When the holidays approach, everyone concentrates on the dinner menu, but what about breakfast? I always like to whip up an extra special breakfast to start the festivities like these chocolate eggnog souffle pancakes. There's just something about waking up to a batch of ultra fluffy souffle pancakes topped with eggnog whipped cream that screams, "it's Christmas!" And who wouldn't like that?
Chocolate Eggnog Souffle Pancakes
Ingredients
Chocolate eggnog souffle pancakes
- ½ cup cake flour (65 grams)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (7 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup eggnog (50 ml)
- 2 tablespoon butter melted (28 grams)
- 4 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar (36 grams)
Eggnog whipped cream
- ½ cup heavy cream (150 ml)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (33 grams)
- ¼ cup eggnog (50 ml)
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup fresh raspberries, optional
- maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Make the chocolate eggnog souffle pancake batter. Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the eggnog, melted butter, egg yolks, vanilla extract, whisking until well combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar while the mixer is on. Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat the whites until stiff peaks form.
- Add half of the whipped egg whites to the pancake batter, gently folding them in. Add the remaining egg whites and fold them in just until combined.
- Heat a nonstick saute pan over low heat. Spray the pan with cooking spray, wiping off the excess oil with a paper towel. Generously spray 3 3-inch biscuit cutters with cooking spray and place them on the pan. Fill the molds about halfway with the pancake batter. Add 1 tablespoon to the pan, making sure the water doesn't get in the batter. Cover the pan and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes or until the pancakes have set.
- Remove the lid and carefully flip over the pancakes with the molds still on. Cover the pan and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the pancakes have fully set. Remove from heat and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter, making sure to spray the molds with cooking spray each time.
- Meanwhile, make the eggnog whipped cream. Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar until medium peaks form. Slowly add the eggnog while the mixer is still on, whipping until stiff peaks form. Add the nutmeg, stirring to combine.
- Serve the chocolate souffle pancakes warm with a dollop of eggnog whipped cream, fresh berries, and maple syrup.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
When I was trying to think of a special Christmas breakfast recipe, I immediately knew that eggnog should be involved. I'm not a fan of drinking eggnog but I love using it in desserts and baked goods. I already have an eggnog waffle recipe and an eggnog french toast recipe so it was time to add pancakes to that list. Here enters chocolate eggnog souffle pancakes! I based the idea on the Japanese souffle pancakes but the batter is a little different. Japanese souffle pancakes are almost like custard, while this one is more like a light sponge cake.
To make this version of souffle pancakes, first, sift the dry ingredients including the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Separate the egg whites from the yolks and add the yolks to the dry mixture along with the melted butter, eggnog, and vanilla. Whisk the mixture until well combined.
Meanwhile, beat the egg whites with a whisk until soft peaks form. While the mixer is running, slowly add the sugar to the egg whites, then continue to beat until stiff peaks form. You don't want to overbeat the egg whites or else the pancakes won't rise properly.
Add half of the egg whites to the pancake batter, gently folding in the whites. We add the egg whites in batches to make them easier to incorporate.
Once the batter is ready, heat a nonstick frying pan over low heat. These souffle pancakes are thick so they need to cook on low heat to allow them to fully cook inside.
Spray the pan with cooking spray, wiping off the excess oil with a paper towel. Generously spray 3 3-inch biscuit cutters or mold with cooking spray and place it on the pan. Then, fill the mold about halfway with the pancake batter. Pour 1 tablespoon of water in the pan, cover with a lid, and continue to cook for about 4-5 minutes. The water will create steam in the pan and allow the batter to rise.
The pancake is ready to be flipped when the bottom is lightly browned and the pancake has set. Carefully flip it over with the mold still on, then cover the pan and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the center is fully set. Don't worry if the pancakes shrink a bit after being flipped, that will happen naturally.
I only had one 3-inch mold so I had to make the pancakes one at a time which isn't ideal. However, you can make your own molds using parchment paper and shape them into 3-inch rounds.
While the chocolate eggnog souffle pancakes are cooking, whip up a batch of eggnog whipped cream. The trick to making the whipped cream is to first whip the heavy cream until medium peaks form. Then, very slowly add the eggnog to the whipped cream while whipping them together. It won't become as stiff as if you were only whipping heavy cream but you should still be able to get medium peaks.
Serve the pancakes warm with a dollop of the eggnog whipped cream, fresh berries, and maple syrup. If you want to go the extra distance, throw in some caramelized bananas or a fruit compote.
These chocolate eggnog souffle pancakes are my idea of the perfect Christmas brunch. They're so light that you'll still have plenty of room for dinner while still tasting amazing!
For more holiday breakfast inspiration check out this overnight gingerbread french toast recipe!
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