Protein Banana Pancakes Recipe

Name: Protein Banana Pancakes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 large eggs; 1 ripe banana; ¼ cup unsweetened protein powder ((see notes)); 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats; 2 tablespoon maple syrup ((optional; see notes)); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

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Protein Banana Pancakes are a filling breakfast idea you can make ahead of time. Reheat them in your toaster for a fast morning!

protein pancakes served on a plate with fruit.

These pancakes are my solution to getting more protein into my family’s mornings. Depending on the protein powder you use, each serving contains up to 13 grams of protein.

My kids don’t love eating eggs for breakfast, but they don’t mind when I add a scoop of protein powder to their favorite pancake recipe.

This high-protein recipe is inspired by my Banana Oatmeal Pancakes, which come together quickly in a blender. Once you get the hang of it, you can whip up this batter in the time it takes your pan to heat up on the stovetop.

Ingredients You’ll Need

All you need is a handful of simple ingredients to get started. Bananas, oats, and eggs make up the base of this dairy-free pancake batter, and you can add your favorite unsweetened protein powder to help make them more filling.

Detoxinista Tip

You can’t taste the olive oil in this recipe, but feel free to use any other neutral flavored vegetable oil you keep in your home. Coconut oil will solidify when it touches eggs that are cold from the fridge, so it’s not my first choice for making pancake batter.

This recipe calls for an unsweetened plant-based protein powder, but you can use whey protein powder or any other variety you keep in your pantry. Use certified gluten-free oats if you need to make gluten-free pancakes.

If you’re using a protein powder that is already sweet, you might not need the added maple syrup. My family doesn’t pour syrup on top of pancakes (we prefer peanut butter on top) so I like to make the batter taste appealing without the need for a sweet topping.

protein pancake ingredients labeled on a white surface.

How to Make Protein Banana Pancakes

In a high-speed blender, combine:

1 ripe banana
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened protein powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Secure the lid and blend until very smooth.

Let the pancake batter rest in the pitcher as the skillet warms up; it will thicken as it rests. If the batter thickens to the point that you can’t pour it out of the container, add a tablespoon of water and stir again.

protein pancake batter mixed in a blender.

Heat a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop and lightly grease the pan with cooking spray.

Pour a 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and cook until the top starts to bubble, about 2 to 3 minutes. You may need to spread the pancake batter out with the back of a spoon until it’s roughly 4 to 5 inches wide.

When a spatula easily slides under the pancake, flip it over and cook the other side, which should take another 2 minutes.

protein pancake batter spread on a skillet and flipped over to cook.

Remove the cooked pancake from the skillet and repeat with the remaining batter.

The batter will thicken as it rests, so you will definitely need to use a spoon to spread out the batter towards the last few pancakes. (Adding water to thin the batter is okay, but will make the pancakes have a slightly more gummy texture.)

flavor variations

To make blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes, press your topping into the batter once you’ve spread it on the skillet. When you flip the pancake, it will be cooked inside.

It’s easy to customize different options for your family this way!

blueberry protein pancakes flipped in a skillet.

This recipe makes roughly eight pancakes using a 1/4 cup of batter. (This size will fit in a standard toaster for easy reheating.) Feel free to double the batch if you want to have more ready for the week ahead.

Serve warm with your favorite toppings, like sliced strawberries or a drizzle of nut butter. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

To reheat, pop them in the toaster until the centers feel warm again.

protein pancakes topped with berries and maple syrup drizzled on top.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make protein pancakes that are not dry?

If you want to add protein powder to a recipe, you’ll need to remove some of the dry ingredients, like oats or flour. In this case, I replaced some of the oats in my favorite recipe with protein powder so the pancakes wouldn’t be dry.

Are these pancakes low-carb?

No, this recipe is made with oats, which are not low-carb. If you’d like to experiment with grain-free flour, try replacing some almond flour with protein powder in my Almond Flour Pancakes recipe. (If you use a vanilla protein powder, you can skip the maple syrup in that recipe.)

Does protein powder replace flour in pancakes?

Don’t replace all of the flour in a recipe with protein powder, because the results won’t taste good. However, you can replace a portion of the flour with protein powder to help make them more filling.

Can I skip the banana?

You can replace the banana in this recipe with Greek yogurt or even cottage cheese, but it won’t be quite as sweet. If you’d like, you can add a touch of cinnamon to help enhance the flavor.

How do I make different flavors?

Once you’ve poured the pancake batter into the skillet, you can top it with chocolate chips, blueberries, or raspberries. When you flip the pancake, the topping will cook into it! This is an easy way to create custom flavors for your family members.

Looking for more protein powder recipes? Try Protein Balls, Protein Cookies, Protein Muffins, or Protein Waffles for more ideas.

Protein Banana Pancakes

5 from 2 votes

Protein Banana Pancakes are made with protein powder to help you reach your protein goals. Pop them in the toaster for an easy morning!

prep5 mins cook15 mins total20 mins

Servings:4

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Ingredients

3 large eggs
1 ripe banana
¼ cup unsweetened protein powder (see notes)
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoon maple syrup (optional; see notes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

In a high-speed blender, combine the eggs, banana, protein powder, oats, maple syrup, olive oil, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Secure the lid and blend until the batter looks smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides to make sure the ingredients are mixed evenly. Add a tablespoon of water and blend again if the batter looks too thick to pour out of the container.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. You'll know it's ready to cook when a drop of water instantly sizzles when it hits the pan. Spray with cooking oil then add a ¼ cup of pancake batter to the pan. If the batter is thick, spread it out with the back of a spoon until it is 4 to 5 inches wide. Press a few fresh blueberries or chocolate chips into the top of the pancake batter, if you'd like a flavor variation.
Cook until the pancake batter starts to puff up or bubble in the center, which should take about 2 minutes. When a spatula easily slides underneath, flip the pancake over and cook the other side for another 2 minutes or so. When the pancake has puffed up, remove it and repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter, making 8 pancakes total.
Serve the cooked pancakes warm with your favorite toppings. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat a pancake by popping it into the toaster for a fast morning.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 2 pancakes, assuming you get 8 from this batch. This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Protein Powder Note: I recommend starting with a 1/4 cup of protein powder because you can’t taste it at ALL in this recipe. (I used Garden of Life brand for testing.) If you want to work your way up to using more protein powder, use a 1/2 cup of protein powder with only 3/4 cup of oats. The resulting pancakes are slightly drier in that case, so you may want to add an extra tablespoon of water to help with blending.

Maple Syrup Note: This added sweetener makes the pancakes taste appealing when you use unsweetened protein powder. My kids can eat these without any added sugar on top! If you’re using a sweetened protein powder, you can skip this and just use water as needed to help with blending.

Nutrition

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: protein pancakes

If you try these protein pancakes, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them.

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