind that syrup is a liquid ingredient. Depending on how the batter is looking, you may need to cut back on some of the milk to avoid too much thinning, or sprinkle in extra flour to thicken. There is also sugar in chocolate syrup, about 10 grams per tablespoon, so use less if you don't want the pancakes to be overly sweet –- boxed mixes tend to contain added sugar so tread especially lightly with those.

This trick was shared by Hershey's, but you can use any chocolate syrup, including low-calorie or sugar-free versions. Strawberry syrup would work wonderfully too, as would caramel or good old maple. You can mix in some of the usual add-ins too if you want, like chocolate chips or bananas. Top with more syrup, fruit, or whipped cream for a real treat.