Chocolate Chip Pancakes Cooked in Bacon Fat

Remember when I had leftover bacon fat? Well, I found the perfect thing to make with it: chocolate chip pancakes. You’re welcome. (The original recipe, from Bon Appétit, is titled “Chocolate Chip Pancakes Cooked in Bacon Fat: Okay!”, and in my mind, the “Okay!” is pronounced like this one.) This was obviously really good! The original recipe calls for the fat rendered from an entire package of bacon (which is what I had on hand, but I didn’t use all of it). If you don’t have any prior to making this, you can cook the bacon right before making the pancakes and serve it as a side. I made a smiley face with chocolate chips in the first pancake, for the Little Prince, but by the time it landed in his plate it looked more like Jack Skellington (whom he likes, so I guess it’s okay). Enjoy!

2 cups whole wheat flour
¾ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
2 ¼ cups buttermilk substitute (lactose-free milk with 2 Tbsp. vinegar)
5 Tbsp. vegetable oil (or, hey, use bacon fat!)
2 eggs
¾ cup chocolate chips (I didn’t measure mine, just added them during cooking)
bacon fat (see note above)

Mix together flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a big bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the buttermilk, the oil and the eggs.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the liquid mixture in there and stir it together with a wooden spoon (or a whisk, according to the original instructions, which also state that you don’t have to worry about overmixing with whole wheat flour).

Melt some bacon fat in a skillet on medium heat so that you only have a sheen on the bottom of it. Put ¼ cup of pancake mixture in the skillet for each pancake (I usually make 3 per batch at that size). Flip the pancakes when the top looks set and the edges are golden. Serve with maple syrup.