Who says pancakes have to be unhealthy? Good news, folks, you can have your cake and eat it too – with a protein-packed twist! Introducing the Strawberry & Cream Protein Pancakes, the perfect way to start your day with a high-protein breakfast that won’t leave you feeling guilty. Coming in at under 300 calories and 33g of protein these fluffy pancakes are the perfect start to any day!

Why Make Your Own Pancake Mix?

Store bought pancake mix may seem convenient, but it often contain lesser quality ingredients and a ton of filler ingredients that up the calorie counts significantly. Making your own pancake mix is a great way to control the nutritional value of your breakfast, add extra protein to your diet and save a few dollars along the way. Let’s face it, who doesn’t love the satisfaction of whipping up something from scratch? There are protein pancake mixes like kodiak cakes and birch benders but for the calories they don’t add in enough grams of protein for the cost of a box.

What Protein Should I Use?

For this protein pancake recipe you’ll need to use a whey / casein blend or just casein protein. I personally use PEScience, you can buy it on amazon or at your local vitamin shoppe. I’ve attempted to make this it’s own with just whey protein and you get the opposite of fluffy pancakes. I have not tried this with a plant-based protein powder but I believe it might work okay as pea protein has the ability to fluff up and take on water but don’t hold me to this.

What Flour?

I use oat flour in this recipe, this is essential to keep these satiating, I have not tried this with all purpose flour or a gluten free flour. If you went to the grocery store, saw the price of oat flour, said “screw that” and kept walking…me too, me too. All oat flour is, is ground up old fashioned oats. You can get a giant tub of the store brand for $1-2. You’ll take these throw them in a blender or a food processor and viola! oat flour that’s not $5 for a tiny bag!

Can I Meal Prep These?

You can absolutely meal prep these healthy protein pancakes. After they cool make sure to store them in an air tight container in the freezer. Alternatively I like to make my own mix in bulk that way I’m able to just scoop it out any day of the week and add in my wet ingredients for a delicious pancake breakfast. I don’t have a shelf life for this but it’s been in my pantry for quite a while and we use it regularly. The ingredients are all shelf stable so I assume that mixed together they are too.

Make Your Own Scoop-able Pancake Mix:

15 scoops (500 g) vanilla whey/casein blend
4 cups (400 g) oat flour ⁣⁣
1 ⅔ cups (200 g) cornstarch 5 tsp
(20 g) baking powder ⁣⁣

Combine and whisk together, Store in an airtight container in your pantry, When you are ready to make pancakes scoop out 56g of mix and combine with the wet ingredients below.

Do These Have To Be Strawberry & Cream Pancakes?

With Valentine’s day fast approaching and the recent release of Dr. Pepper Strawberries & Cream Zero Sugar I wanted to put a fun twist on this healthy breakfast. These easy protein pancakes can be made as regular protein pancakes without all the extra frills or you can make them any which way you want. A few suggestions:

For a chocolate protein pancake, add 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.
For banana bread pancakes add in a few slices of banana to the batter
For chocolate chip pancakes add in a serving of chocolate chips once cooked.
Add in butter extract or buttermilk powder for a buttery rich pancake

What Are The Calories / Macros?

These are the calories / macros for the pancakes without adding in the white chocolate chips, strawberries or red food coloring. They pack 263 calories for 33g of protein, 25 carbs, 4 fat. All pictures shown is TWO servings of pancakes (526 calories, 66g protein)

These are the calories / macros once the white chocolate chips, strawberries and food coloring added:

298 Calories and 33g of protein, 30 carbs, 6 fat!

The serving size makes 4 regular sized pancakes.

All pictures have 8 regular sized pancakes and are two servings (the below recipe doubled).

Why These Pancakes Are the Best Protein Pancakes You’ll Ever Have:

They contain whole grains, which sustained energy and are satiating.
They are packed with protein, making them a filling and satisfying breakfast option.
They aren’t dry and they don’t taste like protein powder pancakes.
They are easy to make and only require simple ingredients, which you probably already have in your pantry.
They can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for a quick and easy breakfast all week long.
They are versatile and can be customized to your own preferences and favorite toppings.
They are a great alternative to store-bought pancake mix.

Ingredients:

20g Oat Flour
30g / 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (must be whey / casein or just casein)
9g Cornstarch
1g baking powder
60g of liquid egg whites
75g fat free greek yogurt
25g water
3 drops red food coloring
7g white chocolate chips
optional: top with strawberries, fat free whip cream, light syrup

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: oat flour, protein powder, cornstarch and baking powder
Pour all the wet ingredients: egg whites, greek yogurt, water and food coloring into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix, as this will result in tough pancakes. Do not add in the white chocolate chips.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat
Pour batter onto the pan, about 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, until bubbles form on the surface.
Once pancakes are done add in white chocolate chips, top with strawberries, whipped cream and a little bit of light syrup