Healthy Protein Pancakes | Naturally gluten free

stack of 6 gluten free protein pancakes with syrup pouring on white plate

5 from 36 votes

Prep Time : 10

Cook Time : 20

These healthy protein pancakes, made without any refined grains or refined sugars, are packed with protein, and taste so good no one will ever know they're healthy!

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These lower fat, healthy protein pancakes are made without any refined sugars or refined grains, and they're naturally dairy free. They're also made without any fruity flavors, like banana, so you get to choose what they taste like!

Syrup pouring over top of stack of protein pancakes

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What makes this recipe for protein pancakes special

These protein pancakes are packed with satisfying protein of course, and taste like “regular” pancakes. The recipe only has eggs as a binder and a bit of maple syrup and applesauce for sweetness. And unlike most protein pancake recipes you'll find, it doesn't rely on banana for sweetness or as a binder.

These pancakes are light and fluffy. And there's not even any added fat at all, but they're still really satisfying and tender.

Oh, and if the cook happens to follow Weight Watchers, each generous pancake has only 2 SmartPoints since they're so low in sugar and fat. In fact, most of the points come from the oats.

Protein pancakes being flipped on a griddle

Why I like to bake with protein powder

My recipe for homemade protein bars is currently one of the most popular posts on this entire food blog. It's a really comprehensive post with tons of variations (although each variation has oats—no way I know of around that), and it makes sense. It's complete without being needlessly complicated, and it fills a snacking need.

When I had 3 growing children in my house, they were always eating. When they were really little, I was super careful about their not “ruining” their appetites for each meal, so snacks happened two times a day, and they were limited.

I wanted to be sure they knew what it was like to be hungry (if you snack all day long, you honestly might not know!), and to be able to judge when they were full. I was brought up with all sorts of food baggage, and I was determined not to do the same to my kids.

Protein powder keeps the kids going!

Each meal I make has protein, fat, and starch, for sure, but sometimes I just don't have their attention at the table like I used to. And the older they got, the more they seemed nearly always hungry.

Before they take off in the morning, they often only have just a few minutes to grab something. School starts way too early in the morning (why do we have teenagers starting their days at 7:45 am?) so I don't want to pressure them to wake up even earlier to make themselves an elaborate breakfast. I did always have some no-bake protein balls with 6 grams of protein each for them to grab quickly if I hadn't had a chance to make pancakes or something else with protein powder, though.

Protein pancake cooking on griddle with cooked side up

Protein pancakes ingredients & substitution suggestions

As always, unless I specifically indicate otherwise, I haven't made these pancakes with any substitutions. These are just my best-educated guesses:

Egg free protein pancakes

Since there are only two eggs in this recipe, you can try replacing each with a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel).

Protein pancakes without oats

Ground oats are a very important part of this recipe, but I have a sneaking suspicion (totally anecdotal and unconfirmed) that you might be able to replace them in this recipe with buckwheat flour. Otherwise, based on our knowledge of how to substitute for oats in baking, I'd go with quinoa flakes.

Sugar-free protein pancakes?

There is naturally-occurring sugar in the applesauce, and I'm not sure how you'd go about eliminating that. But if you'd like to use sugar-free maple syrup in place of the pure maple syrup, it should work!

What sort of protein powder is best in these gf protein pancakes?

I've been adding Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (affiliate link, but of course feel free to shop around) to my coffee and a few other things lately. I really like getting the benefits of the collagen without any added taste.

I think it helps my skin and hair, and sometimes my kids like to add it to a drink to help with theirs, too. It's not cheap, but it takes me a long time to go through even a small container, and I'm afraid none of the protein powders seem to be very inexpensive.

I also use Perfect Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides (affiliate link). I first tried it in my protein granola and I think I might just like it better than Vital Proteins. Plus, it’s less expensive. Three cheers for that!

I haven't tried using a more traditional protein powder, like the Vega protein powder I use in my protein bars, but I think it would work just fine in the vanilla flavor. Measure by weight, though, not by the scoop as collagen protein and whey protein isolate are suuuuper lightweight.

Of course, if you'd prefer to make classic gluten free pancakes without any added protein, using a rice flour blend, we have a great recipe for that, too.

Nut-free protein pancakes

In place of unsweetened almond milk, you can really use any unsweetened natural milk you like (even dairy milk is fine).

Protein pancakes in a stack on a small plate

FAQs

Can I make the protein pancake batter ahead of time?

Yes! You can make the pancake batter up to 3 days ahead of time. Place it in a sealed container in the refrigerator, and then let the batter come to room temperature before you cook it. If any of the powder from the protein or the oats seems to have settled, just blend it again quickly to redistribute it.

Can protein pancakes be frozen for later use?

Yes! After they're cooked, let the pancakes cool completely. Then stack them, wrap them tightly and freeze them until ready to use. Unwrap them and defrost in a warm toaster oven before serving.

Can I make these protein pancakes with flavored protein powder?

I've only ever made these pancakes with flavorless collagen or protein powder, but if you really like the flavor of your protein powder and you'd like to try this recipe with it, it's worth a try! Watch the how-to video carefully in case your protein powder has extra ingredients that dry out the batter. Just add more milk by the teaspoonful to loosen the batter if necessary.

Do these taste like regular pancakes?

Since these protein pancakes are made with oat flour, they tend to taste a little heartier than classic pancakes. The protein powder is flavorless, so it doesn't alter the taste, and the recipe contains other ingredients to balance out any dryness that protein powder can create, so they should taste fluffy and delicious.

Can I use protein powder instead of flour for pancakes?

No, you can't make protein pancakes by just using any pancake recipe and substituting protein powder for flour. Flour, like the oat flour we are using here or like the gluten free flour we use in our gluten free pancakes recipe, provides structure and balance to your pancakes. Protein powder alone would be drying, and the pancakes would not hold together.

Are protein pancakes good for you?

Yes, these protein pancakes have 3 grams of protein in each individual pancake, so a common serving of 4 pancakes has 12 grams of protein. Protein will help keep you satisfied until lunchtime. Plus, these protein pancakes are also gluten free and refined sugar free!

Protein pancakes in a stack on a small plate with syrup

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Protein Pancakes

These healthy protein pancakes, made without any refined grains or refined sugars, are packed with protein, and taste so good no one will ever know they're healthy!

Course: Breakfast, Pancakes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Yield: 10 pancakes

Author: Nicole Hunn

Equipment

Blender
Griddle

Ingredients

2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature
¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) unsweetened almond milk at room temperature
2 tablespoons (42 g) pure maple syrup at room temperature
½ cup (122 g) smooth unsweetened applesauce at room temperature
1 ½ cups (150 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten free, if necessary)
2 scoops (20 g) unflavored collagen peptides (or try a protein isolate, like rice or whey, which is mostly protein)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cooking oil spray for greasing
Fresh fruit for serving (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the batter.

In a blender or food processor, place the eggs, milk, syrup, applesauce, then the oats, protein powder, baking powder, salt and vanilla, and blend or process until as smooth as possible.
Allow the pancake batter to sit for 3 to 5 minutes to thicken.

Cook the pancakes.

Heat a griddle or nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Grease it lightly.
Pour portions of about ¼ cup of batter onto the hot griddle at least 1 inch apart from one another. Allow the pancakes to cook until large bubbles begin to break through the top of the batter in each pancake and the edges are set (about 2 minutes).
With a wide, flat spatula, carefully flip over each pancake, and continue to cook until set (about another 30 seconds). Remove from the skillet, and repeat with the remaining batter.

How to store the cooked pancakes.

The cooked pancakes can be kept warm in a single layer on a lined baking sheet in a 200°F before serving, then topped with fresh fruit before serving warm.
They can also be cooled completely, stacked, wrapped tightly and frozen until ready to use. Defrost in a warm toaster oven before serving.

Notes

Nutritional information.

Nutritional information is an estimate per pancake without any added mixed fruit. It's provided as a courtesy but is derived from inexact online calculators and should not be relied upon.