Fluffy Protein Pancakes

A stack of protein pancakes garnished with blueberries.

These fluffy protein pancakes take 20 minutes to make, contain six ingredients, and each serving has 32 grams of protein!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 228kcal

Author Vered DeLeeuw

Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon stevia glycerite equals ⅓ cup of sugar; omit if using sweetened protein powder
½ cup plain Greek yogurt not regular yogurt
2 scoops unsweetened whey protein powder not packed; 40 grams total; please measure by weight
1 teaspoon baking powder gluten-free if needed
Cooking spray for the griddle

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla, stevia, and yogurt.
Add the protein powder and whisk until completely smooth and blended. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.
Whisk in the baking powder. Let the batter rest while you heat the griddle. It slightly thickens as it rests.
Heat a nonstick griddle or a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat (not higher). If you use an electric stovetop, heat it over medium-low heat. Spray the skillet with oil.
Using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, pour small mounds of the batter onto the griddle. A double-burner griddle will accommodate 8 pancakes. A large skillet will hold 3 or 4.
Cook the pancakes until they bubble on top, for about one minute. It happens fast! Flip and cook them on the second side for just a few more (10-20) seconds. It's important not to overcook them, or they will turn out dry and rubbery. Lower the heat to medium-low or low if needed.
To flip the pancakes, carefully slide a wide spatula underneath each pancake, using a second spatula to ensure it rests on top of the wide one, then quickly flip the wide spatula.
*Some readers told me that what works for them is to cook the pancakes on LOW until there are lots of bubbles on the top and the bottom appears set. Then, they flip the pancakes and cook them for just a few more seconds.
Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate, cover them with foil to keep them warm, and cook the remaining pancakes. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

This is one of my more controversial recipes. I love these pancakes and make them frequently, but my readers seem to either enthusiastically endorse them or declare them a complete failure. Please read the comments below to get a feel for people's thoughts. If you run into trouble, I'd love the opportunity to troubleshoot before you rate the recipe. In the meantime, here are some suggestions to (hopefully) keep you out of trouble.
A serving is half the recipe, which is about 9 small pancakes.
Some readers told me they liked the pancakes better when they added ¼ cup of almond flour to the batter.
It's important to make small pancakes (I use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, not a 4-tablespoon ice cream scoop) since the batter is thin and spreads out, and to cook the pancakes VERY minimally. They need less than a minute on the first side and just a few seconds on the second side.
Several commenters said it's best to cook them over low heat until they bubble, then flip and cook them for a few more seconds. This is especially true for electric stoves that can get hotter than gas stoves.
Too much protein powder will make dry, powdery pancakes. It's best to scoop the powder out of the container but then weigh it on a kitchen scale to make sure you're not using too much. When measuring by volume, many of us tend to be too generous and use heaping scoops.
In the video above, I made half a recipe. That's why I used just one egg.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave for just a few seconds. You can also freeze the cooled pancakes in a single layer in freezer bags. Defrost them in the microwave.

Nutrition