Gluten Free Protein Pancakes

Gluten free protein pancakes are the perfect healthy breakfast.

Packed with protein and fiber, these high protein gluten free pancakes only have 7 ingredients and are so easy to make, no blender needed. These easy healthy protein pancakes are thick and fluffy and can even be made in advance.

Protein pancakes ingredients

• Banana – bananas provide natural sweetness and help create the structure for the pancakes. Ripe bananas will creates a sweeter pancake, so the more brown spots the better!
• Egg Whites – egg whites the pancakes stay together as you are flipping them and are really essential to this recipe. I would not recommend using a flax egg for these. You could use 3 whole eggs instead of 6 egg whites, but I don’t love the taste.
• Protein powder (vegan) – this recipe uses a vegan, pea protein based protein powder. For best results, I recommend using the same kind of protein. I love Nuzest or Octonuts Almond Protein (which is paleo and vegan) but you can use whatever you have on hand that fits this description. Be sure you like the flavor of your protein powder, as it will influence the flavor of the pancakes.
• Gluten free flour of choice – use your favorite gluten free flour. You can use a 1 to 1 gluten free flour or oat flour. You could also make these grain free protein pancakes by using coconut flour, cassava flour or tigernut flour.
• Baking powder – baking powder helps the pancakes rise and lets them be fluffy. These pancakes are pretty dense so the baking powder is needed to create the right texture!

How to make protein pancakes with protein powder

1. Mash the bananas in a large bowl
2. Combine the mashed banana and whisk in the egg whites. Be sure the egg whites are combined with the banana before trying to incorporate the dry ingredients.
3. Add the rest of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients
4. Stir the ingredients until there are no more lumps.
5. Spray the skillet with non-stick spray. Use a large spoon to divide out the batter. This recipe makes between 6-8 pancakes. The batter is going to be very thick so use a spoon don’t try to pour it! Cook for 4-5 minutes. 
6. Flip them and cook 3-4 more minutes until firm to the touch

Top tips

• Use ripe bananas that are easy to mash! Ripe bananas are also sweeter and since there is no other sweetener in this recipe, that is important!
• Use a non-stick griddle! I recommend a ceramic non-stick griddle if you don’t already have one on hand.
• Don’t be afraid to spread the batter out with the back of your spoon to thin them out. If they are too thick, they will be hard to cook all the way through
• Unlike traditional pancakes, you won’t see as many of the bubbles on the top, you have to check the underside of the pancakes to see if they are ready to flip. The bottom should be golden brown.
• How to know if they are done? Press down on the pancakes with your finger! If they are soft, they need another minute. If they feel firm and dense they are done!
• If you don’t have a griddle where you can cook all of these at once, turn your oven on 200F and store the cooked pancakes in the oven while you make the rest to keep them warm.

Recommended kitchen tools

Electric Griddle

Mixing Bowls

Measuring Spoons

Healthy protein pancake add-ins

Change up the flavors in these dairy free protein pancakes with different add-in ingredients or toppings. Some of my favorites include:

• Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips
• Fresh or frozen fruit – Blueberries, chopped strawberries, raspberries
• Coconut flakes
• Chopped nuts or seeds like walnuts, pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds,
• Sprinkles – adding sprinkles instantly makes these protein pancakes feel so festive and fun
• Dried fruit: cranberries, cherries, raisins, chopped dates
• Vanilla extract or almond extract – vanilla will make these fluffy gluten free protein pancakes taste just like a cake, and almond extract will give them more of an almond cookie taste
• Cacao nibs – these are unsweetened but add great crunch
• Freeze dried fruit – adding in some crushed up freeze dried fruit can give you all the flavor of your favorite fruit without adding any extra liquid. Freeze dried strawberries or blueberries would be so fun!
• Spices: Cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, dried ginger, cloves

Topping ideas for easy protein pancakes

• Chocolate chips
• Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries
• Banana slices
• Maple syrup or honey
• Butter or ghee
• Yogurt frosting (mix together 1/4 cup yogurt with 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon) or my favorite cashew frosting
• Chocolate tahini spread (this tastes just like chocolate frosting)
• Granola
• Nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, coconut butter)
• Homemade jam or your favorite store bought jelly
• Chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, pistachios, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds

Common questions

Can you make protein pancakes without banana?

If you want to make these gluten free protein pancakes without banana, you can 3/4 cup of applesauce or 1 cup of pumpkin puree in place of the bananas in this recipe. You may also want to add a little sweetness (add a little coconut sugar or brown sugar) to the batter if you love a really sweet pancake. Note that typically protein powders have some added sweetness so you don’t “have” to add any extra sweetener.

What kind of protein powder should be used

This recipe for wheat free protein pancakes was created and tested with vegan protein powder. I personally like to use Nuzest (pea protein) or Four Sigmatic Peanut Butter Protein Powder (blend of vegan protein). But you can use any kind of plant based protein that you have on hand.

Vegan, plant based protein takes the place of flour in traditional recipes.  Whey based protein or collagen peptides do not absorb as much liquid as plant based and therefore cannot be substituted.

How to freeze protein pancakes

• Start by cooling the pancakes completely in the fridge first.
• Once cool, place the pancakes on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper. Freeze the pancakes in a single layer on the baking sheet until frozen solid.
• Once frozen, stack them in a freezer safe bag or container with a small piece of parchment paper between layers so they don’t stick
• Use the toaster oven, air fryer or microwave to reheat.

How to store low fat protein pancakes

• Refrigerator: Store in the fridge for 3-4 days in a well sealed container.
• Freezer: Stored in a freezer safe bag, these pancakes can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! See tips above on how to freeze so they won’t stick together!

If you love breakfast recipes, you should try

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

Blueberry Pancakes

Chia Jam – 4 Ways

Chocolate Protein Donuts

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Protein Pancakes

Gluten free protein pancakes are the perfect healthy breakfast. Packed with protein and fiber, these pancakes only have 7 ingredients and are so easy to make! No blender needed! Gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and no refined grains!

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dairy free protein pancakes, gluten free protein pancakes, protein pancakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 8 minutes mins

Total Time: 18 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Calories: 3g

Author: Samantha Rowland

Guided Recipe Video

Ingredients

• 2 medium Banana - Mashed
• 6 Egg Whites
• 2 servings Vegan protein powder - Nuzest
• 3 tbsp. gluten free flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract - Optional
• 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon - Optional

Instructions

• Preheat a large nonstick pan or griddle (use medium heat).
• Mash banana in a large bowl. Tip: to soften banana, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds before mashing.
• Combine the egg whites the mashed banana until well incorporated.
• Stir in the vegan protein powder and gluten free flour and mix until the lumps are minimal.
• Add the baking powder, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir until incorporated, but don’t over mix.
• Spray pan or griddle with nonstick cooking spray and spoon pancake mixture into pancake sized circles (it will be thick, you may have to flatten the mixture out a bit). 1 Serving is 3-4 pancakes.
• Protein Pancakes are ready to flip when the bottom side is lightly brown (usually 3-5 minutes).
• Continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes before removing from heat.

Notes

Storage: 

• Fridge: Store extra pancakes in the fridge 3-4 days in a well sealed container after cooling on the counter. 
• Freezer: Allow them to cool completely, place parchment paper or wax paper between pancakes and freeze in a freezer safe bag up to 3 months.

Other mix-ins:

• Chocolate chips or cacao nibs
• Blueberries, strawberries (sliced), raspberries
• Coconut flakes
• Chopped nuts or seeds

See how I calculate food cost.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Amount per Serving

Calories

280

Fat

 

2

g

Carbohydrates

 

35

g

Fiber

 

6

g

Sugar

 

15

g

Protein

 

31

g

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.

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