These 5-Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes are a healthy, delicious breakfast idea, and they're freezer-friendly so you can pop them in the toaster for a hot breakfast every morning!
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Ingredients in pumpkin protein pancakes
Say hello to the easiest, coziest fall breakfast EVER. Like man, have I got a pumpkin obsession these days or what?!
So yes, we are still going strong with all pumpkin spice everything with these 5-Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes. Please don't hate how basic I am. Here's everything you need below to make them!
- butter, for frying
- egg whites
- pumpkin puree
- vanilla protein powder (I used whey protein)
- pumpkin spice (or an even mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger)
- baking powder
How to make protein pancakes
You basically make these protein pancakes the same way you would make regular pancakes. Here are the full steps below:
- Mix all the ingredients for the pancakes together in a large bowl.
- Heat butter in a large frying pan, then add pancake batter by a large ladle scoop, cooking four pancakes at a time and flipping once the bottom is solid, which should be about 5 minutes.
- Top with toppings then serve and enjoy!
Now these are definitely a different texture from your ordinary pancake. They aren't exactly light and fluffy, and they're definitely a little more dense but the flavour is there. And for a pancake packed with 21g of protein (a serving is two btw so you're looking at a whopping 22g of protein for breakfast), you're gonna be surprised at how delicious these are.
Ingredient substitutions
These pancakes can actually be made pumpkin-free if you can believe it! Here are some ingredient substitutions to keep in mind.
Protein powder – I use whey protein powder in this recipe, but you can use just about any type of protein powder you'd like. It will change the flavour, but if you have dietary restrictions and can't consume whey, this is something to keep in mind.
Pumpkin puree – You can substitute pumpkin puree with mashed bananas! Make sure to use the same amount cup for cup.
Egg whites – This recipe calls for 8 egg whites, but you can use whole eggs instead. Use 4 whole eggs (yolk and egg) instead of 8 egg whites.
What type of protein powder to use
There are a lot of options on the market when it comes to protein powder, and it can be overwhelming at first. Here are some tips to choosing a clean protein powder:
- Choose a whey protein that has the fewest ingredients possible, and make sure that the first ingredient listed is protein.
- Select a powder that has at least 25 grams of protein or more per serving. Most should have about 30g of protein.
- Make sure the protein powder does not have artificial sweeteners or added sugar.
- On the label, you'll either see protein isolate or protein concentrate. Choose the protein isolate – this means that it contains more than 90% protein.
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!
Topping ideas
And of course because 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 of course optional but that's what makes these 5-Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes so fun: you can literally dress them up with whatever you happen to have on hand. My personal favourite is almond butter and it adds some more healthy fat and sweetness to them, but maple syrup is also great in a pinch.
Here are some more ideas of what to add:
- shredded coconut
- almond, peanut or cashew butter
- pumpkin seeds
- chopped walnuts
- pecans
- maple syrup
- whipped cream
- sunflower seeds
- chia seeds
- hemp hearts
Storing and reheating
Because 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 – THAT'S IT!
From there, you can store the leftover pancakes in glass containers or a freezer Ziploc bag. They'll last for 7 days as leftovers in the fridge, and you can reheat them for 1-2 minutes in the microwave or 1 minute in the toaster (this will crisp them up more and make them taste fresher).
Freezing protein pancakes
The bonus of freezer-friendly breakfasts is that everything is ready ahead of time and it gives you that much more time to get ready in the morning. And you bet these pancakes can be frozen!
To freeze, make sure they are closer to room temperature then store them flat in a freezer bag. They'll last 2-3 months that way. To reheat, throw them in the toaster for 1-2 minutes. You can also reheat them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Use up leftover pumpkin puree
This recipe uses 1 cup of pumpkin puree, so you'll be left with some extra. Use up the leftovers within a couple weeks – store the leftovers in a glass container in the refrigerator or even with some plastic wrap on top of the can.
Here are some ideas to use up the rest of the puree:
- Cakes, cookies, pies, bars and other baked goods
- Muffins, waffles, scones and other breakfast items
- Pumpkin spice coffee drinks
- Savoury dishes such as pasta, curries, soups, etc.
You can also freeze leftover pumpkin puree for up to 3 months. This way you can use it in the future!
More pumpkin recipes
Here are some more recipe ideas if you're looking for more ways to use up that canned pumpkin!
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
Meal prep challenge
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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!
Video
Nutrition
*nutritional info is for 2 pancakes, toppings not included
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Kristen says
what kind of protein Powder do you use? Whey, pea, etc?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Kristen! It’s whey – I’ve updated the recipe to reflect that 🙂
Heidi Shaw says
The protein powder you use really makes a big difference. I made these and LOVED them with my Lean Fit vanilla Whey protein. Everyone loved them! So I made them again at my daughters house with her Vega Protein powder – HUGE FAIL> They were over the top sweet and icky and ‘proteiny’. My granddaughter ate them and they were OK with peanut butter slathered on them, but nothing like the amazing taste of the original ones. Just a heads up if you’re planning on making them- maybe do a half batch first to see if you like the results.
Taylor Stinson says
That is great to know, thanks for sharing Heidi! I found the taste was great with this brand I get from Costco called Kaizen Naturals… I know so many people have a go-to for protein powder for this reason, there are all kinds of tastes and textures out there!
Kris says
Hey! Dumb question here. Do you use 2 actual cups of protein or 2 scoops of protein powder. I just want to double check before I dive in a make these. Thank you.
Kris
Taylor Stinson says
Not dumb at all Kris! It’s 2 cups – I was going to put the measurement in scoops but then realized each protein powder is probably a little bit different in terms of scoop size. Hope that helps! 🙂
Kris says
Thank you! It does! 🙂
James Matthews says
Hi Just wanted to let you know I have cooked a few of your recipes from here and I am not too sure if you have your metric calculations right.
When I have made the chicken dishes they have turned out amazing your baking recipes are another story.
I have wasted a kilo of protein power following your pumpkin protein bar and now the pancakes! I am not exactly sure why they have failed so MISERABLY but I have noticed that in metric measurements you have been asking for almost double the protein powder. I would love it if you could clear this up for me.
Taylor Stinson says
Hi James – so sorry for the delay in response! I provide Imperial measurements on my website, not metric. I have a plugin that provides the metric equivalent but whenever you are translating a recipe from imperial to metric (especially when it comes to baking) you just aren’t likely to get it perfect, which can result in some recipes not turning out. Because baking is such a science and often relies on exact ratios of wet to dry ingredients, you really do need to follow a recipe exactly according to the original measurements.
I have only tested these recipes using imperial measurements, and I’m very sorry you wasted ingredients as a result of trying the metric equivalent but I just unfortunately can’t test all my recipes using different measurements. I’m definitely going to consider removing the metric equivalent feature as I believe that can mislead people and cause issues as you described. Again, my apologies and I’m happy you have liked the savoury dishes so far!
Caroline says
Do you have any suggestions on what to substitute the whey protein powder with? Sounds like a delicious recipe!
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Caroline! You should be able to use rice or soy protein powder as well though I haven’t tried it myself *just a warning*. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work though!
Sue says
Hi what protein powder did you use- brand I mean- so I can achieve the same results- my plant based powder didn’t work ?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Sue – I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work with your plant-based protein powder 🙁 I used Kaizen Naturals brand linked here: https://kaizennaturals.com/products/whey-protein?variant=8427521769523
Izzah says
Hi,
Where do you get pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice ?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Izzah – I can usually find them both at my local grocery store in the baking isle. Sometimes grocery stores don’t always have pumpkin pie spice (the puree comes in a can and I’ve always been able to find it), so you can make your own pumpkin pie spice at home too: https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-pie-spice-recipe/
Emme says
Hi! How much is a serving size of this? It says 2g, but that doesn’t make since.
Taylor Stinson says
Sorry about that Emme – 2 pancakes is a serving and the recipe makes 8 total 🙂
Emme says
Thank you!
Alicia says
I’m new to the protein pancake game, and this was my second recipe I’ve tried. The first left something to be desired due to the ground oat texture and it was almost enough to turn me off making them again but I love pumpkin so I gave this a shot and I’m glad I did! These are really much better than the other recipe and they fries easily on the pan (I used spray at first but then nothing as a non stick pan seemed to suffice) and they are nice and ‘fluffy’ like regular pancakes. I will be making these again 🙂
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed them Alicia 🙂
Diana Lynn Kruis says
I was so excited about the Pumpkin Pancakes and made them this morning. I substituted 4 whole eggs for 8 egg whites, as suggested, and used Whole Foods (Meal Replacement) Protein Powder, then followed everything else about your recipe explicitly.
DISASTER!
Pancakes would NOT cook inside before burning in the pan. Lowering the heat didn’t work, so I doctored it with milk & more baking powder per my regular pancake recipe, to no avail. I wasted 2 cups of very expensive protein powder and a cup of pecans in the mix.
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Diana – it sounds like you made a lot of substitutions here. Milk would definitely not help and there are no directions to use pecans, especially in the mix. This could definitely account for the pancakes not cooking. I suggest using pecans as a topping after the pancakes have already been cooked. Using them in the batter could disrupt things enough to prevent the pancakes from cooking through. The batter needs to form air bubbles which the pecans could prevent. I’m sorry you wasted ingredients but I always advocate for following a recipe directly in order to ensure success.