These 5-Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes are a healthy and delicious breakfast idea that can be frozen and reheated in the toaster.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Butter – swap out for a dairy-free substitute of your choice.
- Egg whites – you could also make these pancakes using 4 whole eggs instead of 8 egg whites.
- Pumpkin puree – mashed bananas would also be good here.
- Vanilla protein powder – I used whey protein powder in this recipe, but you can use any type of protein powder you like.
- Pumpkin spice – you can make your own using a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
- Baking powder – there’s no real substitute for baking powder and it’s pretty essential to the recipe.
Topping ideas
- Shredded coconut – unsweetened or sweetened would both be good.
- Almond butter – try another kind of nut butter like sunflower butter.
- Pumpkin seeds – swap out for some sunflower seeds instead.
- Chopped walnuts – chopped pecans or another nut of your choice would be good.
- Maple syrup – honey or jam are also great toppings!
How to make pumpkin pancakes
- Make the batter.
- Add the batter to the skillet.
- Flip once the bottom starts to form.
- Serve with your favourite toppings or freeze for later.
Pumpkin pancake topping ideas
Since no pancake is ever complete without an obnoxious amount of toppings, I've loaded these up with shredded coconut, chopped pecans and pumpkin seeds, then drizzled 'em with maple syrup and almond butter.
The toppings are optional, but part of what makes these pancakes so fun is that you can literally dress them up with whatever you happen to have on hand. My personal favourite is almond butter – it adds some more healthy fat and sweetness to them – but maple syrup is also great in a pinch.
Here are some more topping ideas you’ll love:
- Shredded coconut
- Almond, peanut or cashew butter
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chopped walnuts
- Pecans
- Maple syrup
- Whipped cream
- Sunflower seeds
- Chia seeds
- Hemp hearts
Frequently Asked Questions
These protein pancakes are a great way to start your day and a healthy breakfast idea. They’re high in protein so you’ll stay full for longer and they only have 156 calories per serving (one serving equals two pancakes).
Yes! For this recipe you’ll need to add 1 cup of pumpkin puree to your pancake mix. If you don’t have any pumpkin puree on hand, you can also use mashed bananas.
These pumpkin pancakes have 9 grams of carbs per serving.
There are a lot of options on the market when it comes to protein powder, and it can be overwhelming at first. I recommend choosing a whey protein that has the fewest ingredients possible with no artificial sweeteners or added sugar. Here is the protein powder I use if you're looking for a clean one. I typically buy it at Costco but you can order it online too!
Storing and reheating
Since there are only 5 ingredients in these pumpkin protein pancakes, you can rest assured that weekend meal prep will barely take any time at all. Mix together some whey protein, egg whites, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and baking powder, fry them in a pan and you’re good to go – THAT'S IT!
From there, you can store the leftover pancakes in glass containers or a Ziploc bag for up to 7 days. You can reheat them for 1-2 minutes in the microwave or for 1 minute in the toaster. I personally like popping them in the toaster since it makes them a bit crispier and fresher.
Can you freeze protein pancakes?
These pancakes are totally freezer-friendly! The bonus of freezer-friendly breakfasts is that everything is ready beforehand, which gives you that much more time to get ready in the morning.
To freeze, store the pancakes flat in a Ziploc bag and freeze them for 2 to 3 months. In the morning, all you have to do is throw them in the toaster for 1-2 minutes or reheat them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
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More pumpkin recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Stock up on pumpkin puree here.
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls to store these protein pancakes.
- They can also be stored in Ziploc bags up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Here is the protein powder I use if you're looking for a clean one.
5-Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter, for frying
- 8 egg whites
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups vanilla protein powder (I used whey protein)
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice (or a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger)
- 1 tsp baking powder
Topping ideas
- Shredded coconut
- almond butter
- pumpkin seeds
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- maple syrup
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients for pancakes together until just combined.
- Heat butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add a small spoonful of pancake mixture to test, making sure skillet is hot enough to add pancake batter. Once bottom of tester pancake starts to form, flip and then remove from heat.
- Add pancake batter by large ladle scoop, cooking four pancakes at a time and flipping once a bottom starts to form, about 5 minutes.
- Freeze pancakes up to 2 months, reheating in microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or reheating in the toaster. Top with optional toppings and serve!
Comments & Reviews
Carolyn says
These were easy to make but the test pancake is essential! Mine cooked so, so fast. Way faster than 5 min. They also turned out quite dry, so I wonder if next time adding some applesauce or yogurt would help with that? Idk. Anyway, these will be good for those breakfasts when I need something super quick. I had some sugar free syrup mixed with pumpkin purée on top and that was super tasty. Off to store the rest in the freezer! Thanks for this recipe!
Lauren says
Quick question—Can I use unsweetened pea protein? If so, what modifications should I make? Thanks!
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Lauren! I haven’t tried it with pea protein and unfortunately all protein powders differ so it’s hard to give an answer here :/ I wish I could be more helpful.
Donna Bramley says
These were horrible. I think the amount/proportion of protein powder in this is too high. I cut the recipe in half and still a full cup of protein powder is too much I think, wrong consistency and too sweet, and my protein powder is sugar free, sweetened with Stevia. They never cooked no matter how long I tried, they just stayed soft and mushy in the middle.
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Donna – all protein powders are different and unfortunately it looks like yours with a stevia base caused the flavour and texture to be off. I use a whey protein powder and these turn out perfectly every time.
Aura says
I think this recipe is fail proof if you use a whey protein!
I make it all the time, don’t even measure ingredients, just eyeball it for the quantity I want. Always comes out great.
For topping I like to take greek yogurt and mix with Some pumpkin purée and stevia liquid.