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These pancakes are jam packed with protein and fiber! The silky smooth texture and delectable pumpkin/cinnamon flavor combo will have you choosing these for breakfast again and again.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it can be whipped up in a blender in about the same time as it takes to make a smoothie. So if you're getting a little bit burned out on having protein shakes for breakfast, try my pumpkin protein pancakes! You'll get the same big serving of protein for breakfast, along with the ease of a blender recipe.
Why They Are Just So Good
How do I love protein pumpkin pancakes? Let me count the ways...
- High in protein - these have 15 grams of protein per serving. There are 2 servings in this recipe, so you could really eat the whole recipe and not overdo it ( trust us, you'll want to eat the whole recipe)!
- Low in calories - There are 184 calories in a serving, so it's not out of the question to eat the whole recipe, I'm just sayin'
- Full of vitamins and minerals! One serving contains 53% of your vitamin A for the day, plus 36% phosphorus, 18% magnesium, and 12% iron. And a bunch of the B vitamins 💪
- Easy to make, as I mentioned above. Whip them up in the blender or a food processor, and cook them on a griddle or in a frying pan. Easy peasy!
- Gluten free - the "flour" in this recipe is just gluten free oatmeal. No need to buy oat flour, just let your blender do all the work.
For more gluten free baking tips, be sure to read "Best Beginner's Tips for Successful Gluten Free Baking"
Are you ready to dive into a steamy stack of pancakes? Keep scrolling for the recipe! ⤵️
Everything You Need for This Recipe
- oatmeal - if you are a gluten free eater, be sure to use certified gluten free oats. Oats and wheat look a lot alike, so you need to be careful. More info in the FAQ section below.
- Greek yogurt - use the plain, nonfat Greek yogurt for these pancakes. This is what packs in the protein, and it's also the key to the silky smooth texture. I really think you're going to love it!
- eggs and/or egg whites - you could use either eggs or egg whites, or a combo of both. The nutrition label for this recipe was calculated using egg whites, so if you do something different that might change the calories a bit.
- flax seed meal - I always try to add a little flax seed meal wherever it makes sense in my recipes. This is such a nutrient dense food! Full of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and many other good-for-your body things. I even snuck them into my Gluten Free Soft Gingersnap cookies.
- canned pumpkin - just double check that you bought plain pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling! The labels usually look a lot alike. I'm just looking out for you 😊
- zero calorie brown sugar sweetener - for these pancakes I used Swerve zero calorie brown sugar sweetener. I have a few things to say about zero calorie sweeteners, please read the yellow box below.
- Not shown: Cinnamon - don't forget the cinnamon! Like I did for this picture 🤭
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Are You Sensitive to Sweeteners?
Along with gluten intolerance, I find that certain zero calorie sweeteners upset my stomach or make my joints ache if I eat too much of them. I thought I'd mention it here, in case you are one of those people too (food sensitive people unite!)
These are the zero calorie sweeteners that upset my stomach: xylitol, sucralose, aspertame, allulose.
Zero calorie sweeteners that do not upset my stomach: stevia, monkfruit, and erythritol.
I didn't look at the package when I bought the brown sugar Swerve, but now I know that it contains allulose. Pumpkin protein pancakes only have a little bit of the sweetener, and it doesn't seem to bother me much at all.
Alternative Sweeteners
Pumpkin protein pancakes taste fabulous with brown sugar Swerve, but also coconut sugar or standard brown sugar.
Coconut sugar:
pros -
- natural, unprocessed
- It imparts a richer, almost molasses flavor that goes really well with the pumpkin and cinnamon in this recipe.
cons -
- It isn't zero calorie. It will add about 90 calories and some carbs.
- It isn't always easy to find. Check in health food stores or specialty grocery stores.
Brown sugar:
pros -
- it's the cheapest option of all the sweeteners
cons -
- It is highly processed, just like standard white sugar.
- It adds calories.
How to Make Protein Pumpkin Pancakes
I just want to add that we much prefer using a blender for this recipe, but when we took the pictures we used a food processor.
step 1. Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor.
step 2. Blend on high speed until smooth.
Now you just need to heat up your griddle or skillet to a medium-low heat, and cook your pancakes.
Keep in mind that they yogurt in this recipe makes them require a little longer cooking time.
You Might Need These
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Buy Now → Oats are a gluten free grain.But if you are very sensitive to gluten, you need to look for certified gluten free oatmeal. The reason being, that a field of oats and a field of wheat look a lot alike. The same equipment that manufactures oats often manufactures others grains like wheat, so it's very common for oatmeal to get contaminated with wheat.
The only way to be sure is to buy oatmeal from a company that uses dedicated equipment that only processes gluten free grains. You can know this by looking for the words "certified gluten free" on the label.
No, the protein in this pancake recipe comes form the oatmeal, yogurt, and eggs. And they still contain 15 grams of protein!
It's probably because they didn't get cooked all the way through. Try reducing the temperature a little more and allowing them to cook a little longer. That way the outside won't get overcooked before the inside, and they won't become mushy.
I think the best way is to not depend on protein powder for the protein in your pancakes. Whey protein powder absorbs a lot of liquid and is the most likely reason for dry pancakes.
Moisture and protein can both be included in a protein pancake recipe by using moist, protein containing ingredients like eggs and yogurt (or cottage cheese).
Yes, they are naturally gluten free as long as you use certified gluten free oatmeal. Read more about that above.
More Gluten Free Recipes
If you're new here, you should know that pretty much all of my recipes are gluten free, since I am a gluten intolerant person. Check out all my gluten free recipes.
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Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
These pancakes are jam packed with protein and fiber! The silky smooth texture and delectable pumpkin/cinnamon flavor combo will have you choosing these for breakfast again and again.
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 6 pancakes, 4 inches each 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup oatmeal
- ½ cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- 1 ½ tablespoons zero calorie brown sugar sweetener (Swerve brand)
- ½ cup egg, or liquid egg whites
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender or a food processor. We have found the blender to give the best results.
- Process on high speed, scraping down the sides if needed and pulsing if necessary until it becomes a smooth batter.
- Heat a griddle or skillet to 330 - 340℉. Or medium to medium-low heat on the stovetop. Brush lightly with oil.
- Pour out pancakes and cook until small bubbles form and the edges seem dry.
- Flip, and cook until set. The texture of these pancakes are really soft and creamy because of the yogurt, so they may take a little longer to cook than standard pancakes.
- Serve with butter and maple syrup, or apple butter.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5-10 minutes
- Category: breakfast
- Method: blender
- Diet: Low Calorie
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ recipe
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 3.8 g
- Sodium: 119.2 mg
- Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 5.3 g
- Protein: 15.3 g
- Cholesterol: 2.1 mg
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