Protein pumpkin pancakes are the best fall breakfast recipe! Loaded with pumpkin spice and all the fall flavors you love, these pumpkin protein pancakes are ready in 2 minutes and so easy to make!
Why you will love protein pumpkin pancakes
- These pumpkin protein pancakes are so easy to make! Just blend the ingredients in the blender and cook on a griddle or hot skillet!
- The protein pumpkin pancakes are packed with protein, fiber and carbs so they will keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours!
- You can store these pancakes in the fridge or in the freezer so you can easily have a healthy, filling breakfast any time of the week!
- You can easily double this recipe if you want to make these protein pumpkin pancakes for company! Since they are gluten free and dairy free, they are great for almost any guest!
- Slather these pancakes in homemade cinnamon raisin peanut butter or top them with pumpkin spice sunflower seeds for an extra special breakfast!
Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree – be sure to get 100% pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling). Pumpkin puree is unsweetened, where the pumpkin pie filling has added sugars and spices.
- Dairy free milk – use your favorite dairy free milk here (almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, flax milk, hemp milk, rice milk). All will work well.
- Egg whites – egg whites help create structure for the pancakes and help add more protein. You can also use 3 full eggs in place of the egg whites.
- Oats – oats give the pancakes structure to the batter as well and help make the pancakes more filling (they add fiber and some protein).
- Protein Powder (vegan) – vegan protein powder acts like flour in recipes (it absorbs liquids just like flour when used in baked goods).
- Gluten Free Flour – this helps to ensure the pancakes hold their shape when flipping.
- Spices: Cinnamon, pumpkin spice, ground ginger (dry) – these all add to the pumpkin pie flavor of these protein pumpkin pancakes.
- Baking Powder – this helps the pancakes to rise when cooking.
How to make protein pumpkin pancakes
Step 1: Add all of the ingredient to a high speed blender and blend on high until the oats are completely broken down. You will likely need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender once or twice before everything is fully combined.
Step 2: Preheat a griddle or pan over medium heat. Once preheated, spray with non-stick spray (I love avocado oil) and divide the batter into 8 pancakes. NOTE: the batter is very thick and you will need to spread out the batter using a spatula or a spoon so they are not super thick mounds of batter.
TIP: These don’t make these pancakes too thick. Since the batter is so thick, it will take them way to long to cook if they are large. You want to make them the diameter of a large coffee mug.
Step 3: Cook the pancakes over medium heat (about 300F for an electric griddle) for about 4-5 minutes on the first side. Carefully flip the pancakes.
Step 4: Continue to cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes. You will know they are done when they feel firm to the touch when you press down on them.
Step 5: Top the pancakes with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Toppings to add
- Chopped nuts – chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios
- Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts
- Pumpkin spice sunflower seeds
- Granola
- Cinnamon raisin peanut butter
- Pumpkin sunflower seed butter
- Pumpkin butter
- Apple butter
- Dried cranberries or raisins
- Chocolate chips
- Dairy free whipped cream
- Maple yogurt topping
Recommended kitchen tools
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Common questions
Are pumpkin protein pancakes healthy?
Everyone has a different idea on what healthy is but these pumpkin protein pancakes are packed with protein, fiber and are low in added sugar. They also don’t contain any unnecessary ingredients (and you can control the quality based on the ingredients you use).
- Protein: This recipe is packed with protein from the egg whites and protein powder! Protein helps you feel full and satisfied for hours and is important to maintaining your muscle mass (which is your metabolism). I replace the traditional flour in most pancake recipes with protein powder to add protein and make the pancakes gluten free! The best protein powder to make pancakes with is a vegan protein powder, like Nuzest, as it acts similar to flour in recipes.
- Fiber: This recipe is packed full of fiber! Fiber is needed to help keep your digestion regulated and also can help you feel full longer. This recipe gets fiber from pumpkin puree and oats!
- Pumpkin puree is low in calories, a great source of fiber and is rich in vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin A!
- Oats are a great way to add soluble fiber to your diet! They are also rich in vitamins and minerals including B1, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium!
What kind of protein powder to use
When I am baking with protein powder or using protein powder in recipes to replace flour (like pancakes) I always use a vegan protein powder. Vegan protein powders absorb liquid very similar to flour. Whey protein and collagen proteins do not absorb water the same way and therefore are not great substitutes for vegan protein powder in this recipe.
I love almond protein powder (this is sweetened with coconut sugar) and it’s vegan, gluten free and paleo friendly. I also highly recommend Nuzest pea protein, it’s made with simple, high quality ingredients.
What to do with leftover pumpkin puree
This recipe does not use an entire can of pumpkin puree, so you will be left with some to use later in the day/week! Some of my favorite ways to use up leftover pumpkin puree include:
- Single Serve Pumpkin Oatmeal
- Single serve crustless pumpkin pie
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Pumpkin Protein Bread
- Pumpkin Protein Brownies
How to store leftover pancakes
Fridge: Protein pumpkin pancakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
To reheat, simply cook in the microwave for 1 minute or place in the toaster oven for 4-5 minutes to reheat. You can also reheat them in a skillet over medium low heat 1-2 minutes per side until hot.
Freezer: Freeze in a freezer safe bag or container for up to a month.
How to freeze pancakes
There are 2 ways to freeze these pumpkin pancakes to enjoy later in the week/month. Before freezing, store the pancakes in the fridge until they are completely cooled down. The colder they are, the less likely they are to get soggy with freezing. Store frozen pancakes in the freezer for up to a month.
Once they are cold you can either:
- Freeze the pancakes on wax paper lined baking sheet until frozen solid. Once frozen solid, store in a Tupperware or freezer safe bag. Freezing them separately first will ensure they do not stick together.
- Alternatively, add sheets of wax paper between the pancakes and freeze them in a large Tupperware or freezer safe bag.
How to reheat frozen pancakes
Allow the frozen pancakes to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to defrost prior to placing them in the toaster oven or the microwave or you can defrost them quickly in the microwave using 10 second increments.
Substitutions
Canned pumpkin: You can also use canned butternut squash puree or canned sweet potato puree in place of canned pumpkin. You can also use homemade mashed pumpkin (from sugar pumpkins) if you prefer.
Oats: The oats add fiber and healthy carbs to the recipe, however if you cannot tolerate oats, you can use almond flour or gluten free flour of choice to replace the oats!
Pumpkin pie spice: If you cannot find pumpkin pie spice mix at your local grocery store, you can use an additional 3/4 tsp of cinnamon and ¼ tsp of nutmeg to replace the pumpkin pie spice blend.
Protein powder: Protein powder was used to replace the typical flour in the recipe. If you don’t have protein powder on hand, you can replace it with 2/3 cup of oat flour or gluten free flour of choice.
Try these other healthy breakfast recipes
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Guided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup dairy free milk
- 6 egg whites
- 2 servings vegan protein powder
- 3 tbsp. gluten free flour
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice mix
- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the blender and mix until the oats have been milled into a powder and are no longer visible.
- Stop blender and scrape all the sides down and make sure there is no pockets of powder or spices left on the bottom. Blend one more time to make sure the batter is smooth and fully incorporated.
- Lightly spray a preheated griddle or pan on medium heat with cooking spray (I use avocado oil) and distribute the pancake batter evenly. This batter is thick and you will need need to flatten these pancakes out to so they are equally thick all around (you don't want mountains of batter), so they will cook through evenly.
- Cook 4-5 minutes on first side and check the bottom of the pancake to see if it is browning (take a peek with your spatula). If so, they are ready to be flipped.
- Cook an additional 3-4 minutes until pancakes feel firm to the touch when you press down on the top (they shouldn’t jiggle or feel mushy under your touch).
Paige
Monday 8th of August 2022
I actually had no idea that vegan protein absorbed just like flour in water and for baking and so on! That is so interesting to me! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I am definitely going to have to try it out!
Michaell | Foodscape
Thursday 27th of August 2015
These got my husband's stamp of approval that's for sure, and that's a feat. He stopped me after breakfast and said, "Love, those were some good pancakes." We both agreed they were 5 stars across the board! I made some modifications based on the ingredients I had in the house: sweet potato puree instead of pumpkin puree, 2 "scoops" were replaced with 2 tablespoons of ground hemp seeds instead of pea protein, and 4 tbsp of coconut sugar instead of 4 "scoops" of stevia. Turned out wonderfully even with my risky modifications. I'll be making this again.
Chelsea @chelseasmessyapron
Tuesday 2nd of September 2014
I just made some pumpkin waffles but they were not protein packed or quite as healthy - now I need to try these! YUM!
Sam
Tuesday 2nd of September 2014
Oh I haven't had waffles in so long. A waffle maker is on my "must purchase or get for Christmas" list. I hope you enjoy these! Thanks for commenting!