Five easy protein pancake recipes you’ll want to make right now

Protein pancake recipes make it really easy to up your intake, feel fuller for longer and boost muscle growth. We all need protein – in fact it provides the building blocks for everything from muscles to bone mass, skin and hair, so it’s really important for overall health.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that the average American needs 0.8g of protein per kilogram or 0.35g per pound of body weight every day. So if you weigh 75kg (165 pounds) you need about 60g of protein daily. If you’re hitting the gym hard, your protein needs will increase. This is because when you exercise, you break down muscle and need protein to rebuild it.

We can get all the protein we need from food, but powders are a fast and convenient way to get more into your daily diet, especially when the best protein powder for women and men are readily available.

Read on to find out five easy protein pancake recipes created by registered nutritionist Kirsten Oddy that you can try today.

Banana and oat protein pancakes

Serves 2 

Ingredients

• 40g oats
• 1 small banana
• 20g protein powder
• 2 eggs
• 50ml unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 7ml coconut oil
• Topping of choice: berries, nut butter, honey, yogurt etc.

Method

• Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until a smooth, thick batter forms.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat.
• Add the butter or coconut oil to the pan.
• Once melted, spoon in the batter to make small pancakes. Once starting to firm and/or bubbles form, gently flip and cook on the other side. Make sure to cook these in batches so as not to overload the pan.
• Serve with toppings of your choice.

Blueberry and banana protein pancakes

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 24g protein powder
• ½ tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 banana
• 15ml unsweetened almond milk
• 20g oats
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 37g blueberries
• 7ml coconut oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup, divided, to serve

Method

• In a mixing bowl or blender, mix the egg, protein powder, flax seed, banana, almond milk, cinnamon and oats.
• Stir blueberries into the mixture.
• Heat coconut oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Pour in batter and cook pancakes about two minutes per side, or until they're firm enough to flip.
• Serve with maple syrup and an extra sprinkle with cinnamon.

Eggless chocolate brownie protein pancakes (vegan)

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 13g ground flaxseed
• 90ml water
• 46g chickpea flour
• 49g chocolate vegan protein powder
• 5g cacao powder
• 14g baking powder
• 240ml unsweetened almond milk
• 60g dark chocolate chips
• 7ml coconut oil

Method

• Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Whisk and set aside to thicken for about five minutes.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine the chickpea flour, protein powder, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
• Add the almond milk and flax mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix well until a smooth batter forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Heat coconut oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spoon the batter into the pan in 1/4 cup portions. Cook pancakes for about three to four minutes per side.
• Plate the pancakes and enjoy!

Lemon and blueberry protein pancakes

Serves 2

Ingredients 

• 60g oats
• 2 eggs
• 60g cottage cheese
• 25g vanilla protein powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 120ml unsweetened almond milk, or water
• 85g blueberries (plus more for topping - optional)
• 7ml coconut oil, for greasing pan

Method

• Combine the oats, eggs, cottage cheese, vanilla protein powder, lemon juice, lemon zest, and almond milk water in a blender until smooth and then fold in the blueberries.
• Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add coconut oil.
• Once the oil is hot, pour the pancake mixture into the pan to make small pancakes. Cook for 2-4 minutes, or until firm enough to flip.
• Flip over and cook for an additional two to four minutes, or until the batter is cooked through.
• Repeat with remaining pancakes. You could serve with extra blueberries, lemon, maple syrup or yogurt, or simply enjoy on their own.

Simple banana and vanilla protein pancakes

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 4 eggs
• 50g vanilla protein powder
• 15ml coconut oil
• Topping of choice: berries, maple syrup, banana, nut butter etc.

Method

• In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add the eggs and protein powder. Mix well until a batter forms.
• Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, pour the batter into the skillet, roughly 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for three minutes, or until the top starts to bubble slightly, and flip. Repeat the process until all the batter is used up.
• Transfer to a plate and serve with toppings of your choice!