4-Ingredient Fluffy Vegan Protein Pancakes
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.
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!
- Buckwheat Pancakes – 5-star reviewed and naturally gluten-free!
4-Ingredient Fluffy Vegan Protein Pancakes
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
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.
Ingredients
- 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 or kosher salt, see notes
- 2 tbsp maple syrup, see notes
- 1 cup water, plus more as needed, see notes
Instructions
- Mix the flour, protein powder, baking powder (make sure you don’t use baking soda) and salt together in a bowl until well combined, making sure to break up any clumps and fully incorporate the baking powder and salt.
- 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 for 5-10 minutes while you heat a pan over medium-low 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
For best results, measure ingredients using a kitchen scale for accuracy.
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 sweetened flavoured protein powder, you can omit or reduce the added sweetener. Nutrition facts are for stevia-sweetened pancakes, adjust accordingly if you use another sweetener. Depending on the protein powder used, you may not even need 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.
The recipe makes enough for 2 servings, however, the exact number of pancakes it makes will depends how big each pancake is and how much liquid is added to the batter. Regardless, however many pancakes you make, half of that is meant to be one serving.
Reduce salt to 1/4 tsp if you’re using table salt or if sodium content is a concern. You can also use a reduced-sodium baking powder.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 the recipe
- Calories: 295
- Sodium: 20.2 mg
- Fat: 1.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 16 g
Keywords: vegan protein pancakes, protein pancakes, high-protein pancakes
These were amazing! I used Orgain vegan vanilla bean protein powder and instead of water I used plain soy milk and they came out perfectly. Thank you for a great recipe!
★★★★★
These are SO GOOD. I had to add more than 1 cup water, but not a lot more, not even 1/4 cup extra. I added cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract also. I used Orgain Vanilla protein powder. It made 5 for me. Definitely keeping this recipe!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed them, Jess!
Absolutely my go-to protein pancakes! I add some chocolate chips and chopped up banana with vanilla protein, they’re so delicious!
★★★★★
So glad to hear it, Daisy! Thanks for the review!
These were the best protein pancakes I’ve ever made. I doubled the recipe and subbed half almond flour and added cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract and they came out every bit as fluffy as the picture indicates with a nice hint of spice. I will be making these regularly!
★★★★★
That’s awesome to hear, Jessica! So happy you liked them.
Absoloutely amazing best vegan protein pancakes out there. Tried so many recipies and i always have to mess on and alter the recipies and they are never consistant or easy to flip. These are amazing, i had no baking powder so added tiny bit more salt. Also used skinny oat milk instead of water and added some cinnamon. SO YUMMY! THANK YOU XXX
★★★★★
Hi! Do you know if this will work using whole wheat or buckwheat flour? More/less water, etc.? Thanks!
They will work with whole wheat flour. I haven’t tried them with buckwheat but I do have a buckwheat flour pancake recipe you can try!
This recipe is great. I wasn’t too sure about the lumpy looking batter at first, but I followed your recipe to the letter and they came out awesome (I made 4 decent size pancakes out of it, and me and my partner had 2 each with some banana on top — super tasty and filling). I love that it’s all just store cupboard ingredients which I always have on hand anyway, and the recipe feels super indulgent without actually being junk food. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Love! They taste like real pancakes!
★★★★★
Could I sub with oats instead of flour
If they did, you’d definitely need to use oat flour but I haven’t tested with them it so I’m not sure if they’ll work with a single gluten-free flour (a gf blend may work). Let me know if you try it.
Made these for breakfast and they were perfect and delicious! Thank you.
★★★★★
You’re welcome! So happy to hear you enjoyed them.
these were absolutely amazing! super light and i honestly ate about every single one i made. i cannot wait to try again!!
★★★★★
So happy you loved them! Thanks for letting me know!
I’ve searched and searched for the best vegan pancake recipe. One that wasn’t flat as my eye. THIS PANCAKES ARE SO FLUFFY AND SO DECADENT. Thank you. I meal prep this for the week and eat it along side some home made home fries!!
★★★★★
You are so very welcome! Glad you enjoyed them.
I used oat flour and only 1 Tbl maple syrup with Complement Protein Powder. These were delicious!
★★★★★
I didn’t see the note about more milk (up to half a cup) and I have found my protien powder sucks up milk! I have doubled the milk in my overnight oats and they still set up with the protien powder. They tasted good but the batter was too thick.
Going to make these again this weekend and add some vanilla to the batter or cinnamon but definitely worth a second attempt!
Awesome!
★★★★★
I have tried to make vegan protein pancakes before and they never work but this recipe was very good. I also used almond milk instead of water and also added a little bit of cinnamon. I halved the recipe so that it was one serving size and I was so full but in a good way. I am definitely making this recipe again, especially before my gym session to have my energy but I give this recipe overall a 9/10. I don’t feel guilty for eating, I got my sweet tooth craving and I am super happy with the turnout.
★★★★★
Thanks, Codie! So glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for the review…I appreciate it!
My fiance and I adore these! I tweaked it a bit (see below) and they came out fantastic first try. Thanks for the great directions!
-subbed vanilla almondmilk for the water
-added a lil vanilla extract
-added chocolate chips!
-made them fairly small, slightly larger than silver dollar pancakes
Yummy!!
★★★★★
That sounds awesome! So glad you both enjoy them. Thanks so much for the review and feedback!
Hi! How much monkfruit sweetener should I be adding, if that’s what I choose to use? It’ll be my first time using it so I’m not sure how sweet it is on its own. Thanks!!
Monkfruit sweetener usually works at a 1:1 ratio for white sugar so I’d just add a couple teaspoons, give the batter a taste and then adjust as needed. I don’t like pancakes very sweet so I don’t use much…but you can more if you want them sweeter, maybe up to 2 tbsp.
Serves 2 but serving size one ? Using 1/4 batter for 1 pancake.. am i the only one very confused ?
It whole recipe serves 2 people. The nutrition facts are for 1 serving, which is 1/2 the recipe. The number of pancakes it makes depends on how big you make them. So if you make 6 pancakes, 1 serving is 3 pancakes. Enjoy!
I made these with vegan vanilla protein powder, (added vanilla extract), and then added frozen blackberries to the mixture. DIVINE.
★★★★★