If you’re looking for a healthy and satisfying, weight loss breakfast without all the sugar and carbs in most breakfasts, these Protein Pancakes with Pumpkin Banana Cream Syrup are the perfect choice, holiday season or not! They’re packed with 20 grams of protein (in just under 200 calories!) to keep you feeling full your cravings at bay and help prevent overeating later. But unlike most breakfasts that help you to lose body fat, these are so delicious you’ll want to eat the whole batch- and you can!- and for less than 400 calories! Plus, if you choose to, you’ll get a whopping 40 grams of protein–at breakfast!
Plus, getting a veggie in at any meal is one of the best things you can do for yourself. In these protein pancakes, you’re getting it from beta-carotene and antioxidant-rich pumpkin, which fills you with fiber and helps lower inflammation (inflammation makes weight loss more challenging). You can make it without the pumpkin though, if you prefer. Another bonus? Research consistently shows that getting adequate protein in the diet increases bone density and leaves you at a lower risk for developing osteoporosis.
We always smile when we eat these and we think of growing up eating our mom’s homemade pancakes for breakfast on weekends. Yes, our health-nut mom created all of her recipes from scratch—and her whole wheat pancakes were no exception.
Although they were healthy, using whole wheat flour and not much oil, and often including no added sugar sweetness from blueberries or apples and cinnamon, they were certainly not light and fluffy—instead, they were a bit dense—and we’d feel them in our stomach for hours.
A New Recipe to Try!
Don’t worry, Mom! On the bright side, we weren’t hungry for a long time after eating them, so we didn’t risk getting overly hungry and overeating later! 😉 And we loved eating them. After all, who doesn’t love a good pancake? We’ve found that most people do love them, but want lightened-up versions that are easy to whip up!
That’s why we’ve created the Protein Pancakes and other lightened jacks to share– like our 3-Ingredient Weight Loss Pancakes, our Pumpkin Pancakes, our Easy Oats ‘n’ Nana Pancakes , our Double Chocolate Chip Pancakes, and now these flapsters!
Have you ever wanted to experiment with protein powder?
Although we don’t always use it, the cool thing about it is that it’s an easy way to get more protein into your diet when you don’t feel like eating meat or when you want to get a concentrated source of protein that is easy to incorporate into recipes (like in pancakes, which generally are mostly full of carbs and have very little protein).
Plus it’s a protein source that you don’t have to worry about going bad. Whether you’re a bodybuilder or just relaxing at home, protein plays a role in your metabolism and maintaining lean muscle mass. Just ensure that the protein you choose isn’t full of other additives and preservatives.
Protein Pancakes with Pumpkin Banana Cream Syrup
These tasty and easy-to-make jacks make a perfect pre-or post-workout meal. With 20 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and less than 200 calories per serving, you can have the whole batch for just under 400 calories and 40 grams of protein to keep you feeling satisfied and on an even keel until lunch.
These are so tasty that it’s hard to believe they’re healthy for you– and that you’re also getting a veggie at breakfast from beta-carotene-rich pumpkin! Since they’re packed with protein and quality, high-fiber carbohydrates, they’ll fuel your glycogen stores and power you through any workout or help you recover from a tough one!
Note: if you choose not to use pumpkin, see notes below the recipe for substitutions.
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 frozen banana (the more ripe, the better)
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree, (canned pumpkin is fine)
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- 3 egg whites
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (we like organic protein powder with no added sugar, like Orgain Organic Protein Plant Based Protein Powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Cooking spray
Directions:
- Blend banana and pumpkin puree with ¼ cup water. Blend until creamy. (*You don’t have to use a frozen banana, we just recommend it with the hot pancakes–the cold cream syrup is a nice combination :))
- In a medium bowl, mix oats, egg whites, protein powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Spray a medium skillet with oil from a spray bottle and make two pancakes from oatmeal mixture. Cook for two minutes on medium heat, then flip and cook an additional 2 minutes, or until solidified and ready.
- Stack pancakes on a plate and remove “cream” from the freezer. Scoop banana cream on top, & enjoy!
Note: If you choose not to use pumpkin, to replace the moisture you can substitute 2 to 3 tablespoons of either unsweetened applesauce or plain, nonfat unsweetened Greek yogurt.
Nutritional Information:
- Makes 2 servings
- Calories 196;
- Fat 2g;
- Saturated Fat 0.5g;
- Carbohydrates 25g;
- Protein 20g;
- Cholesterol 20mg;
- Sodium 150mg; Fiber 4g
Protein Pancakes with Pumpkin Banana Cream Syrup
Author: NutritionTwins.com
- 1 frozen banana (the more ripe, the better)
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree, (canned pumpkin is fine, see note below if you choose to omit pumpkin
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 3 egg whites
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (we like organic protein powder with no added sugar, like Orgain Organic Protein Plant Based Protein Powder)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Cooking spray
- Blend banana and pumpkin puree with ¼ cup water. Blend until creamy. (*You don’t have to use a frozen banana, we just recommend it with the hot pancakes–the cold cream syrup is a nice combination :))
- In a medium bowl, mix oats, egg whites, protein powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Spray a medium skillet with oil from a spray bottle and make two pancakes from oatmeal mixture. Cook for two minutes on medium heat, then flip and cook an additional 2 minutes, or until solidified and ready.
- Stack pancakes on plate and remove “cream” from the freezer. Scoop banana cream on top, & enjoy!
- Note: If you choose not to use pumpkin, to replace the moisture you can substitute 2 to 3 tablespoons of either unsweetened applesauce or plain, nonfat unsweetened Greek yogurt.
Serving size: ½ serving Calories: 196 Fat: 2 Saturated fat: 0.5 Carbohydrates: 25 Sodium: 150 Fiber: 4 Protein: 20 Cholesterol: 20
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About the Experts
Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT and Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT are The Nutrition Twins, registered dietitian nutritionists and certified fitness trainers and nationally recognized nutrition experts with over 15 years of experience. They are the authors of Fire Up Your Metabolism, The Secret to Skinny and The Nutrition Twins’ Veggie Cure and have been featured in major media outlets including Good Morning America Health, Fox & Friends and CNN. The Nutrition Twins specialize in evidence-based nutrition advice for weight loss, disease prevention, and optimal health.
