Flourless Banana & Protein Powder Pancakes (40g+ Protein)

02/18/20

(Updated 09/04/24)

Start your day with these reader-favourite nutritious protein pancakes! Made with just banana, protein powder and eggs, these flourless pancakes come together in minutes. The best part? They're packed full of protein to keep you satisfied into the AM.

Protein pancakes served on a white plate, with sliced banana, yoghurt, blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup.

These no-frills protein pancakes pack a hefty protein punch.

Featuring eggs and protein powder (working to a 20g protein per 2 Tbsp serve supplement), a finished stack serves up approximately 40g proteinsimilar to a medium chicken breast!

As a Registered Nutritionist, I’m often asked for quick and easy, protein-packed breakfast ideas. Protein-rich foods are slow to be digested, so having a decent whack in the morning is a good nutritional strategy to keep us satisfied (1). These pancakes fit the brief and can be whipped up in 10 minutes. They’re also grain-free, making them ideal for those who are gluten-free. Instead, a banana is used to provide quick energy and natural sweetness.

A quick FYI: these pancakes has been crafted to suit a variety of dietary preferences and so don’t feature traditional pancake ingredients (except eggs!). As a result, their taste and texture differs from regular pancakesbut they’re wonderful in their own right🥞

A photo of the ingredients needed to make banana protein pancakes, including a whole banana, a small bowl of protein powder and two eggs.

Ingredients Needed

Simple does it for these easy protein pancakes. You’ll need just three ingredients:

  • Protein powder. This recipe is suitable for flavoured or plain whey or pea protein powder. There will be subtle differences in the end dish, depending on what you usethe whey batter blends creamier, leading to a slightly fluffier pancake. I’ve tested collagen protein powder, and it doesn’t workthis might be due to how collagen dissolves.
  • Eggs. For structure, leavening (that little rise as they cook!), flavour and richness (the latter from the nutritious yolk fat). Two eggs definitely pull their protein weight, offering up 10g of the good stuff #gains.
  • Banana. For nature sweetness, a yummy banana flavour and glorious quick energy (carbs). Go for a ripe yellow fruitmore of the starches will have converted to sugars, making it sweeter.

Feel free to play beyond these base ingredient. Try blending in spices (like cinnamon), spinach (for green goodness), or cacao powder (for a chocolatey boost). If you find something that works, leave a comment below!🙏 

Step-by-Step: How to Make Protein Pancakes

A photo of a banana broken into chunks, 2 eggs and protein powder in a blender.
Peel the banana and discard skin. Add the banana, cracked eggs and protein powder into a food processer or blender. Secure the lid.
A photo of thick protein pancake batter
Blend until a thick, yet pourable and smooth, batter.  If it’s too stiff, add a splash of water. If it’s too runny, add a sprinkle of protein powder. 
A photo of three batter rounds of protein pancakes in a black pan.
Add batter into a milk jug. Pour batter rounds into a preheated buttered frypan over medium-low heat.
A photo of three cooked protein pancakes in a black pan.
Pan fry each side until you can easily flip with a spatula and both sides are lightly golden.

Kitchen Tips

  • Blend ingredients together. It’s speedy and creates a nice uniform batter. Otherwise, you can whisk by hand in a bowl, just make sure to really mash the banana first so it’s not clumpy.
  • Pour batter mixture into a small milk jug. Once the frying pan is greased and hot, pour the batter directly from the jug. This will help ensure perfect pancake rounds!👌
  • Look out for signs that your pancakes are ready to flip, like a golden brown colour and edges that slightly pull away. If well-oiled/buttered, the pancake should lift easily off the griddle or frying pan when ready to flip. If not, cook for a smidge longer.

A note on consistency:
Protein powders can vary in their weight per serving (e.g., 24g, 40g) and in how they absorb liquids (e.g., pea protein tends to be more absorbent than whey). Both factors can impact the batter’s viscosity and thickness. That’s why this recipe suggests starting with 3 tablespoons of protein powder, blending, then checking the thickness. If the batter looks too thin (quite jiggly when you give it a wiggle), add more protein powder. You’re after a thickness where you can pour it into the frying pan and it spreads out just a little. 

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy for breakfast or a post-workout meal. While these are totally ace by themselves, pancakes are infinitely better with toppings (and the extra goodies add nutritional diversity and bulk out the meal!). Try:

  • An extra protein boost with a dollop of Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chopped nuts, or a sprinkle of hemp seeds.
  • Bumping up the sweetness with chopped seasonal fruit, stewed fruit, fruit compote, or a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.
  • Adding texture with a sprinkle of crunchy granola or muesli, your favorite chopped nuts, a drizzle of tahini, shredded coconut, or an assortment of seeds.
  • Or for just an insanely good time drizzle peanut butter overtop and add a sprinkle of chopped dark chocolate. Yum!

Thanks for reading!🥞 I hope you enjoy these protein pancakes with protein powder. After more protein-packed breakfast ideas? Try this vegetable and cheddar loaf or this Greek yoghurt berry smoothie.

Flourless Banana & Protein Powder Pancakes

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Serving Size: 1
Rating:

Ingredients:  

  • 3 Tbsp* pea or whey protein powder or more to reach a thick pourable consistency
  • 1 ripe banana or around ⅓ cup mashed
  • 2 eggs

Method:

  • Heat a fry-pan over a medium to low heat. Grease well with oil or butter – so they don't stick!
  • Blend together banana, eggs and protein powder. The mixture should be a thick pourable batter, that’s not too runny or stiff. If it’s too stiff, add a splash of water. If it’s too runny, add a sprinkle of protein powder.  You’re after a thickness where you can pour it into the pan and it spreads out just a little.
  • Pour batter into a milk jug. Hot tip: the pouring spout will help you get perfect pancake circles!
  • Pour pancake mixture into pan. Depending on your fry-pan size, you may need to do a few batches. Leave to cook until golden in colour or you can easily flip with a spatula. Repeat on the other side.

Notes:

* Protein powders can vary in their total weight measurements per serve (e.g. 24g, 40g…), as well as how they absorb liquids – which can impact the viscosity and thickness of the batter. This is why a range of 3 Tbsp or more has been given. Start at 3 Tbsp, blend and check thickness. If the batter looks to thin (quite jiggly when you give it a wiggle) then add more protein powder. You’re after a thickness where you can pour it into the pan and it spreads out just a little. 
Avoid turning the heat up high – this will cook (or burn!) the outside of the pancake before the middle has a chance to cook through. 

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe

If you enjoyed this dish, please consider giving it a star rating when you post a comment. Star ratings help others discover my recipes online (and your reviews make my day! 🙂 ). Happy cooking and baking. Danijela x

4.92 from 81 votes (42 ratings without comment)

Recipe Rating




    92 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Simple and delicious! Consistency was good, was a bit hard to flip but other than that a very easy recipe.
    Would be yummy with a bit of cinnamon added into the batter.

  2. These are so good! I use chocolate protein powder and a bit of vegan pancake mix and they come out great! I top with peanut butter and dark chocolate buttons 😋

  3. 5 stars
    Best pancake recipe out there. Beats *regular* pancakes to be honest. I used a vanilla falovred powder from myprotein and it’s just awesome.

  4. 5 stars
    Absolutely love this recipe!! Can’t believe something so yum only has a few ingredients… I added a vanilla protein powder to my mix! Highly recommend this recipe.

  5. These were delicious! I added some cinnamon and organic greens powder—so yummy! I will for sure be making these again 🙂

  6. Tried these this morning with vanilla protein powder and a pinch of allspice. They are amazing def a new go to breakfast.

  7. 5 stars
    It was so good! you don’t even need a blender. Tastes great with a little bit of syrup or fresh fruit!

  8. 5 stars
    Amazing recipe! The pancakes came out so fluffy and sweet without any added sugars. Stewed berries and coconut flakes is the move 🙂 Thanks for the healthy recommendation.

  9. 5 stars
    Loved the taste, comfort. And ease.
    Added sime cinnamin as a suggested.
    I attempt to get some oats in as gluten free and know they are heart healthy and dtick to your ribs. I added 1/4
    Cup of rolled oats that i previously blended into oat flour. And some water just to kerp nice and thin

  10. 5 stars
    Loved this recipe! Since I just needed a single serving, I used 1 banana, 1 egg, 2 tbs. of Inspire Whey Protein Isolate Banana Nut Bread Protein Powder, 1/3 c. fresh blueberries and a dash of cinnamon. Breakfast was phenomenal…didn’t need butter or syrup. Thanks for sharing and putting me on the right path!

  11. Pelase confirm serving size? If 1 is selected is that physically just 1 pancake?

    • Hey Chantelle, thanks for your question. Serving size is for one person. You can make the pancakes as big or little as you like – this will impact how many pancakes you get. I recommend not making them too big as they’ll be hard to flip. I hope that helps xx

  12. 4 stars
    We made these this morning. I made a X2 recipe did add about 1/2 tsp of baking powder and a teaspoon of lemon juice. The family was impressed with the texture and flavor. Thanks for the recipe!

  13. 5 stars
    I made these this morning with vanilla protein powder and a pinch of cinnamon. Fantastic, especially since I need to stay off grains for a while. I indulged and had a bit of heavy cream on them.

  14. 5 stars
    These are really good. I mixed in a tbsp of PB2 Chocolate Peanut Butter powder and it was very good. I topped it with a little bit of sugar free cool whip, that I mixed with the same PB2 powder, and some sliced strawberries and blueberries. This is definitely making a staple in our weekend breakfast for my husband and I.

    • Hi Aurelia, thanks for your question. The nutritional value can vary for this recipe based on whether you use whey/pea protein. But they’ll sit under 400 cal (without added toppings), with over 30g protein/serve and around 30g carbs. I like using Cronometer for nutritional analysis, it’s quite specific x

  15. 5 stars
    It does cook from outside in. I enjoy the taste! Very banana-ey and moist. I made about 9 pancakes about 2 inches wide. It was very thin and still runny after 3 tbs of vanilla protein powder. Definitely sweet enough. Maybe I’ll try a bigger banana. I tend to get the smaller sizes.

    • Thank you for your kind comment and star rating :). Yes, I’ve found the quantity of protein powder needed here can really vary based on blend used (whey vs pea, protein content/serve…) – some absorb more liquid than others, which impacts the viscosity and thickness of the batter. Sometimes another 1/2 to 1 Tbsp can really thicken it up – but they do still fry well on the thinner side. Thanks again x

  16. 5 stars
    these are easy to make, freeze & reheat . Nice snack totake when I need extra protein in the day. I added a splash of vanilla& some cinnamon ~ yummy

      • 5 stars
        Daniela, these a fabulous just the way they are! (I use one scoop of Gold whey protein.) I usually make a half batch, put a teaspoon of nutella on it, and roll it up to eat it. I’m curious to find out how they freeze, but half batch or full…there’s never any leftovers to experiment with!😃

        • Thanks so much for your comment Valerie, so glad you enjoy them! I love the nutella-wrap idea – genius, I’ll have to try it. I’ve had a few people share they freeze and reheat well, so might be worth a triple batch next time 😉 x

  17. 1 star
    If you have a hankering for pancakes just eat a pancake, stay clear of these cardboard discs. If you are looking to train for the Olympic sport of discus then these will make a handy dandy substitute for the big heavy metal things.

    • Haha at least your review was quite funny Will. Discus sports aside, not everyone is able to eat regular pancakes – for whatever dietary reason. Given what ingredients they don’t contain, I hope they fit the bill for others. Cheers 🙂

  18. 5 stars
    Super yummy and I love how simple they are. It can be hard to find flourless/sugarless recipes. I tripled the recipe because I had 3 ripe bananas. I used the exact amount of protein recommended and the mix was a bit runny, I think (like the author suggested) if you do what I did you may want to add a bit more protein in to thicken the mix a bit. But I love them and even my boyfriend loves them and he’s not a huge sweets guy. They aren’t too sweet but taste really good. I used vegan protein and still great.

  19. 5 stars
    Made this for my GF and she said it’s the best protein one she had. I think the banana really helps to not get the pancakes dry. Thank you for this recipe.

  20. 5 stars
    I recently made some delicious pancakes that were light, fluffy and had the perfect amount of sweetness. I added fresh blueberries to the batter, which added a burst of tartness that paired perfectly with the sweetness of the pancakes and maple syrup. It was a delightful breakfast treat that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a tasty start to their day.

    • Hi Vikki, thank you for your kind comment and star rating! 🙂 Yes, the absorbency of protein powders can vary – using chia seeds is a brilliant idea to help stiffen the batter up (while adding some extra nutrients into the mix), otherwise an extra sprinkle of protein powder should do the trick. Thanks again, D x

    • So glad you enjoyed it Rose! I don’t currently post the nutrition analysis of each recipe (maybe one day), but a site I often use to do the analysis is Cronometer. Thanks x

  21. 5 stars
    I made these for my 7 year old who is a Type 1 diabetic. He absolutely loved them and they do not spike his blood sugar like regular pancakes do. He is obsessed 🙂 these are our new go to!!!

  22. 5 stars
    I never leave comments on recipes but I couldn’t let this one go. It’s SO good! Recently bought protein powder that I don’t like, so decided to repurpose it to make these pancakes and I’m literally obsessed. My boyfriend is also lactose intolerant so this recipe is perfect for us. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

  23. 5 stars
    AMAZING!!! These were so dang good with my vanilla kachava protein powder. I added a huge dallop of cottage cheese so I had to add a smidge more of protein powder to get a thicker pancake but they were SO GOOD!

  24. 5 stars
    Came out great. Tried them per recipe with vanilla plant protein & also a batch with a bit of PB2 powder for flavor variation.

  25. 5 stars
    Easy and delicious and definitely good protein to hit our protein goals
    I tripled recipe and made about 8 large pancakes

  26. 5 stars
    Wonderfully, I did add powered PB2 and cinnamon into the batter and my 6 year old loved it just as much as I did! Will make again and again!!

  27. 5 stars
    These were so delicious! I used Free Soul protein powder and served it with raspberries and Greek yoghurt on the side. I will definitely be making them again!

  28. 5 stars
    I wasn’t expecting much to be honest as i protein anything recipes ends up tasting like protein powder. BUT these are great!! So delicious. I added a little milk instead of water but want to try Greek yogurt next. Definitely adding to my breakfast menu! Oh and the banana flavour is just soooo yummy.