Protein pumpkin pancakes are the best fall breakfast recipe! Loaded with pumpkin spice and all the fall flavors you love, these pancakes are gluten free, low in added sugar and so simple to make! These pancakes are so easy to make! The batter is blended in the blender and ready in 2 minutes!
Why this recipe works:
- 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 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 almond butter or top them with pumpkin spice sunflower seeds for an extra special breakfast!
What makes these protein pumpkin pancakes healthy?
- 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!
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 large. 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.
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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!
What are some toppings for pumpkin protein pancakes:
- Chopped nuts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Pumpkin spice sunflower seeds
- Granola
- Pumpkin spice almond butter
- Pumpkin sunflower seed butter
- Pumpkin butter
- Apple butter
- Dried cranberries or raisins
- Chocolate chips
FAQ's
How long can you store these pancakes in the 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.
How do you freeze protein pumpkin 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, you can add sheets of wax paper between the pancakes and freeze them in a large Tupperware or freezer safe bag.
How do you reheat pancakes after freezing?
You can allow the 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.
What kind of protein powder to use to make protein pumpkin pancakes
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. This is because 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 use and recommend Nuzest protein powder. It’s made from high quality pea protein and does not have any added fillers or sweeteners. This product is very easy to digest and is routinely measured to ensure it doesn’t have high levels of heavy metals (like other vegan protein powders on the market).
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.
What to do with leftover pumpkin puree:
This recipe does not use an entire can of pumpkin puree, so you will be left with pumpkin puree to use later in the day/week! Some of my favorite ways to use up leftover pumpkin puree include:
- Single serve crustless pumpkin pie
- Pumpkin sunflower seed butter
- Dairy free chocolate pumpkin butter cups
If you love staring your day with pancakes, you have to try:
- Protein pancakes (gluten free)
- Blueberry protein pancakes
- Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes
- Carrot Cake Pancakes
What you will need to make these gluten free pumpkin pancakes:
Pumpkin Pancakes
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 6 egg whites
- 2 serving protein powder
- 3 tbsp. gluten free flour – I love tigernut flour
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice mix
- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
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).
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Notes
Nutrition Information
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Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in August of 2014, but was published again in November 2019 to include step by step directions, recipe notes and new photos.
Michaell | Foodscape
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
I just made some pumpkin waffles but they were not protein packed or quite as healthy – now I need to try these! YUM!
Sam
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!