Protein Pancakes Recipe (With Oats): The Perfect Breakfast

Have you been looking for a protein pancakes recipe that’s easy?

One of the most challenging parts of eating healthy is figuring out what to have for breakfast. What I love about this protein pancakes recipe is that you can easily make them in batches for a grab’n’go breakfast that’s healthy and filling.

I’ve been using this recipe for a few years now and love it. It’s among my go-to breakfasts. Keep reading to find out how you can make these tasty protein pancakes and make them a part of your meal planning.

Protein Pancakes Recipe Ingredients

This is a pretty easy recipe to remember. If you can remember the number three, you’re pretty much all set. A third of a cup of cottage cheese and ground up oats.

You can use quick oats, instant oats, or old-fashioned oats. The difference between the three is how often they’re pressed and cut. Old-fashioned oats tend to be thick, while quick oats and instant oats are rolled thinner. Since they’re getting ground up in a food processor or coffee grinder, it doesn’t impact the flavor or texture.

The cottage cheese you use will make a difference in the final product. I like to use small curd cottage cheese that’s low-fat. You might have to try a few brands to get the one that you like the most. Some brands are a bit more watery than others, which will impact the texture of the final product.

The flavor may be impacted slightly, but not much.

Flavorful Tips

Of course, you look at this and think that it’s pretty…well, bland. It can be, but there are a couple of things that you can do add some flavor. My personal favorite is to add cinnamon and honey on top of the pancakes.

Can you add cinnamon to the batter? Sure. Interestingly enough, adding cinnamon does give it a very subtle flavor. I add about a teaspoon to it. If you want flavor that really pops, you’d have to add about a tablespoon to the batter.

I add cinnamon on top because it gives more flavor. Combined with the honey, there’s a bit of sweetness there, too.

I’ll use honey only once in a while as a special treat because I don’t want to get so used to the sweetness that I crave it.

The vast majority of the time, I’ll just stick with cinnamon on top for a nice boost in flavor.

If you’re anxious for pumpkin season to hit, you can add a heaping tablespoon of canned pumpkin and about a teaspoon of pumpkin spice to the recipe so you can get your pumpkin fix. It’s way healthier than anything else pumpkin that has a ton of sugar!

Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder

You might wonder why this recipe calls for baking soda instead of baking powder.

Cottage cheese activates the baking soda. I’ve experimented with different amounts of baking soda along the way. I managed to make pancakes that blew up like balloons and defleated shortly afterwards. Using 1/8 of a teaspoon is the right amount for a little bounce that sticks around.

You can make the recipe without baking soda. The pancakes will come out a little flat, but that’s not a huge deal. The flavor isn’t impacted at all.

Protein Pancakes and Meal Prep

Breakfast is the most important meal to prep. You’re often in a rush and you need to get out the door quickly. You also want to make sure that you have something to eat before you head out.

What I love about making protein pancakes is that I can make a batch over the weekend and put them in the fridge for the week. I pull out a container in the morning, heat it up (sometimes not), add a little cinnamon and/or honey, and off I go.

I managed to create a whole system to make sure my proportions are correct and I can make them quickly. Here’s how I do things.

I start with the oatmeal. I measure out a third of a cup and grind it. I’ll do that 5-6 times, depending on how much I want to make. Once I have the oatmeal lined up, I’ll get out my pan and heat it up. I’ll add a little bit of olive oil to the pan so it doesn’t stick.

I’ve made these using a griddle, and it works just as well. I find that I can make more on the griddle, which speeds up the meal planning process. You can use these tips to create your own system for meal planning breakfast.

Easy and Healthy Protein Pancakes Recipe

Heather McDaniel

Here's a simple protein pancakes recipe with cottage cheese instead of protein powder.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Equipment

• Coffee grinder or small food processor
• Skillet or frying pan

Ingredients

  

• ⅓ C Uncooked oats Quick or old-fashioned.
• 3 Egg whites
• ⅓ Cottage cheese
• ⅛ Baking soda
• 1 tsp Olive oil
• Pinch Cinnamon or Honey Optional

Instructions

 

• Measure oats and grind in a coffee grinder or small food processor to create a flour.
• Combine oats, egg whites, cottage cheese, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
• Heat a skillet with olive oil
• Add the batter to the skillet and heat until the pancake starts to bubble on the sides and a little in the middle (about 5 minutes).
• Flip over and cook for another 3 minutes.
• Serve on a plate and top with cinnamon and/or honey.

Notes

You can make this as two small pancakes or one giant pancake. The time listed above is for the giant pancake. 

Keyword healthy breakfast, Pancakes, Pancakes with oats

Protein Pancakes for a Great Start to the Day

There’s no question that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The hard part is planning breakfast ahead so you don’t leave yourself starving at 10am ready to grab an unhealthy snack.

This protein pancakes recipe is sure to help your meal planning process. You can make this recipe in batches for the entire week. You can stick them in the fridge and pull them out when you need them.

It’s a healthy way to start the day and stay on track with your fitness and nutrition goals. Do you want more tips about nutrition? Download the Free Printable Food Journal.