During the week, I don’t have much time for breakfast. I usually have a bowl of oatmeal or toast with eggs — nothing special. But on the weekends when I have more time, I like to splurge a little. Why not, right?

This idea was inspired by one of my favorite chocolate shops, Vosges. They make a Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix that I’ve been dying to try, but I can’t seem to get past the $12 price tag — especially when it’s something I could make myself from scratch. So, here’s what I came up with. Simple, fluffy buttermilk pancakes (with some cocoa powder mixed in for good measure), topped with crispy, salty bacon, creamy chocolate chips and thick, sweet maple syrup.

Oh yeah, baby. Now that’s a breakfast worth splurging for.

Chocolatey Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon

What you need:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 pieces of bacon, cooked until very crispy and chopped
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Maple syrup (the real stuff!)

How you do it:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and cocoa powder.
2. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine buttermilk, milk, eggs and butter. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. If the batter seems thick, add a smidge more milk (these measurements worked well for me, though).
3. In a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, add the batter, one ladle full at a time, making any size pancakes you like. Cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until bubbles form in the center. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Serve each stack of pancakes with a sprinkling of bacon and chocolate chips. Top with warm maple syrup.