I confess that I generally think pancakes are pretty boring. Unless they’re covered in chocolate chips, peanut butter, fruit, and syrup, they’re pretty dull. And once you’ve covered them in all of the above, they’re far closer to dessert than breakfast. With that being said, every great once in a while I wake up craving pancakes for breakfast. This craving is then followed by an internal debate between the carb-calorie bomb known as “pancakes,” and the more responsible choice in the form of scrambled eggs. In the end, and regardless of the choice I made, I never walk feeling like the winner.

Last Sunday the pancake craving struck, followed by the typical feelings of guilt. But this time, my brain negotiated a compromise that satisfied the pancake craving, and appeased the more responsible part of my brain. Looking back, I’m surprised that the idea of adding protein powder and other tasty but healthy ingredients to the batter didn’t occur to me sooner. I’m not saying the end result is totally guilt-free. They still contain carbs and some fat, and I personally use all-purpose flour here instead of whole wheat (although I’m sure they’d also work with whole wheat). But they’re made with acai powder, Greek yogurt, milk, and protein powder, resulting in about 25 grams of protein per serving. Sprinkle some berries on top and call it a well-balanced meal.

A note on the protein powder – I would suggest one that doesn’t have a strong or strange taste. Protein powder varies wildly, and I consider myself pretty picky when it comes to the taste of protein powder. But I use Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey (vanilla in this recipe) and really like it. The taste is mild enough that I can’t even pick it out in this recipe. The last thing I want is a pancake that tastes more like protein powder than actual pancakes.

And even better, the lemon and acai add an extra pop of flavor with a mild crunch from the poppyseeds. As a result, these pancakes make a relatively well-balanced meal that doesn’t need heaps of syrup or honey poured on top. But if you still feeling like adding a bit I certainly won’t tell.

Print Recipe

Protein Pancakes

Protein-packed pancakes with lemon, poppy seed, and acai

Course

Breakfast

Keyword

Acai, Greek yogurt, lemon, Pancakes, Poppy seed, Protein powder

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour about 125 grams
• 2 tablespoons sugar 25 grams
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp poppyseeds
• 1 tbsp acai powder
• 2 tbsp butter melted but not hot, plus a couple extra pats for griddle
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 small lemon zest and juiced, roughly 2 tablespoons
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 cup Mixed berries (optional)

Course Breakfast Keyword Acai, Greek yogurt, lemon, Pancakes, Poppy seed, Protein powder Servings people Ingredients 1 cup flour about 125 grams 2 tablespoons sugar 25 grams 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 tbsp poppyseeds 1 tbsp acai powder 2 tbsp butter melted but not hot, plus a couple extra pats for griddle 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt 1/2 cup milk 1 egg 1 small lemon zest and juiced, roughly 2 tablespoons 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1 cup Mixed berries (optional)

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, poppyseeds, protein powder, and acai powder together in a bowl

   
2. Whisk the butter, yogurt, milk, egg, lemon zest and juice together in a bowl

   
3. Heat some butter on a large skillet or griddle at medium heat
4. While the skillet heats up, combine the wet and dry ingredients until no lumps remain

   
5. Without overcrowding the pan, dollop batter onto hot skillet
6. Flip after 2 or 3 minutes, depending on the size of the pancakes. Flip again if necessary until both sides are browned to your liking

   
7. Sprinkle berries on top and serve immediately

Recipe Notes

You can keep the pancakes warm in the oven on a plate at 190 degrees while cooking the rest.