We always smile when 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 included blueberries or apples and cinnamon for yumminess, they were certainly not light and fluffy—instead they were a bit dense—and you’d feel ‘em in your stomach for hours. 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 definitely loved eating them. After all, who doesn’t love a good pancake? We’ve found that most people do love ‘em, but want lightened versions that are easy to whip up! That’s why we’ve created 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!
If you’re looking for a healthy, new, satisfying way to start your day, these Protein Pancakes with Pumpkin Banana Cream Syrup may be just what you’re looking for. They’re packed with protein to keep you feeling full and to keep your cravings at bay, so they’re ideal if you’re trying to lose weight since protein at breakfast helps to prevent overeating later. Also, research consistently shows that getting adequate protein diet increases bone density and leaves you at a lower risk for developing osteoporosis.
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 it going bad. Whether you’re a body builder or just relaxing at home, protein plays a role in your metabolism and maintaining lean muscle mass. Just make sure that the protein that you choose isn’t full of other additives and preservatives.
Protein Pancakes with Pumpkin Banana Cream Syrup
These tasty and easy jacks make a perfect pre or post workout meal. They’re packed with protein and quality, high-fiber carbohydrates to fuel your glycogen stores and power you through any workout or help you recover from a tough one! These are so tasty that it’s hard to believe they’re healthy for you!
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’ve used Garden of Eatin’ Raw Organic Protein and Tera’s Whey protein)
- 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 plate and remove “cream” from the freezer. Scoop banana cream on top, & enjoy!
Nutritional Information:
Makes 2 servings
Calories 196; Fat 2g; Saturated Fat 0.5g; Carbohydrates 25g; Protein 20g; Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 150mg; Fiber 4g
- 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 used Tera’s Whey protein)
- 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 J)
- 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!
