Make a Protein Pancake Without Protein Powder!

“Make a Protein Pancake Without Protein Powder” was written by Ashley Watson Stephens & edited/reviewed by Aly Bouzek, MS, RDN. Ashley is a dietetic intern at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX.

Table of Contents

Why a Protein Pancake?
A Protein Pancake With Protein Powder
Making a Protein Pancake without Protein Powder
Recipe: Protein Pancake without Protein Powder
Additional Helpful Resources
Make a Protein Pancake without Protein Powder Wrap Up

Stack of Pancakes with Blueberries on Top.

Have you ever been enjoying a stack of delicious pancakes, or daydreaming about breakfast options and thought to yourself, “How could I make these even better?” or “It would be great if these were more nutritious!”

Or perhaps, you are someone with diabetes mellitus, reactive hypoglycemia, lactose intolerance, or celiac disease.

Maybe you are trying to lose (or maintain) weight, and think that pancakes are a thing of the past – that you’ll never truly be able to enjoy again.

Fortunately, we live in a wonderful modern world where you can find modified recipes, such as the one you’ll read about in this article, allowing you to fit a delicious protein pancake back into your diet!

Why a Protein Pancake?

For most, there hardly needs to be any convincing to eat pancakes. But perhaps you are still a bit skeptical on whether they could truly be an option, much less good for you too. Don’t worry, we will explain just how healthy and delicious they can be!

Protein Pancakes are Nutritious

Really, you read that right. Now, we’re not saying that a stack of 6 pancakes with a cup of syrup is something you should do or make a habit of including in your diet every day. But, pancakes, especially protein pancakes, are a great breakfast (or lunch, dinner, or snack) option!

How so?

Carbs

For starters, pancakes pack a lot of carbohydrates (or carbs). Your body needs carbs to function, as they are your brain and body’s primary and preferred source of fuel.

Eating a breakfast with a modest amount of carbohydrates, such as oats or whole-wheat flour, will also reduce the chances of a blood sugar spike, and will keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Protein

Did you know that protein is not just something you eat or drink to make your muscles big? It is also used by your body to:

Make hormones and enzymes
Help repair and build your body’s tissues
Maintain pH balance
Keep you from wasting away
Keep fluids where they are supposed to be
Etc.

Protein not only provides you with the energy that your body requires, but, by adding protein, it helps balance out your blood sugar by causing the digestion of the carbs to slow down. This helps reduce the chance of such a high blood sugar spike.

As we age, we tend to start losing muscle (called sarcopenia) making things that once we’re easy for us, more and more challenging.

If we want to be able to get out of bed easily, walk upstairs, and just be able to carry on with our activities of daily living, then it is imperative to stop muscle wasting in its tracks. One way of doing that is by getting in sufficient amounts of protein to keep up with your valuable muscles!

Healthy Fats

Fat has gotten a bad rap, and for the longest time, people associated dietary fat with being overweight. While fat does have a higher calorie count than carbs and protein, healthy fats are essential to our well-being and aren’t something we should avoid.

In fact, most of us should be getting 20-25% of our daily calories from fat. Some healthy fats you can use in recipes are olive oil, flax seeds, chia seeds, and eggs. Fortunately, all these things can be found at most grocery stores.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are not something many of us count. Fortunately, a well rounded diet actually contains many of the vitamins and minerals that we need:

Eggs provide minerals such as vitamin A, B vitamins, and choline.
Whole-grain flour is rich in B vitamins, folate, and iron.
Milk contains vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth.
Greek yogurt contains live cultures, called probiotics, that keep your gut healthy and happy.
Pure maple syrup contains high amounts manganese and zinc, which are good for our bones, metabolism, and immune system.

Protein Pancakes are Customizable

A protein pancake recipe can easily be modified to fit any diet. If you have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant, then you can swap regular flour for gluten-free options such as gluten-free oats, a pre-made gluten-free flour blend, coconut flour, or almond flour.

If you have diabetes, then you can use whole-wheat flour and choose a sugar-free syrup. Are you lactose-intolerant, or following a vegan or vegetarian diet? Try substituting water or nut milk for your dairy product (yes, they even make protein water)!

Keep in mind that tweaking the ingredients will affect the consistency of a protein pancake. You may need more or less of an ingredient in the recipe that we’ve provided below.

Protein Pancakes are Convenient

One of the best things about pancakes, in general, is that they are simple and quick to make. You can also make a large batch at a time, allowing you to have some for now and save some for later.

This popular food can be easily transported, and takes hardly any time to heat up in the microwave. This makes it a great option to bring to work, or for those who want a tasty breakfast without the fuss of cooking every morning.

You can even freeze them and warm them up at a later date. Cool!

A Protein Pancake With Protein Powder

We are going to dive into the topic of protein pancakes without the use of protein powder. Why no protein powder, you may ask?

While there is nothing wrong with adding protein powder to your recipe, we simply want to provide you with alternatives in case protein powder is not an option for you (health concerns, cost, availability, etc.).

There are certainly some pros to using a protein powder in your recipe and a few cons, which we will discuss here.

A Protein Pancake with Protein Powder: Pros

Easy to pack in more protein. One of the biggest pros is that a scoop of protein powder can add an average of 20–30 grams of protein, making it very easy to fit more protein in your diet.

Considering the average person needs around 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, that single scoop is helping you meet around 30 percent or more of your protein needs for the day.

These needs may change depending on your health, such as a weightlifter trying to build muscle, or an elderly person trying to prevent unintended weight loss.

So Many Flavors. Because the health and wellness industry is such a huge market, there are so many different flavors of protein powder. You can go for a simple vanilla, try unflavored, or go wild and try something like blueberry muffin, birthday cake, or cinnamon roll.

Whatever flavor you fancy, it’s likely to be out there waiting for you!

Variety. Not only are there many flavors of protein powders available, but there is also a variety of types of proteins that you can find in the supermarket and online.

Besides whey protein, the most common option, you can also find many plant-based, dairy-free, and vegan options as well.

A Protein Pancake with Protein Powder: Cons

Flavor. Although choosing a more basic flavor like the vanilla or unflavored options may pair better with the pancake mix, to many, the flavor can be a turn-off and can still be detected.

However, not all protein powder is created equal and some can be of a lower quality or have strong, undesirable flavors.

Price. Let’s face it, protein powder can be expensive, so adding a tub of protein powder or a pack of protein shakes to your grocery list might not be practical. The average tub of protein powder is over $40, and protein shakes can be $2-3 each.

However, there is a price you pay for convenience, and protein powder can last you a good while (about 30 servings per container).

Making a Protein Pancake without Protein Powder

Creativity can definitely play a part when it comes to fitting more protein into your recipe. See below for some suggestions!

Tweak the Recipe

Some popular options are to simply add more of the foods that are high in protein, such as adding an extra egg or two to your mix. Other options can include using Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, or even substituting oat flour or whole-grain flour for all-purpose flour.

In the recipe below, we will do both. Adding a few tablespoons of chia seeds or nutritional yeast to your mix offers a simple way of adding in more protein too!

Go Savory

Think that pancakes have to be sweet and include a lot of sugar? Think again!

With pancakes being such a versatile food, you can go in the complete opposite direction and make them savory! You can make them with chives and top with cheddar cheese and plain Greek yogurt. This makes them a fun side dish that you can serve at any meal.

Switch Things Up

Not loving the whole protein pancake idea, but still have a good appetite and want to get in an adequate amount of protein?

No problem! Just serve your favorite pancakes along with some eggs, turkey bacon or sausage, and a glass of low-fat milk, and voilà! You have protein with your pancakes with no need to alter the recipe.

Another option is to make yourself a little pancake breakfast sandwich. A homemade pancake sandwich can easily been made and taken with you wherever you go to eat at your convenience. Fill it with an egg, Canadian bacon, a slice of cheese, and you’re all set!

Toppings

While most people top their pancakes with butter and syrup, you can think out of the box and top it with whatever your heart (and stomach) desires. Some protein options include nuts, seeds, and Greek yogurt.

Recipe: Protein Pancake without Protein Powder

*Note, this section includes an affiliate link. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Yield: 8 pancakes
Calories: 174
Protein: 10 gm
Fat: 6 gm
Carbs: 22 gm

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
2 eggs
⅔ cups
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp Baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Instructions

Step 1: Add the eggs, Greek yogurt, milk, maple syrup (or your sweetener of choice), vanilla extract, rolled oats (or flour), baking powder, cinnamon, and nutritional yeast into a blender and blend until the batter is a smooth texture (about 30 seconds or so).

If the mix is too thick, simply add a splash of milk until it’s at a desirable consistency (it should pour easily but not be runny).

Step 2: Add some non-stick cooking spray to the pan.

Step 3: Heat the pan to medium or medium-low heat. Once warmed, pour about 1/4 cup of pancake batter onto the hot pan.

Step 4: Cook the pancake for about 2 – 3 minutes until the edges firm up, and you see little bubbles on top. Then, gently flip and cook the other side for about 1 minute. Remove from the pan when cooked and place on a plate. Repeat until you are out of mix.

Step 5: Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy the deliciousness of these pancakes, knowing that you are putting nutritious and delicious food in your body!

Ingredient Breakdown

Rolled oats: To keep this recipe gluten-free, make sure you choose rolled oats with a certified gluten-free label (see photo at right).

Don’t worry about the oats not being a powder, simply by putting them in a blender or food processor will turn them into oat flour.

Eggs: Eggs will help hold everything together, create a fluffy texture, and provide you with that extra protein and healthy fats we talked about above.

Milk: Your choice of cow’s milk or plant-based milk will do just fine. If you want to fit in more calories, go for a higher fat percentage. For this recipe, we used 2% milk.

Greek yogurt: This will also assist with fluffiness, provide you with protein, calcium, AND probiotics for a healthy and happy gut!

Did you know that the straining process of Greek yogurt eliminates a majority of the lactose, so if you have a high sensitivity to lactose, you may be able to tolerate some Greek yogurt? Some brands are even lactose-free!

Maple syrup: For natural sweetness, add 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. You can also use honey or agave syrup, which are both natural sugars.

Vanilla extract: The perfect ingredient for a little added delicious homemade flavor.

Baking powder: 2 teaspoons of baking powder give these oatmeal pancakes a little extra rise and fluff.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon will not only make everything taste and smell amazing, but it has antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory! In the fall, you may want to get adventurous and try out some pumpkin spice (yes, please!).

Nutritional yeast: You will hardly even know it’s in there, but you’ll benefit from the extra punch of protein!

Substitutions

As mentioned earlier, it’s really difficult to mess pancakes up, and that is what makes them such an easy and fun food to make.

Get creative by using this recipe as a base and make them your own way. One of our favorite ways is topped with pecans, blueberries, whipped cream, and pure maple syrup!

Quick and Easy Alternatives

Low on time or energy? No problem. Sometimes, we just don’t feel like dragging out all the ingredients to make something, no matter how good the result may be.

If you don’t have the energy to make a recipe from scratch, Kodiak® Pancakes* has a great protein pancake mix that you can find online and at most grocery stores. They also have a gluten-free* mix!

Just add water (please read the directions on the box) and then skip ahead to step 2 in the directions above. Or, better yet, they offer the premade variety in the freezer section for an even more convenient option! Just pop them in the toaster and they’re good to go!

Additional Helpful Resources

Check out the resources below if you’d like to learn more about protein and how to easily add/increase it in your diet: