Saturday, March 25, 2017

Delicious and Filling Protein Powered Pancakes

Over the past many, many years I have experimented with breakfast foods and breakfast recipes. I have learned that my first meal of the day needs to be filled with protein.  Oh, I have tried various carb-filled delights such as pancakes with fruit and maple syrup, or stuffed French toast with whipped cream... and as delicious and filling as I find those things while I am eating them, an hour later I am shaking and HANGRY... with low blood sugar and a headache.  And quite miserable.  And I make everyone around me miserable too, until I get something else to eat.

So, I know that my breakfast needs protein.  Lots of protein.  On days I work out in the morning, I normally have a shake made with some kind of protein powder.  If I use a whey powder, I make it with nut milk and some kind of fruit.  If I use a vegan powder that is higher in carbs I usually add only water.

After my workout, I will have an another small protein-filled meal... usually eggs or egg whites with spinach, or squash, and perhaps some turkey bacon.

But on days I don't work out, I like to have one solid meal in the morning and then not eat again till noon.  I have been trying out different foods to make sure I have my nutritional bases covered... protein, carbs, and a bit of fat... enough to get me through a busy morning but not weigh me down. It needs to have lots of protein, some carbs, some fat.  A good balance of all three.

I love pancakes.  But I have not found a mix that is both high protein and gluten-free that is anywhere near affordable, so I have been trying various mixtures of ingredients, and I think I have finally come up with something that is worthy of sharing.

I have make this same recipe 3 different mornings now and find it not only tastes great, but it also fills me up and keeps me fuelled, easily, through several hours.  Now, admittedly, it is kind of time consuming to make a new batch every time I want some, so I have started to pre-measure the dry ingredients for a few batches and keep them in sealed bags in the pantry. That way I can grab one, add the wet ingredients, and start cooking within a couple of minutes. Cleanup is easy too.

I weigh gluten-free oats and then grind them into flour in my food processor.  Then I mix them with the rest of the dry ingredients and bag them up.  When I want to make a batch of cakes, I mash some banana, then beat up some egg whites, add the dry ingredients and cook the cakes in a pre-heated pan that has been coated with a bit of non-stick spray.

If you don't have a banana, I am pretty sure that an equal amount of pumpkin puree or unsweetened applesauce would work as well.  Of course, the N.I. would be slightly different.

I use a vanilla whey protein powder. You could try another flavor if you like. If you use unflavored, then add a bit of vanilla extract or almond extract to your wet ingredients.

Here are the amounts you need to make 4 nice pancakes.  And yes, they freeze.  Make a huge batch and freeze them. That would make mornings even easier, right?

Protein Powered  Pancakes


Protein Powered Pancakes
makes 1 serving of 4 cakes

 Dry Ingredients:
  • 40g oats ground into flour (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup)
  • 16g whey protein powder (about 1/2 scoop)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • liberal dash of cinnamon
Wet Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup egg whites
  • 60 g ripe banana, mashed (about 1/2 small)
Instructions:
  1. Pour egg whites into mixing bowl and beat till a bit fluffy with fork or whisk.
  2. Add mashed banana and beat a bit more.
  3. Add the dry ingredients, mix well.
  4. Make 4 individual pancakes.  Use a 1/4 cup measure to spoon batter into prepared pan.  Cook for a couple of minutes and flip over to cook second side. Remove to plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat for all 4 cakes.
  5. Serve with favorite toppings.
Per 4 cake serving, without toppings.
Weight Watchers Smart Points =  8.
Calories 324;
Fat 4g;
Saturated Fat 1g;
Carbohydrates 42g;
Sugar 9g;
Protein 33g

Protein Powered Pancakes
Cook the pancakes one at a time in a preheated pan.

Protein Powered Pancakes
I like sugar free syrup on my pancakes... but you could try fruit or yogurt.

Protein Powered Pancakes
Dig in!



Are you pancake fan or do you prefer waffles?





15 comments:

  1. I also need protein in my breakfast! If Im out to breakfast I would choose waffles over pancakes because I never make them at home. These pancakes look delicious and filling!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm such a pancake fiend it's kinda hard to believe I haven't tried protein pancakes yet. Gotta change that!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love both pancakes and waffles, but I don't eat them very often. I do smoothies for breakfast.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love both pancakes and waffles.....I just don't take the time to make them as often as I'd like. Great tip...mixing up the dry ingredients and storing them would be a great time saver!

    ReplyDelete
  5. These look great. I love protein pancakes!

    ReplyDelete
  6. These look delicious. I too am a huge fan of adding protein to my pancake and waffle batter. I love pancakes and waffles equally. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've decided I just don't have the patience to fix pancakes. I can't wait for them all to cook! But if someone else made these, I'd love them. I prefer a dab of butter. I can take or leave the syrup.

    ReplyDelete
  8. We love pancakes in our house, easy to make and no need for a special waffle maker. However, we won't turn down waffles to eat!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mmmm.. Do they still taste as yummy as the high fat/sugar "regular" pancakes? I wonder if my boys would eat thme?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Those look great! They are probably the closest to real pancakes in appearance I have seen! Love that you can freeze them!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow, these sound amazing!!! I am always looking for ways to get in protein, can't wait to try them :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love pancakes and adding a little protein to the mix is the way to go!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm with you - I need protein with my breakfast as well. Since I usually have a shake each morning, I should try incorporating my protein powder into an alternate dish, like pancakes.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for leaving me a comment.