The Perfect Protein Pancake Recipe

Have you ever met someone who didn’t like pancakes? There are many different ways to make pancakes, but unfortunately, not all recipes are nutritionally equal. Pancake batter can be very high in carbs and calories, and pancakes are frequently topped with sugary syrups, whipped creams, sprinkles and powdered sugars.

What are protein pancakes? 

Protein pancakes take the standard pancake recipe and give it a healthier, more protein-packed twist. 
 
Pancakes and their toppings can be loaded with calories, carbs and sugar with very little protein, so they don’t fill you up for long and can lead to an inevitable sugar crash. Protein pancake recipes, on the other hand, use ingredients like protein powder and eggs to amp up the protein and attempt to cut back on the carbs and sugar. They’re often made with protein powder or almond flour instead of refined flour. One serving of protein pancakes can have 15+ grams of protein, while regular pancakes have only around 2 grams of protein

Why protein pancakes?

With more protein per serving, eating protein pancakes for breakfast will help you stay full longer.

Eating protein pancakes instead of regular pancakes can also help you avoid a sugar crash, as many protein pancake recipes are made with bananas or natural sweeteners instead of sugar for sweetness. By choosing protein pancakes over sugar-filled breakfast foods like doughnuts and sugary cereals, you can better avoid health problems that are linked to sugar. 

Can you eat protein pancakes on a low carb diet?

You can absolutely eat protein pancakes on a low carb diet; you just need to be mindful of what ingredients you use to make your protein cakes. If low carb is the goal, avoid protein pancake recipes that call for ingredients like wheat flour and banana. While those ingredients taste great, there are many ways to make flavorful protein pancakes without them. 

Adding banana boosts nutrition.

Adding some bananas to this recipe helps add another boost of nutrition and health benefits. Along with being a great source of antioxidants, bananas can also improve digestive health as the fruit contains a resistant starch which supports the healthy bacteria in the gut. This resistant starch also slows the emptying of the stomach, preventing getting hungry quickly, and may help moderate blood sugar levels.

Tips For Making The Best Fluffy Protein Pancakes

As with most pancakes recipes, you don’t need too many kitchen tools. Grab a blender, spatula, and a skillet or pan, and you’re good to go!

• If you want a super smooth batter, use pre-made oat flour instead of rolled oats.

• If you want to make gluten free protein pancakes, make sure to check the label of your rolled oats packaging to ensure they are in fact gluten free.

• If you want to skip whipping the egg whites, the pancakes will still taste great. The air in the whipped egg whites helps to make the pancakes as fluffy as possible.

Ingredients

Pancakes are delicious, quick, and quite literally couldn’t be easier to make. This recipe will yield about 14 servings.

• Oat Flour/Rolled Oats Start with 2 cups. These will create the “base” of the pancake batter.

• Banana For a bit of natural sweet flavor, add 1 small banana.

• Egg Whites 1/2 cup of egg whites will help bind the ingredients together and will contribute to the pancakes’ fluffy texture.

• Protein Powder Include 2 scoops of your favourite protein powder.

• Cinnamon To add more flavor, include 1 tsp of cinnamon.

• Baking Powder 1/2 tsp of baking powder will help the pancakes cook properly.

• Salt A dash (1/4 tsp) of salt creates a subtle salty x sweet combo.

• Almond Milk Finally, finish things off with 1 cup of almond milk.

Method

• Separate the egg whites from the yolks and place the egg whites into a mixing bowl.
• Place oat flour/rolled oats, banana, protein powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a food processor or blender and process until completely blended.
• Use an electric hand mixer to beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, 2-3 minutes. Gently fold the ingredients together until fully combined.
• Grease a non-stick pan and heat over medium heat. Scoop out ¼ cup portions of pancake batter onto the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through and golden brown on the outside.

Experiment by topping the pancakes with greek yogurt, banana slices, berries or our coco-NUT Praline Granola for a more of a belly-filling boost. Enjoy!