These apple cinnamon protein pancakes are a great start to the day - fluffy, flavourful, protein-packed, and easy to make. Gluten-Free, too!
I can decorate super intricate cakes that win competitions and end up in international magazines, but for the life of me... actually cooking up a stack of pancakes has been near impossible for me.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made all kinds of tasty pancakes recipes for OTHERS to make. The fault has never been in the batter, just in my execution.
My husband can whip up classic pancakes with his eyes closed, but when I try, they end up burnt, undercooked - or both! - and mangled.
The thing is, there’s only so much bacon & eggs one can eat for breakfast, and I struggle to get enough protein in my day.
I thought that coming up with a delicious protein pancake recipe would be a fun way to get a high-protein breakfast in me... but I didn’t want to bug my husband to have to make them every day!
So, over the last few weeks - in developing my protein pancake mix, and a bunch of easy protein pancake recipes from it - I’ve had a LOT of practice!
LOL, enough marveling at my ability to finally pull myself out of my own incompetence.
Anyway, these - along with those other recipes - are some of the best protein pancakes I’ve ever had. I can’t decide if these or the banana ones are my favourite - they’re both fantastic recipes, and turn out tasty, fluffy pancakes.
That said, they’re customizable. If you whip up a thick batter - as I do - you’ll get fluffy protein pancakes. If you thin the batter out a bit, you’ll get thinner pancakes.
Either way, these healthy protein pancakes are a great way to start the day with a healthy breakfast, and they go SO well with a bit of maple syrup!
The best part?
It’s a super easy recipe, and works up in just a few minutes!
Let’s get to that recipe, so you can get into YOUR plate of protein powder pancakes!
Ingredients
If you do any keto - or gluten free - baking in general, you’ll find these to be simple ingredients. You may even have them all on hand already!
A few notes for you:
An Apple
I love including fresh fruit in my pancakes, and this is a stellar example!
I tend to use either Granny Smith or Mutsu apples when making pancakes, but feel free to use whatever you like.
Generally speaking, it you end up needing about 1 medium apple for this recipe - peeled and grated.
Vanilla Protein Powder
Using a sweetened Vanilla Flavored Whey Protein Powder has the benefit of simplifying the recipe a bit - there’s no need for vanilla extract or added sugar!
My favorite protein powder to use is Revolution Nutrition's High Whey in Vanilla Cake.
You can use whatever type of protein powder you like, though - just be sure to use one that you like the taste of!
My husband used to use a pea protein vegan protein powder, so that kind of thing is a great option if you need a plant-based protein powder.
Just note: different protein powders can behave a little differently.
The first time you’re using something other than the High Whey, I recommend starting out with a bit less milk. You can add more until you get the consistency you like.
It’s far enough to thin out a too-thick batter, than to thicken a runny one, after all!
Also, where this is a wheat-free, gluten-free batter... you don’t have to worry about overworking the batter!
As a final note: The differences between brands also means a WIDE range of nutritional values.
For that reason, I left the protein powder out of the nutrition calculation altogether.
This way, you can add the values for 1 serving of YOUR protein powder, to the values displayed. That will give you the full nutritional information for 1 serving of pancakes. (Half the batch).
Almond Milk
I like to use Unsweetened Almond Milk when making these pancakes, and in pretty much anything else that calls for milk.
I just prefer the flavour, and hey -it doesn’t get my nose going!
Other great tasting plant-based milks that work well in this recipe are Oat milk, Cashew Milk, Flax Milk, and Macadamia Milk.
Just be sure to check the package and make sure that the nutritional info suits your needs and any dietary restrictions!
Almond Flour
Be sure to use actual Super Fine Almond Flour, and not “almond meal”.
The finer grind on almond flour makes for a much nicer texture to the batter!
Oil
In addition to the oil / nonstick spray you’ll use on the pan, you can optionally add some oil to the batter.
It absolutely doesn’t NEED oil, but if you’re looking to sneak some healthy fats into your meals, tossing a bit of oil in to the batter is a great way to do so!
MCT Oil, Liquid Coconut Oil, and Avocado Oil are all great options.
Everything Else
Finishing out this ingredient list, you will need:
Coconut Flour
Whole Eggs
Ground Cinnamon
Baking Powder
Cooking Spray
... Nothing to add, there!
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes
The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, protein powder, coconut flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
Add the wet ingredients - the almond milk, eggs, and oil (if using) - to the bowl of mixed dry ingredients. Stir until well combined and smooth.
Add the grated apple, stir until evenly distributed throughout the protein pancake batter. Set aside.
Use a ¼ cup measure to pour batter out into 3 small pancakes. (You can do all 6 at once, if using a larger surface, like my Cuisinart Griddler.)
Allow to cook until the underside is nicely golden brown, and small bubbles are breaking at the surface.
Carefully flip each pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until golden brown on the second side, and JUST cooked through.
Note: Overcooking can lead to dry pancakes!
Serve the apple cinnamon protein pancakes with your favorite toppings - butter, Pure Maple Syrup, Sugar Free Pancake Syrup, more berries, etc - or just plain.
Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple days.
More Gluten-Free Pancake Recipes!
Looking for more gluten free pancake recipes? I’ve got you covered! (And hey, many are low carb, also!)
Camping Pancake Mix
Banana Protein Pancakes
Blackberry Protein Pancakes
Blueberry Protein Pancakes
Gluten Free Caramel Apple Pancakes
Gluten-Free Banana Buckwheat Pancakes
Gluten Free Banana Nutella Ebelskivers
Gluten-Free Lemon Mascarpone Ebelskivers
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Raspberry Protein Pancakes
Strawberry Protein Pancakes
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Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes Recipe - Gluten Free!
Equipment
- Large nonstick pan Or griddle
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Super Fine Almond Flour
- 2 Scoops Vanilla Flavoured Whey Protein Powder We use Revolution Nutrition High Whey - Vanilla Cake. SEE NOTES ABOUT NUTRITION INFO.
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tablespoon MCT Oil optional
- ½ cup Grated Apple We usually use Granny Smith
- Nonstick Spray
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, protein powder, coconut flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- Add the wet ingredients - the almond milk, eggs, and oil (if using) - to the bowl of mixed dry ingredients. Stir until well combined and smooth.
- Add the grated apple, stir until evenly distributed throughout the protein pancake batter. Set aside.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, spray with nonstick spray.
- Use a ¼ cup measure to pour batter out into 3 small pancakes. (You can do all 6 at once, if using a larger surface, like my Cuisinart Griddler.)
- Allow to cook until the underside is nicely golden brown, and small bubbles are breaking at the surface.
- Carefully flip each pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until golden brown on the second side, and JUST cooked through. Note: Overcooking can lead to dry pancakes!
- If you only did the 3 pancakes to start, use the ¼ cup measure to pour the remaining batter into another 3 pancakes, repeat the cooking process.
- Serve the apple cinnamon protein pancakes with your favorite toppings - butter, sugar free syrup, more berries, etc - or just plain.
- Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple days.
Notes
Nutrition
I love your recipes. For this one why 1 tablespoon coconut flour?
Texture!