Sift together dry ingredients (rye flour through kosher salt) in a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together, egg, almond milk and maple syrup.
Pour dry mixture into wet mixture and whisk until just combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to thicken.
Preheat griddle or non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Mix chocolate chips into pancake batter (optional). Melt a small pat of butter in the skillet and drop in the batter, 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for several minutes, until dark around the edges. Flip and cook several minutes more, until dark on both sides.