I’m going to make these tomorrow for friends who are stopping by for dessert. Chocolate chip pancakes are so divine and since they are served hot from the griddle, they feel sort of gourmet-ish.

It’s easy enough to make these from scratch, but obviously even easier to use a mix. If I’m making them just for my husband and me for a little treat, I try to be as healthful as possible by using a whole grain mix. If it’s for company, I want them to be super light and fluffy so I go with a standard white flour mix. (This is dessert, after all, hopefully following a very healthy dinner!) Pancake mix is usually vegan, but do a quick label scan; the more “complete” mixes can contain milk or even egg powder.

Prepare the batter according to package directions, using plain soymilk and egg replacer. I’m using Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer these days, but I also like EnerG brand.

For each batch of pancake mix, stir in around ¾ cups of vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips (this is according to taste, of course; you can’t go wrong with a little bit more) and ¼ cup chopped walnuts.

Melt around 1 tablespoon of vegan margarine in a non-stick skillet and cook the pancakes according to package directions. Serve immediately with sliced strawberries and just a drizzle of maple syrup.