Halloween Ghost Pancakes: a big stack of homemade orange pancakes are topped with dark chocolate ganache and whipped cream ghosts for a spooky Halloween treat!

Are you feeling spooky yet? Ready to get your costume on and walk the kids around the block??

Halloween is right around the corner and these Halloween Ghost Pancakes make the perfect Halloween breakfast treat!

I am sharing my favorite quick homemade pancake recipe, that we dye orange with McCormick Food Coloring, and top with a homemade dark chocolate ganache.

Oh! And don’t forget the adorable whipped cream ghosts on top!

Let’s start with talking about my favorite homemade pancake recipe. It’s my favorite for a few reasons…

One, it involves ingredients I already always have on hand. That right there is super important.

Two, no need for buttermilk, or running to the store to get some on an early Sunday morning.

And three, they have the perfect classic flavor and rise up nice and high for a super fluffy pancake!

I do usually add a pinch of McCormick Cinnamon, but skipped it because of the chocolate ganache.

If you are making these without the chocolate topping, I would recommend adding that pinch of cinnamon back in.

To get these pancakes to the perfect Halloween orange color, I used McCormick Food Color.

You need both yellow and red food coloring to make the vibrant orange that you see in my photos.

McCormick Assorted Food Color has no flavor and only adds color to your foods, making it perfect for these kind of dishes (especially Halloween!).

You can also make the pancakes green or purple for other fun spooky colors!

The dark chocolate ganache might look and sound really fancy, but I promise it is easy to make.

You don’t need a double broiler or anything crazy, just a sauce pan and a whisk and a good whisking arm.

Of course, if you don’t feel up to it, you can always use store bought chocolate syrup. I am pretty sure your kids won’t know the difference – but I love the additional flavor of McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract.

They are going to be thrilled either way for chocolate covered pancakes for breakfast that have ghosts on top!

And the final touch that can’t be skipped are the whipped cream ghosts up on top!

I made mine with homemade whipped cream and mini chocolate chips for the eyes.

If you make them, please share a photo with me on Instagram with the hashtag #TheNoviceChefRecipes and #McCormick! I would love to see your creations!

Halloween Ghost Pancakes

Yield: 12 (5 inch) Pancakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Halloween Ghost Pancakes: a big stack of homemade orange pancakes are topped with dark chocolate ganache and whipped cream ghosts for a spooky Halloween treat!

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Ingredients

Pancakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 10 drops red food colors
• 10 drops yellow food coloring

Dark Chocolate Ganache:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablelspoon corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Whipped Cream Ghosts:

• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• mini chocolate chips

Instructions

Pancakes:

1. Melt the butter in microwave for 30 seconds, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
3. Stir milk and egg together. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the butter and milk mixture into the well.
4. Use a wire whisk to stir everything together until just combined. It will be slightly thick and lumpy, but should be well incorporated. Add McCormick Food Coloring and whisk, until desired color is reached. 
5. Allow the batter to rest while heating a lightly oiled skillet or griddle to medium high heat.
6. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/3 cup for each pancake.
7. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

Dark Chocolate Ganache:

1. Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in small saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted.
2. Remove from heat, add the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Let chocolate glaze sit for 5 minutes until it has cooled slightly and started to thicken just a little bit.
3. Then slowly pour on top of pancake stack and push towards the edges - allowing a little to drizzle over the edge for desired effect.

Whipped Cream Ghosts:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and whipping cream. Continue whisking just until the cream reaches stiff peaks.
2. Place in a large piping bag with a round tip. Pipe ghost shapes on top of the pancakes and add mini chocolate chips for eyes. Serve immediately.