Chocolate Chip Pancake Bake with Cinnamon-Pecan Streusel

Treat your breakfast crowd to a one-of-a-kind breakfast treat this weekend.

Chocolate Chip Pancake Bake with Cinnamon-Pecan Streusel
Photo: Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Missie Neville Crawford
Active Time:
30 mins
Chill Time:
7 hrs
Total Time:
9 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
12

Get a head start on this pancake bake by making the pancakes in advance. That'll shave 30 minutes off your prep work, and it'll mean you can whip this breakfast casserole together before bed without having to drag out a griddle. Make and freeze the pancakes up to two months in advance. When you're ready to make the breakfast casserole, bring them out and put them on a tray or baking sheet to thaw gently. Then continue with Step 3.

While we love keeping this pancake bake simple—and kid-friendly—with chocolate chips, you could add fruit like blueberries. Spice up the streusel to match the fruity flavors of your other mix-ins. In place of maple syrup, you could make a fresh fruit syrup. In short, use this pancake bake recipe as a template for all kinds of delicious brunch innovation.

Ingredients

Pancakes

  • 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar

  • 2 tsp. baking powder

  • 1 ½ tsp. baking soda

  • 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt

  • 3 cups whole buttermilk

  • 3 large eggs

  • 6 Tbsp. salted butter, melted, plus more for griddle and skillet

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus 2 Tbsp. for garnish

Casserole

  • 6 large eggs

  • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar

  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Streusel

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour

  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar

  • ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt

  • ¼ cup butter, melted

Additional Ingredient

  • Warm maple syrup

Directions

  1. Prepare the Pancakes: Stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk and eggs in a medium bowl; gradually stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture. Gently stir in melted butter (batter will be lumpy). Very gently stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes.

  2. Pour about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto a hot (350°F) buttered griddle. Cook until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look dry, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook until golden brown, about 3 more minutes. (You should have about 25 pancakes.)

  3. Generously butter a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or ovenproof skillet. Reserve 2 Pancakes. Shingle remaining Pancakes in a circle in skillet. Cut each reserved Pancake in half, and place in center.

  4. Prepare the Casserole: Whisk together eggs, cream, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Slowly pour egg mixture over Pancakes; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to overnight.

  5. Prepare the Streusel: Stir together pecans, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in melted butter until mixture is combined. Let stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  6. Uncover Casserole, and sprinkle Streusel mixture over the top. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven until center is set, 50 to 55 minutes. Garnish with chocolate chips, and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle each serving with warm maple syrup.

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