Protein pancakes with no banana are easy, protein-packed pancakes that make for a healthy and wholesome start to the day! These pancakes are gluten, banana, and refined sugar-free, come together in just a few minutes, and are every bit as fluffy and chewy as the original. They’re great for anyone with or without dietary constraints and can be adapted with different toppings and protein powders to fit every palate.
These protein pancakes are excellent for laid-back breakfasts and brunch gatherings with guests who may have dietary restrictions or are looking for a healthy alternative to classic pancakes.
They’re great topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup and can hold their own next to savory items like bacon, breakfast sausage, or vegetable omelets. Just make sure you serve them warm off the griddle for the best results.
The base of this protein pancake recipe is oat flour, which is higher in protein than wheat flour and is gluten-free. Due to the lack of gluten, this recipe uses eggs and full-fat Greek yogurt to provide structure and moisture. If possible, avoid using reduced-fat Greek yogurt to keep the pancakes fluffy and prevent them from coming out dry and rubbery.
To really pack these pancakes with protein, vanilla whey protein powder is mixed in with the flour. The protein powder doesn’t provide any structure to the pancakes, and too much can result in a dry and crumbly pancake, so resist the urge to add more protein powder. If you really want to up the protein content, add 2-3 egg whites to the batter instead.
Depending on the type of oat flour you use and the humidity in our kitchen, the batter may initially be extremely thick. To counter this, whisk in 2-3 tablespoons of milk at a time as needed until you have a workable batter.
What You Need to Make Protein Pancakes Without Bananas
To make protein pancakes, you’ll need a handful of kitchen items like eggs, milk, and baking powder, as well as oat flour, vanilla whey protein powder, and Greek yogurt.
If you’d like to use a different flavor of protein powder, anything will work, though the flavor will change. Greek yogurt can be swapped with ricotta or cottage cheese, or you can omit the yogurt completely and use more milk in its place.
If you can’t find oat flour, rolled oats (do not use steel-cut) can be blitzed into a powder using a high-powered blender and used in its place. Regular all-purpose flour can also be substituted for oat flour if you tolerate gluten.
Ingredients:
- Oat Flour
- Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
- Baking Powder
- Eggs
- Greek Yogurt
- Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- Butter, Neutral Oil, or Ghee
- Kosher Salt
- Maple syrup (optional)
- Fresh Fruit (optional)
How To Make Banana-Free Protein Pancakes
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oat flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt and whisk until well combined.
In a separate large bowl, combine the eggs, greek yogurt, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth and homogenous.
Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the yogurt and egg mixture. Fold in the flour until just combined. Some lumps are fine but make sure there are no pockets of oat flour in the yogurt. Do not overmix.
Set the batter aside and let it rest for a few minutes.
While the batter is resting, place a non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray or brush with butter or neutral oil.
Once the pan is hot, add the batter to the pan in ⅓ cup dollops and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the pancakes puff slightly and start to turn golden brown.
Carefully flip and cook the other side for an additional minute. Remove the pancakes from the skillet and set aside.
Repeat the cooking process with the remainder of the pancake batter, adding more cooking spray, butter, or oil as needed.
Optionally, top the protein pancakes with yogurt, fresh fruit, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Serve warm, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Is it ok to put protein powder in pancakes?
Yes. Protein powder is perfectly fine to add to pancake batter. Protein powders vary in texture and how they absorb liquid, so you may need to adjust for milk to get a relatively lump-free pancake batter, depending on which brand you’re using.
Why is my protein pancake dry?
If your protein pancakes are dry, it’s likely due to too much protein powder in the batter. To avoid a rubbery and dry protein pancake, stick to 1-2 scoops of protein powder and increase the protein content by using high-protein flour and dairy products like Greek yogurt, ricotta, or cottage cheese.
Is oat flour high in protein?
Yes! Oat flour has a higher percentage of protein than whole wheat flour, and oat flour is also gluten-free.
Protein Pancakes (No Banana)
Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour
- 1.5 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tbsp butter (melted)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Non-stick cooking spray or 3-4 tablespoons butter, oil, or ghee (for cooking)
- Maple syrup or honey for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oat flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt and whisk until well combined.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the eggs, greek yogurt, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth and homogenous.
- Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the yogurt and egg mixture and fold in the flour until just combined; make sure there are no dry pockets of flour but don’t overmix.
- Set the pancake batter aside for a few minutes so it can rest.
- While the batter is resting, place a non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray or brush with butter or neutral oil.
- Once the pan is hot, add the batter to the pan in ⅓ cup dollops and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the pancakes puff slightly and start to turn golden brown.
- Carefully flip and cook the other side for an additional minute, then remove the pancakes from the skillet and set aside.
- Repeat the cooking process with the remainder of the pancake batter, adding more cooking spray, butter, or oil as needed.
- Optionally, top the protein pancakes with yogurt, fresh fruit, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Serve warm, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Here are a few other recipes you might enjoy!
- French Toast Pancakes
- Mochi Pancakes
- Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
- Oat Milk Pancakes
- Banana Foster Pancakes
- Kale Mango Smoothie
- Oat Milk Smoothie
Rebekkah is a food writer, recipe developer and sommelier who is obsessed with all things food and drink. When she isn’t lingering too long in her kitchen, she can be found making music in her apartment or traveling the globe in search of the perfect noodle.