No need to make protein pancakes from protein powder – this recipe uses simple, real food ingredients to help you hit your protein goals with a delicious, filling breakfast.
I first came up with this protein pancake recipe when my kids were going through a growth spurt and eating everything in sight.
But I use it now to help me hit my protein goals!
If you need breakfast to please the family AND you want to increase your protein without increasing your grocery budget, these are the best protein pancakes for you!
How do you add protein to pancakes?
Every ingredient in these high protein pancakes adds a protein boost! From oats to flaxseed to cottage cheese to egg whites, you get a tasty breakfast that gives you energy for your day.
PROTEIN PANCAKES
Making protein pancakes is more than just a slight tweak and change in shape. I also had high expectations for these pancakes. They needed to be:
- Hearty, filling, and with enough oomph to get to lunch (and beyond).
- Sweet because of the syrup on top, not because of refined sugar in the recipe.
- Designed for breakfast, but flexible enough for banana nut butter sandwiches.
- Would NOT leave you feeling empty and hungry a couple of hours later.
- Have simple, real food protein sources – I didn’t want the protein in these pancakes from protein powder.
And I’m happy to report that this pancakes protein recipe is all of those things!
HIGH PROTEIN PANCAKES
In a way, you could say that turning food into its high-protein doppelganger is my middle name.
- I first did it when I wrote High Protein, No Powder. Back then, I was doing P90X, and the eating plan recommended either a protein shake or a protein bar every day.
- I wasn’t thrilled with the long ingredient list in conventional whey protein powder or typical protein bars. NOR was I okay paying an arm and a leg for a teeny tiny container of organic powder that I’d devour in a week (or even less if I’m trying to make protein powder pancakes!).
- Instead, I chose to make my own protein smoothies and protein bars with real food and write a book about it.
And now I can add these high protein pancakes to the list!
PROTEIN PANCAKES RECIPE INGREDIENTS
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this high protein pancakes recipe:
- Oats. Any kind works here – I usually keep old fashioned rolled oats on hand. Using certified gluten-free oats keeps these protein pancakes gluten free!
- Cottage Cheese. I promise you won’t even notice the cottage cheese in the finished pancakes!
- Milled Flaxseed. Flaxseed adds protein and a nutty flavor.
- Egg Whites. An easy way to bump up the protein is to replace some of the wet ingredients with egg whites.
- Eggs. A couple of whole eggs help hold the pancakes together.
- Milk. Dairy milk gives you the most protein, but almond milk or oat milk would work here, too.
- Banana. An overripe banana is best for natural sweetness. Much like the cottage cheese, you don’t really taste it in the finished protein pancakes. But if you’re absolutely anti-banana, add a Medjool date to the blender instead.
- Baking Powder. Baking powder is for lift, so the pancakes turn out light and fluffy.
- Ground Cinnamon. Cinnamon enhances the flavor.
- Vanilla Extract. Vanilla also adds to the flavor. Here’s how to make your own!
- Salt. Rounding out our flavor enhancers, a bit of salt helps bring out the sweetness.
Psst! Speaking of salt, I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen. You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of the salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic-free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!)
HOW TO MAKE HIGH PROTEIN PANCAKES
Step 1. Preheat a griddle to 350F or warm a skillet over medium heat. Use either cooking spray or a teaspoon of butter to lightly grease the griddle.
Step 2. Combine all the dry ingredients and liquid ingredients in a blender. Blend until the batter has a mostly smooth texture and is incorporated well.
Step 3. Pour ⅓ cup of the batter onto the griddle and cook until the outer edges turn golden brown and bubbles start to appear, about 1 minute.
Step 4. Flip the pancakes and cook on the other side until they’re medium brown, about 30-45 seconds.
Step 5. Remove the protein pancakes to a plate and keep them warm. Repeat with the rest of the pancake batter. Use a spatula to get out the last bits in the blender.
Step 6. Serve with fresh fruit and maple syrup on top! (I love a mix of blueberry and strawberry!)
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend flash-freezing the pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet first so that they don’t stick together, and then putting them in a resealable bag once they are frozen.
PROTEIN PANCAKES TOPPINGS
These high protein pancakes are deliciously nutty on their own, but with a blank slate of a pancake, you can really go crazy with your pancake toppings.
TIPS FOR PROTEIN PANCAKES WITH BANANAS
Ready to whip up a batch of fluffy protein pancakes? I’ve made this protein pancake recipe often enough that I have a few tips for you.
The banana is for sweetness, not flavor.
- An overripe banana will be naturally sweeter than a just-ripe banana, so feel free to let one go brown just for this recipe.
- Go ahead and give the batter a lick to see if it’s sweet enough. If you don’t think so, consider adding a second banana OR one fresh Medjool date to up the sweetness.
The vanilla is for flavor, but it’s powerful.
- I made the unfortunate mistake of adding extra vanilla for more vanilla flavor, and that batch of pancakes turned out terrible. It’s definitely needed in the recipe, but don’t go overboard here.
The cinnamon is for sweetness AND flavor.
- Did you know that cinnamon tricks your palate into thinking something is sweet? It does, and that’s why we’re using it here.
- The flavor also complements the flaxseed really well and creates a pancake that legitimately tastes good on its own, even without maple syrup.
You can skip the griddle and BAKE pancakes!
- Did you know you can bake pancakes? Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray OR use silicone liners and fill them ⅔ full. Bake at 350F for 22-24 minutes, and not only do you have pancakes, but you don’t have to stand at the griddle, AND you can make double (or triple, or quadruple!) the batch in the same amount of time!
- Better yet, cook your protein pancakes in a sheet pan. You can find the instructions for that baking hack HERE. Talk about a meal prep time saver!
PROTEIN PACKED PANCAKE RECIPE
I started with the goal of every ingredient in the protein pancakes recipe being high in protein by itself, so that when you added all the ingredients together, you had one incredibly high protein pancake. Let’s break that down:
- Oats = 11g protein. Most pancakes call for flour, but protein pancakes aren’t like most pancakes. We’re using oats instead, which contain more protein, AND give these pancakes a little bit of chew. It’s what makes protein pancakes feel like a meal, rather than bites of fluff that will leave you hungry in an hour.
- Cottage Cheese = 24g protein. Before you freak out at the mere mention of cottage cheese pancakes, hear me out. Thanks to our trusty blender, you don’t see it. And because it melts as the pancakes cook, you don’t taste it. What you DO taste is a creamy, pudding-like center of an irresistibly good pancake. And you can thank the cottage cheese.
- Eggs = 13g protein. Classic pancake ingredient here that is naturally high in protein. If it works, why fix it?
- Egg Whites = 7g protein. There aren’t a lot of wet ingredients in this recipe, but subbing egg whites for some of the usual wet ingredients lets us increase the protein while thinning the batter.
- Milk = 8g protein. Milk does a body good, and it also does these pancakes well. Any milk will work here, but with the goal of a high-protein pancake, cow’s milk is your best bet. Unless you have sheep milk. Sheep milk wins the protein race.
- Milled Flaxseed = 6g protein. Flaxseed makes a great substitute for eggs, but here we’re adding flaxseed (the brand I use) for an entirely different reason – flavor! The gentle nutty flavor of flaxseed plays a major role in these protein pancakes, so I do not recommend skipping it.
When all is said and done, these key players are bringing almost 7 grams of protein to every single pancake! How’s THAT for fuel?!
PANCAKES PROTEIN RECIPE FAQS
Can I just use protein powder for pancakes?
You could probably make some version of protein pancakes by adding whey or plant-based protein powder to your pancake recipe, but I think this version is better – you’re getting your protein from simple, real food ingredients, which you probably already have in your kitchen. It’s more frugal, and they taste amazing!
Are protein pancakes with bananas good for you?
What protein goes with pancakes?
These pancakes are high in protein on their own, but if you’re looking for even more protein, try them with a side of Breakfast Sausage or Scrambled Eggs.
MORE HIGH PROTEIN RECIPES
High Protein Recipes on Repeat
Download the top 15+ recipes that are on repeat in my house, making it easy to feed my family AND meet my protein goals!
The Very Best Protein Pancakes
No need to make protein pancakes from protein powder – this recipe uses simple, real food ingredients to help you hit your protein goals with a delicious, filling breakfast.
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats (90g)
- 1 cup cottage cheese (228g)*
- ¼ cup milled flaxseed (40g)
- ¼ cup egg whites (120g)*
- 2 eggs (120g)
- 1 cup milk (240g)
- 1 banana overripe is best (118g)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
-
Preheat a griddle to 350F or warm a skillet over medium heat. Use either cooking spray or a teaspoon of butter to lightly grease the griddle.
-
Combine all the dry ingredients and liquid ingredients in a blender. Blend until the batter has a mostly smooth texture and is incorporated well.
-
Pour ⅓ cup of the batter onto the griddle and cook until the outer edges turn golden brown and bubbles start to appear, about 1 minute.
-
Flip the pancakes and cook on the other side until they’re medium brown, about 30-45 seconds.
-
Remove the protein pancakes to a plate and keep them warm. Repeat with the rest of the pancake batter. Use a spatula to get out the last bits in the blender.
-
Serve with fresh fruit and maple syrup on top!
Notes
- Oats = 11g protein
- Cottage Cheese = 24g protein
- Eggs = 13g protein
- Egg Whites = 7g protein
- Milk = 8g protein
- Milled Flaxseed = 6g protein
When all is said and done, these key players are bringing almost 7 grams of protein to every single pancake! How’s THAT for fuel?!
Nutrition
Serving: 1pancakeCalories: 96kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 6gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 286mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 104IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 1mg
