4-Ingredient Fluffy Vegan Protein Pancakes
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You only need a few basic ingredients to make these fluffy vegan protein pancakes and they take just minutes to prepare. All you need is flour, protein powder, sweetener and baking powder and you’re ready to go.
Make the Most of Carbs
These fluffy vegan protein pancakes are a good choice a few hours before a workout or shortly after one. Carbohydrates are the the body’s preferred source of energy so it’s a good idea to eat the majority of your carbs around the most active part of your day to make the most of them.
You want the carbohydrates you eat to either be used an an immediate source of energy or used to restore glycogen levels rather than be stored as fat. Sometimes pancakes are just pancakes and I’ll eat them for breakfast no matter what’s my plan for the day is but for the most part I try to eat most of my carbs before and after training.
If I was to eat these before training, I’d give myself a couple hours to digest and allow those carbs to get to work, ensuring blood sugar levels are up and glycogen stores are full prior to hitting the gym. Since they have some added protein they’re more balanced than regular pancakes and if you add some healthy fats on top, like almond butter or hemp seeds, they’ll be digested more slowly, providing sustained energy and helping to maintain more stable blood sugar levels.
If I was to eat these after training, I’d try to eat them as soon as possible to get those pancake gains!
But don’t worry too much about all that…these are also PANCAKES, guys, so go ahead and dig in anytime you need a pancake fix. Just keep those energizing carbs in mind when you might them to fuel up for a big workout.
Fluffy Vegan Protein Pancakes
I usually only eat pancakes on Sundays but these are so quick and easy they could work as a weekday breakfast for the family. Top them with loads of fruit or some of the topping ideas below and you’re all set for an active day!
Pancake Topping Ideas
Pancake toppings are the best part, aren’t they!? Here are some of my favourites.
- peanut butter, almond butter, tahini or sunflower seed butter
- dates soaked in hot water then blended to make caramel sauce
- nut butter caramel sauce – blend your fave nut butter or tahini with dates
- sliced banana
- fresh blueberries, strawberries or cherries (try berries added to the batter too, YUM!)
- homemade raw chocolate sauce made from maple syrup, coconut oil and cacao powder
- cacao nibs or dairy-free chocolate chips (you can also add these to the batter for chocolate chip pancakes!)
- pure maple syrup
- chia seed jam
- one of my absolute favourites: coconut butter
What are you favourite pancake toppings? I can always use delicious new ideas! Let me know in the comments what you’re putting on these.
More Vegan Pancakes Recipes
If you enjoy these, you’ve gotta check out these other pancake recipes:
- Vegan Chickpea Flour Pancakes – Oil-free, grain-free, just a couple ingredients!
- Whole Wheat Fluffy Vegan Pancakes – very popular, oil-free, can be sugar-free
- Vegan Chia Seed Pancakes – a reader fave, oil-free, super easy and so fluffy!
4-Ingredient Fluffy Vegan Protein Pancakes
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Prep Time: 5 mins -
Cook Time: 5 mins
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Total Time: 10 minutes
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Yield: 2 1x
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Category: Breakfast
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Method: Stovetop
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Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
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Cuisine:These extra thick and fluffy protein pancakes will be your new go-to pancake recipe. Top them with your favorites like berries, banana, peanut butter and maple syrup and dig on into a big weekend stack.
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (28 g) vegan protein powder of choice
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp maple syrup, see notes
- 1 cup water, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Mix the flour, protein powder, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
- Add the maple syrup or sweetener of choice if using, then slowly add the water, mixing until “just mixed.” It should be a little lumpy and quite thick but still pourable. Add a little extra water if needed.
- Allow the batter to rest while you heat a pan over low to medium heat. Use a little cooking spray or a good non-stick pan and scoop about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the pan for each pancake.
- Cook until bubbles start to appear and the edges of each pancake look dry and firm. Flip and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Enjoy right away with your favorite pancake toppings. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge or freezer and reheated as needed.
Notes
Sweetening options include 1-2 tbsp pure maple syrup, agave or coconut sugar or for sugar-free pancakes, stevia powder, liquid stevia drops or monk fruit to taste. If you’re using flavored protein powder, you can omit or reduce additional sweetener.
The original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of water but readers were reporting the batter to be too runny. I reduced it to 1 cup but you may need up to 1 1/2 cups works depending on the protein powder you use. Start with 1 cup and slowly add more as needed. It works great with 1 cup but the batter is very thick, however, this will result in an extra thick and fluffy pancake. If you want the batter to stretch a little further and make more pancakes, add a little extra water. The batter should be thick but pourable.
Some readers have had success with a gluten-free flour blend but this recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flour so I can’t guarantee success.
Keywords: vegan protein pancakes, protein pancakes, high-protein pancakes
Really tasty and one of the best pancakes I have ever had! Very easy to make and low in sugar and calories! I used honey instead of syrup and it worked just as well! Definitely recommend!!
★★★★★
these were awesome! had a nice texture (a little chewy in the inside and crispy on the edges) and i really couldn’t even taste the protein powder, which is great because sometimes it leaves a bit of an aftertaste. these are a perfect weekend breakfast!
★★★★★
Hi, if I wanted to turn them into chocolate pancakes then how much cocoa powder would I need to use. Also, can I add a dash of cinnamon?
I would start with 2 tbsp. Yes, you can add cinnamon. ENjoy!
Are those the nutrition facts for all 6 of the pancakes or just 1?
It’s for half of the recipe. The recipe makes 2 servings. 🙂
Fantastic recipe – totally delish 🙂
★★★★★
Would whole wheat flour work?
Yep.
It was so good and filling ! Thank you!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed them!
Just made these, with spelt flour, and they were delicious! A bit sticky in the middle, but that’s how we like them:) my partner is normally not a big fan of protein powder in pancakes, but he asked if there was any more;)
Can I use oat flour instead of all purpose flour?
Not in this recipe unfortunately. I don’t have any oat flour pancake recipes but I do have some chickpea flour ones. Otherwise I’d suggest having a look online for vegan oat flour pancakes. Thanks!
Amazing…loved them! Added cocoa powder and a bit of maple syrup. Super fluffy and delicious!!!
★★★★★
This recipe did not work out for me. I had over 2 cups of water in before it was even remotely spoonable. The pancakes did get fluffy, but the batter continues to thicken as you go, and only the first two worked out / cooked correctly. They tasted strongly of baking soda and salt, despite that I put less than the recipe calls for, but I am sensitive to that flavor, and they otherwise tasted fine enough I guess.
The protein powder I use is half hemp half rice. I would not recommend this recipe for that kind of powder, but it was so close to working and being good that it might actually work with other powders? I dunno. I won’t be trying it again, but it wasn’t the worst recipe fail I’ve had.
★★
How much and what kind of flour did you use? Also, it’s baking powder, NOT baking soda. Baking soda would make them taste salty and bitter – and reducing the salt and baking soda will make less fluffy. Did you measure everything as written? This recipe is very popular with hundreds of positive reviews on social media so I’m not sure what went wrong for you. Sorry they didn’t work!