Enjoy a sweet start to your day without skimping on protein with these healthy protein pancakes without bananas! Unlike many recipes that use banana for sweetness and moisture, these fluffy protein pancakes have warm notes of warm cinnamon and vanilla and are the perfect blank slate for all your favorite toppings. They’re also refined sugar-free, loaded with 28 grams of protein for a serving of four pancakes, and easy enough to make any morning of the week! {Gluten-free & vegetarian}
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No Banana Protein Pancakes
No offense, bananas, but you’re not always welcome! There are so many great pancake recipes that use mashed bananas, like my Banana Protein Pancakes, but not everyone loves bananas or sometimes you just need something different.
Whether you’re a banana hater or are just out of this staple ingredient, don’t worry! This easy protein pancake recipe is made without bananas, yet they still have a super soft, tender texture like the real deal. They’re so good!
Why We Love This Pancake Recipe
- Super easy way to increase your protein intake on busy mornings
- Formulated by a registered dietitian to be nutritionally balanced
- Naturally gluten-free thanks to almond flour and oat flour
- Great source of soluble fiber, healthy fats, and protein
- Made with no added sugars (sweetened by your protein powder)
- A high-protein breakfast can help regulate your blood sugar all day and keep you full for longer
- Great for a healthy breakfast that satisfies those sweet cravings!
Ingredient Notes
- Vanilla protein powder: Use your favorite brand of protein powder. This is where the sweetness comes from, so it’s helpful to use one with a little sweetness or add a tablespoon of maple syrup.
- Almond flour: This adds healthy fats, a nutty flavor, a great texture, and extra protein.
- Oat flour: For lots of soluble fiber to keep you full for hours.
- Ground cinnamon: For a little warmth.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These will help the pancakes bubble up and become light and fluffy.
- Salt
- Eggs: To bind the batter together and add extra protein. I like to use whole eggs for this, but you can use egg whites in a pinch or for extra protein.
- Milk or milk alternative: For moisture.
- Melted coconut oil: Pancakes taste best with a little fat, which will give them a softer texture and prevent them from being too dry. Feel free to use melted butter or canola oil instead.
- Vanilla extract: For flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Combine protein powder, almond flour, oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a blender; pulse until fully mixed. Add eggs, milk (reduce amount to 1/2 cup if using whey protein), oil and vanilla. Blend, stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed, until combined. Let stand for 15 minutes. Spray a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat.
- Pour about ¼ cup batter per pancake and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the edges are dry and the pancakes start to turn golden brown, about 1 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 1 to 3 additional minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, using more cooking spray and reducing the heat as needed. Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Expert Tips
- These pancakes are pretty sweet on their own, so I found that they didn’t even need maple syrup. If you prefer less sweet pancakes, you can use an unflavored protein powder and add a tablespoon of maple syrup to the batter instead.
- Don’t try to flip the pancakes too early or they may fall apart. Instead wait for the edges to start to dry and small bubbles to form on the surface before flipping.
- If you don’t have oat flour, you can also make your own by blending up quick or rolled oats in the blender.
- Wait before you pour! Oats will absorb lots of liquid, and if you pour the batter too fast, the first batch will be runny, and the last one will be too thick. Let the batter rest for the full 15 minutes to get the perfect texture.
Recipe FAQs
The best protein powder is one you like and use! You can use any type of protein powder you like, although I usually recommend using whey or a plant-based protein powder. It doesn’t have to be vanilla powder; you can always use plain whey protein and add a little maple syrup for sweetness or experiment with other flavors! My favorite protein powder for its flavor, texture and ingredients is Good Protein Powder.
There are lots of options! First, you can use applesauce to replace the bananas, which is a nice natural sweetener without that banana flavor. Canned pumpkin is also a great replacement for ripe bananas, which I use in these pumpkin protein pancakes.
However, this recipe works a little differently. You don’t need any bananas, applesauce, or pumpkin. Instead, you can get just enough sweetness from your favorite protein powder. If you keep your pancakes lightly sweetened, you can add whatever other toppings you want!
Yep! Banana acts like a sweetener and oil in pancake batter, so you’ll definitely want to find a recipe specifically made without bananas instead of just replacing them. This particular recipe uses melted coconut oil for the tender texture and vanilla protein powder for sweetness (and lots of protein). They turn out great every time!
Storage Guidelines
To refrigerate: Let your pancakes cool down, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To freeze: If you make a large batch, you can freeze the leftovers for later! I do recommend putting a small piece of parchment between each one to prevent them from sticking.
To reheat: Either microwave for 30 seconds or bake them in a toaster oven at 350 F for a few minutes until fully warmed.
Optional Toppings
Just like regular pancakes, these flourless protein pancakes can be topped with all of your favorite toppings! They’re really a blank canvas. Here are my favorite options:
- Fresh fruit or sliced berries
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Greek yogurt
- Maple syrup
- Regular or dairy free chocolate chips
- Drizzle of melted peanut butter or almond butter
- Strawberry chia jam
Recipe Variations
- Add a mix-in: Sprinkle some mini chocolate chips, crushed freeze-dried raspberries, or fresh blueberries onto the pancakes as you griddle them. Flip and serve!
- Try different flavors of protein powder: There are so many different protein powders out there these days. Try the recipe with your favorite flavor to switch it up!
- Get extra fiber: Sprinkle chia seeds into the protein pancake batter for a little extra fiber and healthy fats. Flax meal and hemp seeds are also great options!
More Protein-Packed Recipes
- Cottage Cheese Protein Waffles
- Homemade Protein Pancake Mix
- Protein Cinnamon Rolls
- High Protein Bagels
- Protein French Toast
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Healthy Protein Pancakes without Bananas
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk or milk alternative
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or canola oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine protein powder, almond flour, oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a blender; pulse until fully mixed.
- Add eggs, milk (reduce amount to 1/2 cup if using whey protein), oil and vanilla. Blend, stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed, until combined. Let stand for 15 minutes.
- Spray a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat.
- Pour about ¼ cup batter per pancake and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the edges are dry and bottoms are golden brown, about 1 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 1 to 3 additional minutes.. Repeat with the remaining batter, using more cooking spray and reducing the heat as needed. Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- The nutrition information is for one pancake. Multiply the nutritional values by the number of pancakes you choose to have.
- These pancakes are pretty sweet on their own, so I found that they didn’t even need maple syrup. If you prefer less sweet pancakes, you can use an unflavored protein powder and add a tablespoon of maple syrup to the batter instead.
- Wait before you pour! Oats will absorb lots of liquid, and if you pour the batter too fast, the first batch will be runny, and the last one will be too thick. Let the batter rest for the full 15 minutes to get the perfect texture.
- Don’t try to flip the pancakes too early or they may fall apart. Instead wait for the edges to start to dry and small bubbles to form on the surface before flipping.
- If you don’t have oat flour, you can also make your own by blending up quick or rolled oats in the blender.
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