Consuming the necessary amount of protein every day is important for anyone who’s looking after themselves or for people who want to build muscle and/or lose fat.
Of all the ways you can get your protein in, we can’t really think of anything better than eating some fluffy protein pancakes.
While protein shakes and smoothies can work, and so can eating one chicken breast after the other, pancakes are certainly a much more versatile and tastier alternative.
That is why in this article, we will focus on answering questions like whether or not you can cook protein powder in pancakes, which protein powder is best for the pancake batter, and how you can make your pancakes fluffy.
We will also share with you some of our favorite recipes found online, so keep reading below to find out more!
How Can I Add Protein To Pancakes?
To add protein to pancakes, you need to add ingredients that are high in protein or some protein powder that can provide you with it.
An example of high protein ingredients you can add are eggs, which are a staple in most pancake recipes, but also things like yogurt, milk, or spinach and cheese in savory pancakes.
Protein powders, on the other hand, are consumed because of their high protein content, with some of them being pure protein which also makes their serving size low in calories (see also: 15 Best High Protein Low Calorie Recipes To Try Today)too.
So, for example, if you choose to add soy vanilla protein powder to your pancakes to increase the protein amount in your meal, a 30-gram serving will provide you with approximately 100 calories and around 23-26 grams of protein.
In the case of protein pancakes, this means that you can get a more than adequate amount of protein only from your protein powder which will then be further increased by the rest of the ingredients in the pancake mix.
Can Protein Powder Be Cooked?
No matter what kind of protein powder you add, regardless of whether it is whey, casein, pea, soy, or something else, it will all act in the same way.
Soy protein, for instance, is a byproduct of soybeans, pea protein is made from dehydrated peas, whey is isolated from dairy, and so on.
What do all these have in common? They are real food that can be digested, which is something many people forget when it comes to consuming their isolated protein products.
Because protein is sold as a supplement, many people assume it is not a food product but more of a chemical creation, but they’re wrong.
Protein powder is actual food, very much like boiled eggs, microwaved dinners, beef jerky, or stale bread left in the pantry for days.
So yes, you can cook your protein powder without this meaning that you will destroy the protein in it in the same way you can cook eggs without fearing they will lose any of their protein during the cooking process.
What Will Happen If I Use Protein Powder Instead Of Flour In The Pancake Mix?
If you follow a couple of simple rules, replacing flour with protein powder is extremely simple (and exciting!).
The best part about using protein powder instead of flour is that they both react similarly in the pancake mix.
Protein powder is dry and floury and can soak up fluid, so it can provide a composition similar to flour in pancakes.
Even so, it is crucial to know how each protein mixes in the pancake batter as a few protein powders mix fine in protein shakes but curdle when cooked.
Others can be cooked in the same way as flour but frequently form lumps once combined with other liquids such as water.
In general, both soy and whey protein blends and pure whey protein powders yield the finest results in pancakes.
Rice protein powder has quite an intricate, dry texture that makes it unsuitable for cooking, while beef protein is simply too strong in taste to work well in a pancake mix.
Pea protein can also work well in a pancake mix and substitute flour but do keep in mind that the best option is a combination of protein powder and flour if you want to get some fluffy protein pancakes.
Tips To Make Fluffy Protein Pancakes
Only Add Fresh Leaveners
In case you didn’t know it, leaveners gradually lose their power, so an old baking powder could have been the reason your pancakes were not fluffy last time.
This is crucial to understand because these goods eventually have a major impact on the way the pancakes lift when they are cooked.
The greatest results can be achieved when using baking powder or baking soda purchased sometime in the past 6 months.
If you’ve had baking powder in your kitchen cupboard for a while, you can always run a simple test to check if it could still help your pancakes rise.
The quickest way to do this is to take some hot water and spritz some of the powder in it. If your mix starts fizzing and it creates foams, then it’s still working.
With baking soda, you will also need to add some vinegar or lemon juice to the water and then try the same test.
Use A Sifter
It is a good idea to sieve your flour mixture when attempting to make certain fluffy pancakes. Even though it might look like you can forgo this stage without consequence, this is not always the case.
Using a sifter makes the fry ingredients lighter, which is essential for making the batter lighter as this way it can end up being fluffy too.
The added weight can make the pancakes heavier and prevent them from rising when they are cooked. So, make sure to keep your sieve nearby or buy one before your next pancake venture!
Use A Whisk
If you’re going to be mixing your pancake batter by hand, you may well be wondering what the ideal tool to utilize is. A balloon whisk is unquestionably the finest choice.
This is due to the fact that such whisks are specifically created to introduce air into the batter you are stirring.
Of course, you can always utilize an electric blender to stir the batter, however that can lead to another undesirable outcome, which is over-stirring your batter.
Don’t Over-Stir The Batter
Too much stirring time is a common mistake when looking to make a pancake batter, and while we do understand your desire to dissolve all the lumps in the batter, that’s not an issue in pancakes.
The gluten in the flour must be the main concern, in this case, as over-stirring it could harm the texture of your pancakes.
Even though letting gluten develop is desired when making bread, you don’t want this when you’re making pancakes.
with 9 grams of protein per pancake and only 147 calories, this recipe yields some of the best fluffy pancakes that are banana-free.
Even though you might not be searching for a banana-free recipe in specific, if you have been making protein pancakes for quite a while now, then you are probably already tired of adding banana to your pancake batter and tasting it in the end result.
If you identify with this, we have a great recipe for you in which there are no yellow – or any other color for that matter – fruits included.
These pancakes are made with rolled oats, baking powder, and vanilla whey protein powder, which is then mixed together with eggs, yogurt, coconut oil, and maple syrup.
Egg yolks, oats, one banana, protein powder, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon are all put in a food processor and blend until smooth.
The egg whites are separately beaten for a couple of minutes and then folder together with the rest of the ingredients.
Beating the egg whites results in a foamy and cloud-like texture that is then passed on to the pancakes which come out fluffy and spongy.
Served with more fruit on top or some maple syrup, each pancake has only 102 calories and 7 grams of protein.
These chocolate protein pancakes are made with oats, chia seeds, eggs, bananas, protein powder, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and milk.
Depending on what kind of protein powder you have at home or what you like having, you can either add a vanilla or a chocolate-flavored protein powder to make the batter.
Again, all the ingredients are added in a blender and mixed together before you pour the mixture, a little bit every time, into the pan to make your pancakes.
As for the mini chocolate chips, you can substitute them for tiny marshmallow chunks or just skill them if you want to reduce the sugar and calories in your meal.
Alternatively, you can always swap them for some chocolate or syrup drizzle on top.
The Bottom Line
If you have tried and failed to make protein pancakes that are both fluffy and delicious, then this article must have given you an idea of what might have gone wrong.
Making protein pancakes is easy to do either by adding some protein powder to the batter or by making it with ingredients that are high in protein, such as eggs, spinach, milk, yogurt, and so on.
We also shared some tips on what to do before you cook your pancakes to make them fluffy and we’ve shared some recipes that can yield those high-protein pancakes you are craving!
Hi, my name is Justin Roberts and I like to live by one major rule in life – health is wealth. And where does all health stem from? The food choices we make.
I grew up in a not-so-wealthy household that often struggled to get food on the table.
The food we did eat was cheap, holding no nutritional value at all. I’m talking frozen foods, carbs, fats, and very little fresh produce.
I am fortunate enough to have made a life for myself where the money for food is no longer an issue, and I have spent the majority of it looking into healthy foods and different diets to try.
The most notable is keto and paleo. I am also interested in only using whole foods wherever possible – call it trauma!
As a professional chef, I now create recipes surrounding these diets every day. My family are my tasters, and I strive to make my recipes as budget-friendly as possible.
I hope that you’ll find some inspiration for healthier meals from my website. I want to create a catalog of recipes that you can come back to time and time again. Enjoy!
