4-Ingredient Protein Pancakes

4.48 from 123 votes

Start your day right with these super healthy, super simple protein pancakes.

4-ingredient protein pancakes

For me, pancakes are weekend food. Saturday mornings, weekend brunch, maybe a little post-going out midnight diner fare. Either way, pancakes are a decadent, indulgent breakfast that I love, but can’t usually justify eating on a more than once in a while basis. But what if pancakes were actually healthy? What if they were so healthy, in fact, that you could eat them as a pre-workout breakfast? Allow these 4 ingredient protein pancakes to change everything you know about your favorite breakfast.

Pancakes Meet Protein

Being a pancake lover and health-food enthusiast isn’t mutually exclusive. There are plenty of healthy, clean-eating pancake recipes out there, (and more than a few of them here on SkinnyMs).

While plenty of recipes have found ways to make pancakes lighter and cleaner, this recipe goes the extra mile. These protein pancakes kick things up a notch by starting your day off with a hearty dose of (what else) protein.

While I am a huge pancake fan, I rarely enjoy eating heavy meals at breakfast. Typically, a sweet and decadent pancake breakfast leaves me feeling full and sluggish all day after.

These 4 ingredient protein pancakes have pretty much the opposite effect. Not only are they light enough to fill you up without leaving you overfull, but they also pack the kind of ingredients that get you energized and ready to go. With protein powder and potassium rich bananas, these pancakes are a perfect pre-workout breakfast. Even if you’re not planning on running any marathons today, this breakfast will get you focused and energized for whatever your day has in store.

Just 4 Ingredients

Even if you’re not just reaching for the box of Bisquick, pancakes are usually pretty simple to make. Mix, pour, flip. This healthy recipe is no different.

So, what are the 4 ingredients in these 4 ingredient protein pancakes? Well, I gave two of them away already. These pancakes get most of their flavor, texture, and impressive nutritional profile from mashed bananas and vanilla protein powder (We used Tera’s Vanilla Protein Powder, which is gluten free, low-carb, and tastes great.)

Just a quarter teaspoon of baking powder and 3 egg whites round out this super simple recipe. Just mix all ingredients, spray your skillet, pour, cook, and flip. This recipe will make about 8 pancakes, with a serving size of 2.

Complete this super healthy breakfast with some fresh fruit, I usually go with strawberries and bananas. If you’re looking to add a little extra natural sweetness, these pancakes are also great topped with honey or almond butter.

These 4 ingredient protein pancakes are easy and healthy enough for a weekday breakfast, but they taste like the indulgent Saturday morning pancakes you love. Whether you’re on the way to work, the gym, or starting off a lazy (but healthy) weekend, these pancakes are the perfect start to your day.

4.48 from 123 votes

4-Ingredient Protein Pancakes

These light and airy, protein-packed pancakes, will satiate your cravings in a healthy way, any day of the week!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Yield 4 people
Serving Size 2 pancakes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Universal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup banana mashed
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder optional, chocolate protein powder

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth.
  • Lightly spray a skillet with non-stick spray and heat on medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes, or until pancakes begin to bubble in the center. Carefully flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Once cooked, remove pancake from the pan and repeat the process until all the batter has been used. Spray the skillet as needed with non-stick spray in-between cooking the pancakes.
  • Top with fresh fruit, honey, or your favorite nut butter! Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2pancakes | Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg |
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 2
Keywords Budget-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Keto, Kid-Friendly, Low-Carb, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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More Clean Pancake Recipes:

Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes

More healthy, protein-packed pancakes with a warm, apple cinnamon flavor. With their warm, rich flavor, these pancakes make a great healthy weekend breakfast. A delicious way to pack a little extra protein into your Saturday morning.

Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes

This vegan recipe makes pure indulgence healthy. These delicious, chocolatey banana pancakes taste just like lazy Saturday breakfast in bed, but they’re much healthier. A tasty breakfast indulgence that won’t throw your whole week off track.

We’ve got you covered from the first meal of the day to the last. Follow us on Pinterest and Instagram for more healthy recipes. 

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Chef Nichole

Nichole has a culinary degree from Great Lakes Culinary Institute and has worked in the culinary industry for 10 years. She also has the knowledge to write recipes using the most nutritious, fresh, and balanced ingredients. Nichole enjoys creating healthy and tasty recipes anyone can prepare, no matter their cooking skill level.

More by Chef Nichole

33 Comments

    1. Usually there is a scoop the the bulk protein powder jugs. If not, one tablespoon is roughly equal to one scoop.

    1. Hi Jasmine, for this particular recipe you would not be able to substitute the egg whites since there are only 3 other ingredients. However, we have several other pancakes on our site you might enjoy!

  1. I was hoping to try this recipe with pumpkin as well. Will that work? Would there be a substantial change in the nutritional breakdown?

    1. You can definitely add the pumpkin, you may need more liquid so the batter isn’t too thick. Yes, the nutritional info may change but not drastically.

  2. These pancakes were a disaster to flip and didn’t feel like I was eating pancakes at all. Texture was like an omelette with pancake flavor.

  3. I think it’s misleading to depict these pancakes dripping with appetizing syrup and then not include the syrup with the point count. A stack of dry pancakes would have been more honest. I cannot even imagine how many points I would be adding if I used that much syrup or nut butter between each pancakes to make them palatable.

    1. Hi Valerie, not everyone enjoys pancakes the same way which is why we choose not to include toppings in our point counts. There are low point syrup options out there for those who use Weight Watchers.

      1. Was very skeptical after mixing these up. They didn’t mix or cook very pretty, but they taste good! Would be great filled and rolled up like crepes. Going to try tweaking them a bit and see what I can come up with. thank you!4 stars

  4. Made these pancakes and they were DELICIOUS!!! Whipped the egg whites for extra fluffiness and came out with 12 amazing pancakes. Thanks so much for the great recipe !

  5. I loved this recipe, plus it is extremely easy especially for those new to cooking. I found using a newer non-stick pan was crucial, but after that discovery the pancakes came out great. The pancakes cook pretty quickly and I also added a little bit of cinnamon for something extra. Definite two thumbs up for this recipe!

    1. Ella, We haven’t tried any other ingredient so I can’t say how they will turn out with a substitute. If you like the flavor, maybe sub with equivalent amount of mashed mango.

  6. For the record, it doesn’t work with plant-based protein powder. They just burned and wouldn’t flip. I had to add pancake mix to it to get it to the right consistency.

  7. Hiiii!!! You made me wanna eat these everyday lol 🙂 I just wanna know what you mean by 57 calories. I mean is it 57 calories PER PANCAKE or 57 calories PER TWO PANCAKES aka PER SERVING?? I would be soooo grateful if you answered <3 Thank you for this beautiful looking breakfast recipe 😀4 stars

  8. I definitely loved the recipe it’s awsome and I topped it with fruits and a little bit of honey. The only thing was it was a little bit hard to flip on the pan considering there was no flour so I would personally recommend whole wheat flour it’s healthier and still tastes super! Anyways thank you for
    A great recipe

    1. Kera, Make the pancakes per instructions, allow to cool, place each one between parchment paper, then place all the pancakes in a freezer safe ziplock. Allow to thaw about 15 minutes before reheating. Enjoy one at a time.

  9. Pancakes are one of my favorite never eat them because of the calories. I can’t wait to try to four ingredients pancakes

  10. Honestly was skeptical when i saw how runny the batter was but once it was done wow it was great as long as you don’t mind like a banana taste you’ll love it5 stars

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