Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes

We make these oatmeal pancakes every once in a while, but this morning we added chocolate chips and they were extra good! I love the chewy texture the oatmeal gives the pancakes and the chocolate chips make them taste like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Yum!

**I always one-and-a-half or double this recipe since it only makes 8 pancakes**

1 C. milk
2/3 C. oatmeal
2/3 flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. cooking oil
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. flaxseed (optional, I always stick it in pancakes)
Chocolate chips (optional)
mini-chocolate chips (again, optional, but they add a nice little crunch on the top!)

In a small saucepan, heat milk until hot. Remove from heat and stir in oats. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together all the dry ingredients but the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture for the liquid ingredients.

In a small bowl, stir together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add egg mixture and oat mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until combined. Add desired amount of chocolate chips, if using.

For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle. Spread a bit using a spatula and flip when bubbles appear and edges are slightly dry. Serve with maple syrup and mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top.