You would never know these Protein Pumpkin Pancakes are made with simple, wholesome ingredients and each have 7g of protein! The batter is boosted with greek yogurt, collagen peptides & einkorn flour, and rounded out with pumpkin puree & pumpkin pie spice for that signature fall flare. They turn out perfectly fluffy and are best served warm with a dollop of homemade honey cinnamon butter!
I couldn’t let another Fall pass by me without crafting my own protein pumpkin pancake recipe. A quintessential Autumn breakfast, that’s made with healthier ingredients and a protein boost. But don’t worry, these pumpkin protein pancakes are still super moist, fluffy, and infused with warming spices. Plop on a dollop of honey cinnamon butter and/or some maple syrup and thank me later.
It’s actually insane how easy these healthy pumpkin pancakes are to make. I’ve already tested them out about 5 times, and I have a feeling they’ll continue to be a weekend staple for us all Fall long. My husband devours them, and they’re great for meal prep. You can easily store them away in the fridge or freezer, then pop one into the toaster when you’re ready to eat.
Each of these protein pumpkin pancakes contains 7g of protein, making them a bit more balanced and filling than your average pancake. This recipe is also flexible — you can easily make them gluten free with one quick swap. I’ve tested three different flour varieties for this, and they all turned out amazing! Can’t wait for you to try them and let me know what you think 🙂
Why You’ll Love these Protein Pumpkin Pancakes
- They are made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can recognize.
- They are perfectly thick & fluffy, moist & tender.
- Each pancake has 7g of protein.
- They store well for an easy grab-n-go breakfast all week long.
- These pumpkin pancakes can be made gluten free with one small swap.
What You Need to Make these Healthy Protein Pumpkin Pancakes
For the Protein Pumpkin Pancakes:
- Einkorn Flour: Einkorn flour is an ancient grain flour that’s a bit higher in protein, fiber and certain minerals. If you don’t have this on hand, I’ve also tested these protein pumpkin pancakes with normal all purpose flour and gluten free 1-to-1 flour. For gluten free flours, I recommend King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill brands, both of which contain xanthan gum which is a crucial ingredient.
- Unflavored Collagen Peptides: This is an optional ingredient and doesn’t affect the flavor or texture of the pancakes, but it does boost the protein! I would not recommend substituting normal protein powder as it would thicken up the batter too much.
- Baking Powder: The leavening agent we’re using to help make our pancakes fluffy.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice & Kosher Salt: Enhance the cozy fall flavors with pumpkin spice spice, and of course some kosher salt too.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs.
- Greek Yogurt: For an added boost of protein, moisture and a bit of tang, we are incorporating full-fat plain greek yogurt or skyr into the pumpkin pancake batter.
- Pumpkin Puree: Canned pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. I also recommend using a thicker brand like Whole Foods 365. If yours is a looser consistency, you may need to compensate by adding a bit more flour.
- Cane Sugar: These pancakes are sweetened with a bit of cane sugar (or granulated sugar). They are not overly sweet, so I definitely recommend topping them with the honey cinnamon butter and/or some maple syrup.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: Once you start using vanilla bean paste, you’ll never go back to vanilla extract. I recommend Nielsen Massey, and you can find a big container of it at Costco!
For the Cinnamon Butter:
- Unsalted Butter: Allow it to come to room temperature so that it’s easier to mix.
- Honey: A bit of honey to sweeten up this butter. Could also substitute maple syrup!
- Cinnamon & Kosher Salt: To infuse the butter with warming fall flavor. You can omit the salt if you’re using salted butter.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: For an extra boost of flavor.
How To Make these Fluffy Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Prepare Protein Pumpkin Pancake Batter:
In one medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice & kosher salt. Set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, pumpkin puree, sugar and vanilla bean paste until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined — there will still be lumps, that’s okay!
Let Batter Rest, then Cook Pancakes:
Allow the batter to rest for about 10 minutes while you preheat your griddle pan or electric griddle to medium-low heat. Once hot, lightly grease the pan with butter. Then, scoop out about 1/4-1/3 cup of batter per pancake. You should 9 pancakes. Let cook until golden on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking until golden on the other side, about 2-3 more minutes.
Make Honey Cinnamon Butter:
Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat until combined. Top your protein pumpkin pancakes with some honey cinnamon butter and maple syrup, enjoy!
Equipment Recommendations:
Use whatever you have on hand but here are a few products that I used to make these protein pumpkin pancakes, and always get questions about!
- Mixing Bowl: This one from Farmhouse Pottery is my pride and joy. It’s stunning, sturdy and gets used multiple times per day. Life hack is to buy a “second” to save some money!
- Griddle Pan: I like this double burner one from Caraway because it’s a non-toxic, non-stick material and it fits a ton of pancakes! My discount code MADDIEIRELAND10 will get you 10% off!
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Can I make these gluten free? Absolutely, all you need to do is substitute the einkorn flour for an equal amount of gluten free 1-to-1 flour. I recommend these two blends: King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill.
- Can I make these dairy free? I have not tried a dairy free version of these protein pumpkin pancakes but they’d likely work as you long as you use a thick non-dairy yogurt, such as Siggi’s plant-based.
- Can I substitute protein powder for the collagen? Unfortunately, no. Protein powder usually absorbs a lot of liquid so the batter would likely end up too thick. However, if you don’t have collagen or want to keep these vegetarian, then you can simply omit it.
- Can I use vanilla extract instead? You can, but vanilla bean paste is way more flavorful!
Can I Freeze these Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes?
Yes! We almost always eat them all before even having to freeze them, but it’s a great meal prep option to have on hand for a quick and easy breakfast. For the best results, first let the pancakes cool down and then “flash freeze” them. AKA add them to a wire rack, plate or baking sheet, pop them in the freezer for a few hours and then transfer them to an airtight container or bag – I like Stasher bags for this!
Then, when you’re ready to eat the pancakes, you can pop them in the toaster or the microwave. If you have a defrost setting on your toaster, use that! You may have to run them through the toaster twice until warmed through.
How Should I Store Leftover Protein Pumpkin Pancakes?
Leftover protein pumpkin pancakes should be cooled down first, then transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for about 4-5 days. Pop them into the toaster or microwave to re-heat. Excess honey cinnamon butter can be stored in a jar/airtight container in the fridge for about 1-2 weeks. It will harden in the fridge, but can be softened at room temperature or in the microwave.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for More Festive Fall Recipes?
- Protein Pumpkin Cookie Dough
- Apple Chai Baked Oatmeal
- Caramel Apple Overnight Oats
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Protein Pumpkin Pancakes
Equipment
- kitchen scale (optional)
- 3 medium bowls
- whisk
- spatula
- griddle pan or electric griddle
- hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
For the Protein Pumpkin Pancakes:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup full-fat plain greek yogurt or skyr (240g)
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (120g)*
- ¼ cup cane sugar or granulated sugar (64g)
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup einkorn flour or AP flour, gluten free 1-to-1 flour (120g)**
- ¼ cup unflavored collagen peptides (20g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- pinch of kosher salt
For the Cinnamon Butter:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
For the Protein Pumpkin Pancakes:
- In one medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice & kosher salt. Set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, pumpkin puree, sugar and vanilla bean paste until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined — there will still be lumps, that's okay!2 large eggs, 1 cup full-fat plain greek yogurt or skyr, ½ cup pumpkin puree, ¼ cup cane sugar, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, 1 cup einkorn flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, pinch of kosher salt, ¼ cup unflavored collagen peptides
- Allow the batter to rest for about 10 minutes while you preheat your griddle pan or electric griddle to medium-low heat. Once hot, lightly grease the pan with butter. Then, scoop out about 1/4-1/3 cup of batter per pancake. You should get 9 pancakes. Let cook until golden on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking until golden on the other side, about 2-3 more minutes.
- Top your stack of protein pumpkin pancakes with some cinnamon butter (below) & maple syrup. Enjoy!
For the Cinnamon Butter:
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat until combined.¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 tbsp honey, ¾ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp vanilla bean paste, pinch of kosher salt
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.