Protein pancake recipes and THE healthiest pancake toppings: not just any old crêpe

No need to make Pancake Day a cheat day: indulge yourself the right way with these protein pancakes, topped with the healthiest protein pancake spreads and syrups

Pancake day 2021
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Happy Pancake Day, everyone! And what a batter way (pun intended) to celebrate Pancake Day than making some healthy, guilt-free protein pancakes for everyone to enjoy. Protein pancakes are superior to ordinary pancakes as they look and taste the same but have healthier ingredients. We rounded up our favourite, tried-and-tested protein pancake recipes plus all the best toppings we recommend with these mouth-watering Pancake Day treats.

We picked three (plus one) protein pancake recipes that cater for different dietary needs and tastes: you'll find your 'standard' protein pancake recipe here, but also a 'no-banana' and a low-carb 'keto' version too. Plus, for the more adventurous, there is a beetroot and kale pancake recipe too, at the bottom.

Haven't got any protein powder at home? Have a look at our best protein powder buying guide, you'll find all the best whey and vegan protein powder varieties there. You might also need a new non-stick frying pan too because the teflon on the old one has already completely peeled off: check out the best non-stick frying pan guide here.

Without further, here are our favourite protein pancake recipes.

Bulk banana protein pancake

(Image credit: Bulk)

Banana protein pancake

We found this recipe at Bulk and boy oh boy, isn't it just the best? If you aren't a wiz in the kitchen and want to play it safe, this recipe will deliver, ten out of ten times. Chef hat is completely optional.

Ingredients (makes eight protein pancakes):

  • One banana
  • 2 scoops of Protein powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp of baking powder
  • 1/2 a cup of oat milk
  • A dash of cinnamon

Method: Blend your ingredients together with a food processor or just a fork then pour carefully into a non-stick pan to form small circles. Flip once small bubbles appear on top. Serve warm and enjoy!

Keto protein pancake

(Image credit: Jennifer Banz)

Low-carb (keto) protein pancake

For those on 'the keto', here is a low-carb protein pancake recipe we found at Jennifer Banz's cooking blog. To save you from scrolling for half an hour to find the recipe, here are the ingredients and how to do these delicious keto pancakes.

Ingredients (serves two):

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 scoops whey protein powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 6 tablespoons water or almond milk
  • Cooking spray, butter, or coconut oil for greasing the pan

Method: mix all the ingredients together until they form a smooth batter. You might not need to add all the water/milk, add it right at the end and see how the batter feels. Add more/less to taste. Heat the frying pan over medium heat, add some oil and a dollop of batter then flip once the bubbles start appearing. Serve warm.

No Banana Protein Pancake

(Image credit: Food for Fitness)

No-banana protein pancake

Some people don't like or can't eat bananas, sadly. But that's no reason to avoid protein pancakes as there are many banana-free recipes available online. Here is our favourite from Food for Fitness.

Ingredients (serves four):

  • 25 gram (~ one scoop) whey protein powder
  • 100 ml milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 50 grams porridge oats
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • light cooking spray

Method: Blitz the oats in the blender until flour-like. Then, mix all the ingredients together (either in the blender or with a whisk/fork). Heat/oil the pan and add some batter to it. Flip the pancake over after about 50 seconds, when the bottom is light brown coloured. Serve warm.

Pancake Day

(Image credit: Bio-Synergy)

Pancakes with beetroot mash and kale

Okay, technically this is not a protein pancake recipe but it is delicious nevertheless, especially if you like savoury pancakes. On second thought, this beetroot and kale pancake from Bio-Synergy has protein in it – kale and eggs are a great source of protein – but maybe not as much as other protein pancakes on this list.

Ingredients (serves two):

  • 2 beetroot
  • 100g kale
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 120g gluten free flour
  • 1 egg
  • 250ml water
  • Salt & pepper
  • 20g dill
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds

Method:

Steam the chopped beetroot in a sieve over a pan of simmering water for 20 minutes or until soft. While the chopped beetroot is steaming, in a separate bowl add the 120 grams gluten free flour into a bowl with a pinch of salt and make a well in the centre. 

Slowly pour the water into the bowl whilst whisking with a fork until you have a smooth batter. Once combined with no lumps whisk in the egg. 

For the dressing, mix together the chopped dill and 2 tbsp olive oil with some seasoning. Set aside.

It’s pancake time! In a non-stick frying pan, heat the 1 tbsp sunflower oil, wiping it around the pan and dabbing off the excess with a piece of kitchen roll. Using a ladle, pour 1 ladle’s worth of batter into the pan and spread it evenly over the base of the pan. Cook for 1 minute on each side until golden brown. Repeat this until you have used all of the mixture (you should have around four pancakes). 

Using the same pan you cooked the pancakes in, heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil then add the chopped garlic, fennel seeds and cook on a medium heat for 1-2 minutes, then add the steamed beetroot.

And finally, add 3 tbsp water to the pan and add the chopped kale, cook until the kale is wilted, then take off the heat.

To serve, lay a pancake flat and place the beetroot and kale stuffing and drizzle with the dill dressing.

Best protein pancake toppings

Healthy protein pancakes should not be ruined with unhealthy toppings such as jam or chocolate spread. Here are our favourite, less-naughty protein pancake toppings for guilt-free indulgence on Pancake Day.

Grenade Carb Killa Protein Spread - White Chocolate Cookie (360-gram jar) | Was £6.99 | Now £5.25 | Save £1.74 at Amazon

Grenade Carb Killa Protein Spread - White Chocolate Cookie (360-gram jar) | <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8434&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.co.uk%2FGrenade-Killa-Spread-Chocolate-Cookie%2Fdp%2FB075D3DZYY%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-21%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Was £6.99 | Now £5.25 | Save £1.74 at Amazon
Forget Nutella, this is the chocolate spread you want on top of your protein pancakes. The Grenade Carb Killa Protein Spread is low on sugar and has 20 percent protein per serving. It is also gluten free and suitable for vegetarians. A 33-gram serving only has 170 calories.

Bulk Dark Chocolate Almond Butter (500-gram tub) | Buy it for £12.99 at Bulk

Bulk Dark Chocolate Almond Butter (500-gram tub) | <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=92X148&xcust=hawk-custom-tracking&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bulk.com%2Fuk%2Fdark-chocolate-almond-butter.html&sref" data-link-merchant="SkimLinks - bulk.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Buy it for £12.99 at Bulk
The Bulk Dark Chocolate Roasted Almond Butter uses quality almonds mixed with premium cocoa mass, with no added preservatives. According to Bulk, each batch is handmade to artisan standards, and packs an impressive 572 calories per 100 grams, including 17 grams of protein.

MyProtein Sugar-free Syrup (400 ml tub) | Buy it for £5.99 at MyProtein

MyProtein Sugar-free Syrup (400 ml tub) | <a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=3196&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myprotein.com%2Fsports-nutrition%2Fsugar-free-syrup%2F11087103.html" data-link-merchant="myprotein.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Buy it for £5.99 at MyProtein
Nutritional information about the MyProtein Sugar-free Syrup: a 5-ml serving has zero calories, zero fat, zero carbs, zero protein and zero fibre. It's basically air. Yet, it tastes deceivingly delicious: the perfect topping for your Pancake Day non-cheat day. 

Matt Kollat
Section Editor | Active

Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator who works for T3.com and its magazine counterpart as an Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019. His byline appears in several publications, including Techradar and Fit&Well, and more. Matt also collaborated with other content creators (e.g. Garage Gym Reviews) and judged many awards, such as the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance's ESSNawards. When he isn't working out, running or cycling, you'll find him roaming the countryside and trying out new podcasting and content creation equipment.