Easy Protein Pancakes

These Easy Protein Pancakes are my everyday favorite go-to pancake recipe! Packed with nutritious ingredients like oats, almond flour, yogurt and extra eggs, they are a quick and healthy breakfast and super delicious! Unlike regular pancake recipes full of sugar and flour, these are high-protein pancakes without protein powder, and won't leave you hungry before lunch!

• Made with REAL Ingredients! - Most pancake recipes are so unsatisfying, full of flour and sugar and have me feeling hungry by mid morning. Not these! These are Protein Pancakes without bananas or protein powder, instead they get their protein from nutrient-packed whole ingredients like rolled oats, almond flour, plain yogurt and extra eggs to keep you going all morning! Real ingredients, no refined sugar, and topped with real maple syrup. Yum!

• Fast and Easy! - We have these pancakes once a week, even on busy school mornings, because they are so quick and easy to throw together! All the main ingredients are in ¼ cup amounts, so grab just one measuring cup and you only need one bowl!

• If you love these pancakes, try Protein Buttermilk Pancakes, Pumpkin Protein Waffles, and this Protein French Toast Bake. We love to add a Smoothie to all our Favorite Breakfasts! Family approved and always kid-friendly!

Ingredients

With real clean ingredients, these protein pancakes are made without protein powder or bananas, and get their extra protein from yogurt, eggs, almond flour, oats and butter.

• Flour - There is a small amount of all-purpose flour in these protein pancakes, far less than regular pancakes.

• Almond Flour - Almond flour adds a healthy source of protein, and you could sub any nut flour you have. Try these Almond Cherry Scones with almond flour too!

• Regular Rolled Oats - In these protein pancakes, oats give you lots of vitamins and extra fiber. They also give the pancakes a sturdy satisfying texture.

• Baking Powder and Baking Soda - These help the batter rise giving you nice fluffy protein pancakes.

• Salt - Enhances the flavor of all ingredients.

• Plain Yogurt - Plain yogurt is a staple ingredient in our house and we also use it as a healthier alternative to sour cream. We eat it for breakfast flavored with berries and Homemade Granola, use it to make Mac & Cheese for Kids, Mediterranean Hummus and Avocado Bean Dip. I gave up buying sour cream long ago because it would always go bad before I used the whole container. Now we use a dollop of yogurt on our Beef Vegetable Chili and Loaded Baked Potatoes! The taste of plain yogurt is very similar, and without the added colors and sugars, it's a versatile and healthy ingredient in these protein pancakes. Plain greek yogurt or vanilla flavored yogurt would work too, but give you slightly different pancakes.

• Orange Juice - Orange juice gives you an acid, much like in buttermilk pancakes. It reacts with the baking powder to give you nice fluffy protein pancakes.

• Eggs - This protein pancake recipe has 3 eggs, that's more than usual! Adding an extra egg keeps you full all morning!

• Butter - A bit of butter is for flavor and texture.

Variations and Add-ins

• Blueberry Protein Pancakes - Blueberries are a classic addition to pancakes and make them even healthier. Fresh or frozen blueberries are great, no need to thaw.

• Protein Banana Pancakes - Bananas are a healthy addition to pancakes and can either be added when you ladle the batter onto the griddle for a cooked taste, or sliced raw on top when serving.

• Gluten-Free Protein Pancakes - You can make these gluten-free protein pancakes by substituting the ¾ cup of regular flour for coconut flour, oat flour, or a gluten-free flour mix.

• Chocolate Chips - My kid's favorite! A few chocolate chips are delicious in each pancake. They also go well with chopped nuts or bananas.

• Christmas Morning Pancakes - These protein pancakes are the perfect special breakfast for Christmas morning! Add some holiday color with red raspberries and green kiwi and top them with white chocolate chips and banana! Strawberries and pomegranate seeds would be great for Christmas too!

• More Topping Ideas - You can top your protein pancakes with fresh fruit, whipped cream, a dollop of yogurt, nut butter, powdered sugar or cinnamon, or the classic butter and real maple syrup.

Instructions

Step 1 - This quick protein pancake batter takes just 5 minutes to put together! Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.

A ¼ measuring cup can be used for the whole recipe, making it quick and easy!

Step 2 - Add all other ingredients to the dry (no need to dirty two bowls!) and whisk together until just combined.

The batter will have a yellowish color from the orange juice and egg yolks.

Step 3 - Preheat a griddle over medium heat and wipe it with a bit of butter (use a rubber spatula to spread what is left from the bowl you microwaved the butter in).

Use the same ¼ measuring cup to ladle on the pancakes. Add blueberries if you like.

Step 4 - When the pancakes fluff up and the bottoms are golden (use a spatula to check), they are ready to flip.

Adjust the griddle temperature as needed. Serve with butter and real maple syrup.

Helpful Tips

• One Bowl - Start by whisking together your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then add everything else and mix. There is no reason to dirty two bowls!

• Make Sure Your Griddle is Hot - Don't try to add the batter before the griddle is preheated! You also don't want your griddle smoking hot. Find a happy medium and adjust as you go to get your pancakes the perfect golden brown.

• Spatula - Use a sturdy metal spatula for flipping the pancakes!

• Make Ahead Instructions - If you'd like to make these healthy yogurt pancakes ahead of time, I would recommend measuring out all the dry ingredients and keeping them in an airtight container on the counter. Then when ready to make, just quickly add the wet ingredients. This will save you a little time and is better than making a whole batch ahead of time and storing them because they just won't taste as fresh.

• Storage Instructions - Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and reheated the next day. They can also be frozen, although they are never as good as when they are fresh!

• Flour Substitutes - The rolled oats and almond flour are ways to increase the nutrition and protein and use less all purpose flour in the recipe. However, if you don't have one or the other, you can substitute another nut flour, a gluten-free flour mix, or just use more regular flour. Just make sure the proportions are the same.

If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it!  Leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!

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