7 Protein-Packed Pancake Recipes That Use 5 Ingredients Or Less

By Marygrace Taylor, Women's Health

Whether you're trying to keep your weight in check or your morning routine is packed pretty tightly, pancakes probably don’t make it onto your breakfast menu very often. And that's probably a good thing.
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The typical plate of flapjacks is loaded with empty carbs and pretty much nothing else, so it’s practically guaranteed to set you up for sugar cravings later in the day. And in the rare instance when you do come across a recipe for healthy pancakes, it’s usually a lot of work. (Seriously, who wants to waste time measuring out three different types of whole grain flour?)

But these recipes? They do away with both of those dilemmas. Each one is loaded with protein to keep you satisfied all morning. Plus, the ingredient lists are short and sweet, so you can get breakfast on the table fast.

Get ready to introduce pancakes back into your breakfast rotation.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

To stay full until lunchtime, you could have a big bowl of Greek yogurt or add a scoop of protein powder to your smoothie. Or, tastier yet, you could make these golden, fluffy pancakes from Megan of the Skinny Fitalicious. They’re made with cottage cheese, rolled oats, egg whites, and cinnamon. And amazingly, a serving of three pancakes will give you 22 grams of protein. That’s some serious staying power, people.

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Sweet Potato Pancakes

Amy from Healthy Little Foodies developed these super simple pancakes for her young kids, but they’re a wholesome, delicious breakfast grown-ups are sure to love, too. Each 240-calorie serving delivers nearly 15 grams of belly-filling protein. And they’re only made with mashed sweet potato and egg, so they couldn’t be any easier to throw together. (Love orange spuds? Don't miss these 10 other tasty ideas for sweet potatoes.)

Light and Fluffy Banana Protein Pancakes

You don’t need sugar or flour to get flavorful, fluffy pancakes. This recipe from Kim’s Cravings is sweetened naturally with mashed banana, while the light, cloudlike texture comes from whipped egg whites and baking powder. And thanks to a scoop of vanilla protein powder, you’ll get 22 grams of protein per four-pancake serving.

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3-Ingredient Almond Flour Pancakes

Swapping out the white flour typically used in flapjacks for high-protein almond flour transforms this recipe from dessert-in-disguise to legit healthy breakfast. We love that it has an impressive 14 grams of protein per serving and you can make the batter right in the blender. Talk about a quick and easy breakfast. Thanks, Primavera Kitchen!

Spinach Protein Waffles

It’s a good thing that you can use waffle batter to make pancakes because you’ll definitely want to whip up a stack using this recipe from Alysia of Slim Sanity. It’s got protein-packed ingredients like eggs and Greek yogurt—and yes, there’s even some pureed spinach thrown in there. The recipe, which serves one, packs 17 grams of protein for just 190 calories.

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3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Pancakes

These super easy pancakes from Lee of Fit Foodie Finds are made with eggs, mashed banana, and a secret ingredient: peanut flour. It lends a rich, nutty flavor to the pancakes without making them heavy the way peanut butter would. Plus, it adds an extra shot of protein. Top these cakes with the optional sauce (made from peanut flour and almond milk) for a breakfast with 20 grams of protein. That's more than what you'd find in three large eggs.

Skinny Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

These pancakes from Jocelyn of Inside Bru Crew Life taste like an indulgent bakery treat, but they’re made with chocolate protein powder, mashed banana, eggs, oatmeal, and cocoa powder. Oh, and cinnamon. But if you really want to keep your recipe to just five ingredients, we totally give you permission to leave the spice out. The pancakes will still be delicious, and they’ll still have almost 21 grams of protein per serving.

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