These pumpkin protein pancakes have 27g of protein and not a scoop of protein powder in sight. Greek yogurt and egg do the work instead, which is why they taste like pancakes rather than like something you are being sensible about. Three of them, ready in about fifteen minutes.
It is that time of year, my favourite baking season. Autumn just brings all the cosiness and the spices with it.
These are a good example of eating with the season without losing sight of what you are aiming for. High protein, a bit of fibre, and genuinely delicious. If you have tried healthy pumpkin pancakes before and found them bland or rubbery, these are not those. They are easy, they meal prep well, and they make a high protein breakfast you can actually look forward to.
- 27g of protein as served, 20g from the pancakes alone before any toppings
- Pancakes with no protein powder, nothing chalky, nothing artificial
- Ready in about fifteen minutes including the five minute rest
What is actually in these pumpkin protein pancakes
Greek yogurt is the whole trick, and it is why there is no powder here. Thick 0% does two jobs at once, it brings the protein and it keeps the crumb soft. Use the thick strained kind rather than a runny one, or the batter will slacken and you will lose the height.
Pumpkin puree, and it has to be plain puree rather than pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. Three tablespoons is enough for flavour and colour without making the batter wet.
Chia seeds look like a garnish in the ingredient list and they are not. They are structural. Chia seed pancakes sound like a health food joke until you see what the gel actually does. More on that below.
Oat flour keeps them tender in a way plain flour does not, and adds a bit of fibre. You can blitz oats to make your own.
Pumpkin spice, called pumpkin pie spice in the US, or make it up yourself with cinnamon, ginger and a pinch of nutmeg. If you want the numbers behind the protein side of this, I wrote about how much protein you actually need.
The five minutes that make these pumpkin spice pancakes work
The step people skip is leaving the wet mix to sit for five minutes before the dry goes in, and it is the one that makes the difference. The chia needs liquid and time to swell and go gel-like, and that gel is what holds these together and stops them drying out. Skip it and you get a flatter, drier pancake for no reason at all.
The other thing is heat. Low to medium, not hot. Pumpkin and yogurt both catch quickly, and a hot pan gives you dark outsides and raw middles every time. If you want them extra tall, put a lid on the pan for the last minute before you flip.
More pumpkin breakfast recipes
If you want the same flavours without standing at a pan, my air fryer pumpkin granola and my pumpkin spice latte overnight oats both do it cold. This protein pumpkin pancakes recipe also keeps for 3 days in the fridge and freezes, so a double batch on a Sunday covers a few mornings.
Alex 🙂
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes (No Protein Powder, 27g Protein)
Pumpkin protein pancakes with 27g of protein and no protein powder anywhere. Greek yogurt and egg carry it instead, and a teaspoon of chia left to gel for five minutes is what holds them together and keeps them soft. Three thick pancakes, topped with pumpkin swirled yogurt, maple and toasted pecans, ready in about fifteen minutes.
Ingredients
Wet
Dry
To serve
Instructions
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Whisk the egg, Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree and maple syrup in a bowl until completely smooth, with no streaks of yogurt left. Stir in the chia seeds.
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Leave the wet mix to sit for 5 minutes. This is the bit that matters. The chia needs liquid and time to swell and go gel-like, and that gel is what holds the pancakes together and stops them drying out.
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Add the oat flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice and salt. Mix until just combined.
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The batter should be thick enough to mound on a spoon but still drop off it. If it is stiffer than that, add milk a tablespoon at a time.
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Heat a non-stick pan over low-medium heat and wipe it with a little oil or butter. Low heat matters here, pumpkin and yogurt both catch quickly and a hot pan gives you dark outsides and raw middles.
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Spoon in three pancakes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges look set and bubbles come up through the surface. Put a lid on the pan for the last minute if you want them extra tall.
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Flip once and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Do not press them down.
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Stack, top with the pumpkin swirled yogurt, maple syrup and pecans.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1 ServingCalories:424kcalTotal Fat:16.5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gSodium:456mgTotal Carbohydrate:44.1gDietary Fiber: 6.5gSugars: 16.4gProtein:27.1g
Note
- The pancakes on their own are 298 calories and 20g protein. The figures above are for the whole thing as served, with the yogurt, maple and pecans.
- Pecans counted at 10g, roughly 8 halves. A heavier hand adds up quickly, they are around 7 calories a gram.
- The 1 to 2 tbsp of milk is not counted, since it is only there if your batter needs loosening. Mine did not.
- Use thick strained 0% Greek yogurt, not a runny or low fat set yogurt. A thin one slackens the batter and you lose the height.
- Plain 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Not gluten free as written because of the oat flour. Certified gluten free oat flour makes it so.
- Nutrition figures are estimates.
- These pumpkin spice protein pancakes are at their best in autumn, but the base is a year round pumpkin pancakes recipe, see the FAQs for the plain and banana versions.
- For high protein pumpkin pancakes with a bit more again, add a second egg white. That is roughly 17 calories and 3.5g protein on top.
