These perfect protein pancakes have 30g of protein per serving and are the perfect blank slate to top however you want for a healthy start to your day.

*This post for Perfect Protein Pancakes was originally published on 4/15/2012. The photographs have been updated, the recipe tweaked a little bit to make it even better and more protein-packed! All the content below is original. I vividly remember writing this post on my 30th birthday as we celebrated with a trip to Niagara Falls. A lot has changed in the 6 years since but these protein pancakes are still perfect and pack an awesome nutritional punch to start the day. Enjoy!

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Before these last two days, before the fries, burgers, ice cream, wine, 5 course chef’s tasting meal and $7.50 bottled water at Jamie Kennedy’s restaurant, all of which are very necessary to distract yourself from the fact that you just entered your fourth decade, I was a bit obsessed with making sure my protein intake was at least 15g or so with every small meal I was eating. I’ve been trying my best to listen to Jamie Eason’s advice as I make my way towards the end of phase 1, which, by the way, my arms are loving but the rest of my body seems to be taking as a sign to stockpile every single calorie I eat.

These perfect protein pancakes have 30g of protein per serving and are the perfect blank slate to top however you want for a healthy start to your day.
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I refuse to weigh myself as many have warned of this in the beginning but let’s just say my skinny jeans are starting to look more like stuffed sausages. Jamie better know what she’s talking about…

The protein thing hasn’t been too hard to accomplish, except for breakfast.

After eggs, there’s only so much cottage cheese and protein powder you can swirl in oatmeal before wishing for waffles, pancakes and other delicious carb-tastic options like an apple butter bacon scone.

Packed with 30g of protein, these pancakes are the perfect stack to start your day.

Different Ways to Make Protein Pancakes

There’s quite a few options when it comes to adding protein to pancakes, you’ve got:

These were something like my 4th or 5th attempt playing around with different ingredients and ratios until I was finally satisfied with the flavor, texture and protein content.

I decided to go with the trifecta for a higher protein pancake in this recipe and use cottage cheese, protein powder and egg whites. 

Combined with buckwheat and almond flours which both have a slightly higher protein content per serving than traditional flours, you can see how we get to a substantial 30g of protein per serving in these pancakes!

Start your day with a nutritionally complete meal with these perfect protein pancakes

The result is a high protein pancake fluffy enough to be “pancake-y” but dense enough to be filling and the perfect blank slate to top however you want.

I’m not usually one to enjoy protein in my carb sources (I’d rather eat two separate things – more volume!) but I know a lot of people like the convenience of that approach and these perfect protein pancakes give you just that.

With 24g of carbs and 6g of fat – each serving really is a well-rounded meal in itself.

These perfect protein pancakes have a whopping 30g of protein in each serving!

Of course, there’s a little room for some fruit toppings and maple syrup because what pancake stack is complete without that?!

How To Top Your Protein Pancakes

I have 24 pancake recipes on this site (you think I might like them a little bit?) including these pumpkin protein pancakes for your protein pancake fix in the fall (or all year round if you’re like me and stock it in your pantry all the time) and almost every single one of them has some sort of fun topping shown with it.

The fun of pancake eating is half pancake and half topping as far as I’m concerned. Some of my favorite ways to top any stack, not just these protein pancakes are:

Top these perfect protein pancakes with a little fruit and maple syrup for sweetness and you've got a great, complete meal filled with 30g of protein!

This is a pretty basic base protein pancake recipe.

If you want a chocolate variation, check out this recipe for chocolate protein pancakes. Who doesn’t want to start their day with chocolate?

Of course, you can add different flavors with extracts or even using a flavored protein powder (I love SFH Churro 100% Grass Fed Whey – it’s SO delicious) to jazz things up if you like. Just keep the base the same and you’ll have a protein filled stack guaranteed to get your day started on the right (nutritious) foot!

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5 from 3 votes

Perfect Protein Pancakes

Servings: 2 servings
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 12 minutes
These perfect protein pancakes have 28g of protein and are the perfect blank slate to top however you want for a healthy start to your day.

Ingredients 

  • 6 tablespoons buckwheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla whey protein powder
  • 1/4 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/3 cup liquid egg whites
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions 

  • Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.
  • Heat pancake griddle to medium and grease with butter or baking spray.
  • Pour batter and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes.

Notes

*My protein powders of choice are: SFH churroSFH vanilla or Vital Proteins banana/cinnamon/vanilla.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 21gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 257mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
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Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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59 Comments

  1. Thanks for the protein-rich pancake recipe, perfect for my dessert and firstly for breakfast.

  2. Nothing is better than pancakes for dessert. Yours looks perfectly soft and fluffy but thick enough. I’ve never made a pancake like that xD and sometimes it’s been over-cooked.

    Can you give me any tips?

  3. I always feel best with a protein filled breakfast, so I am absolutely trying these this week!

  4. My kids get burned out on my eggs for breakfast, so I’m happy to have another way to get them protein!

  5. Could you substitute the cottage cheese for greek yogurt?!
    Will it taste the same and still keep the same consistency when cooking?
    Thank you!

    1. I’m sure that will work. Haven’t tried it so can’t comment to the consistency or taste but I’d imagine it would be very similar.