When it comes to weekday breakfast it's hard to beat a big stack of pancakes - these blueberry pancakes are made with bananas, protein powder and egg whites, and are ready in less than 20 minutes.
This post may contain sales affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for details.
Breakfast has always been one of my favorite meals! Starting the day with a good, hearty breakfast always makes me feel better. Pancakes don't generally fall into that category but these blueberry pancakes get a makeover from the addition of protein powder and bananas. I mean, everyone loves pancakes, right?!
Contents:
I know protein pancakes aren't exactly novel but I've had a few that were either lacking in flavor or loaded up with sugar to compensate for the protein powder so I set out to create a version that tasted good too. It took a lot of testing and experimenting with different ingredients but these are a winner!
This is one of those recipes that makes me love being a food blogger - not that I don't always love it but it's super fun when I get to experiment with recipes like this. I rarely eat pancakes, not because I don't love them but because I never feel full afterward.
Enter this super tasty, loaded with blueberries and protein, version of pancakes. If you haven't been eating pancakes for breakfast these are sure to change your mind!
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Banana: One medium banana that is ripe but not turning brown.
- Eggs: You'll need three or four eggs is you use fresh eggs for the egg whites. You can also use liquid egg whites if you prefer.
- Protein Powder: This is my favorite protein powder but if you have one you already use, that will work just fine. I do recommend a vanilla-flavored powder for the best taste.
- Blueberries: Try to pick some of the smaller berries as it's easier to mix them into the batter.
Notes from the Kitchen
I recently had a reader say she had trouble getting this recipe to turn out well, so I did a bit of retesting and made some modifications to help ensure success!
The biggest change I made was to switch the flour from whole wheat to all-purpose. While it worked fine with whole wheat flour, there are more variables such as the exact type of whole wheat flour so all-purpose just makes it easier. I also like to use mostly pantry staple ingredients in my recipes, so all-purpose flour is more consistent with that approach!
I also switched to using a blender to mix the batter. It makes the batter a bit smoother and it's easier to fully incorporate all of the ingredients.
One important note about this recipe - these are not sweetened pancakes -- so if you like a little bit of sweetness, top them with maple syrup or blueberry compote. If you like really sweet pancakes, this might not be the recipe for you.
Tips for Success
This easy pancake recipe has a few extra steps due to the addition of the mashed bananas.
Mix the wet ingredients. I find that using a mini blender is the easiest way to make pancake batter so start by adding the banana, milk, egg and egg white. Blend it until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients: Then you'll add the eggs and whisk again. Then you'll stir in the flour, protein powder and remaining ingredients.
Cook the pancakes. You cook these the same way you'd cook any other pancakes, in a pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. You want to let them sit until the edges just start to turn slightly brown and then flip them to finish cooking.
Not only do these help get your body fueled up for a productive day but you sneak in one of your fruit servings for the day too!!
These blueberry protein pancakes might just become your new favorite breakfast - and even better, you can freeze them so you've got breakfast for the next week or two. Done + done!!
Freezing instructions
After you've cooked the pancakes, you can wrap them in plastic wrap or put them in a freezer bag. They will keep for about a month in the freezer. To reheat, you can microwave or put them back in a pan over low heat until they are warm.
More breakfast ideas
For more great breakfast options check out these reader favorites:
Breakfast Quesadilla with Egg + Smashed Avocado
Turkey Sausage + Mushroom Mini Egg Muffins
Click here to subscribe to Urban Foodie Kitchen's Newsletter for free and fresh smaller scale recipes right to your inbox!
If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment with a star rating below. You can also take a photo & tag @urbanfoodiekitchen on Instagram.
Blueberry Protein Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana, cut into chunks
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup egg whites
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup vanilla flavored protein powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Mix the wet ingredients. Add the banana, egg and egg whites to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, protein powder, baking soda, vanilla and salt. Blend again until smooth. Gently stir in the blueberries.
- Cook the pancakes. Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Pour ¼ cup of the batter into the heated pan. Repeat until the pan is full (about 3 pancakes fit into a 10" pan). Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the edges begin to just slightly brown. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for another 2-3 minutes until they are golden brown.
- Remove pancakes from the pan and keep warm. Repeat until all the batter has been used up. Serve with maple syrup and blueberries or fruit topping of your choice.
Notes
- A mini blender works well for mixing this batter.
Dominique | Perchance to Cook
These pancakes look amazingly fluffy! My husband wants everything and anything with protein powder in it, so I'm saving this recipe to make for him later. 🙂
Michelle
I love blueberries and bananas in my pancakes too. I so rarely get to make them this way though as my kids prefer plain ones. I love this healthy protein packed recipe. Think I'll whip up a batch just for me! I bet I can reheat them as needed throughout the week.
Sara
These look amazing! What a great start to a day!
Meredith
Gorgeous stack of blueberry pancakes! I can't wait to make these... pinning to try very soon!
Anne Murphy
I've always loved blueberry pancakes! And adding the protein powder is a good idea - if I make something like pancakes I can't always convince the family to eat something else with protein as well... this solves that.
Matt Kearns
Hey Kathryn! These pancakes look amazing. I'm always looking for some easy ways of getting extra protein in my diet and I think these are perfect! I love making extra pancakes ahead of time and taking them with me as snacks. Think I'll try these out! Well done!
Nicole | Culinary Cool
Your pancakes look so darn fluffy! My hubby would love the addition of protein powder in the mix, and I'm loving the bananas!
Stacey
These look amazing and I love that you added in the protein powder to amp it up! My kids would devour these!
Rachel
Adding protein powder to pancakes is such a great idea! My family loves pancakes on Saturday morning but I always feel kind of bad giving the just carbs to start their day. Protein powder totally helps to balance that out!
Jessica Knott (swanky recipes)
My mom just sent me a care package of protein powder and I can't wait to use it! I think I'll try this recipe with the peanut butter or chocolate peanut butter protein powder. Looking to make this a weekend treat our family can enjoy!
Monica | Nourish & Fete
I love this as a way to make our regular pancakes a little bit healthier! We always make them with blueberries for the adults and plain for my son - he loves berries, but not IN the pancakes, go figure, ha!