High-Protein Strawberry Pancakes
These High-Protein Strawberry Pancakes are light, fluffy, and packed with real, jammy strawberry flavor in every bite. Made with Greek yogurt, whey protein, and fresh strawberries, they’re filling enough to power busy mornings but still feel like a special brunch treat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk such as 2% or whole milk
- 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar or pure cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk plain Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup freeze-dried strawberry powder
- ½ cup vanilla whey protein powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons 135g whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup lightly crushed freeze-dried strawberries
- Avocado oil or butter for greasing the griddle
- Toppings of choice: chopped strawberries maple syrup, butter, chocolate chips, and/or sliced bananas, etc.
Instructions
- Add the milk, vinegar, vanilla extract, chopped strawberries, coconut sugar, Greek yogurt, large egg, and melted butter to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and then let it sit aside for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the strawberry powder, protein powder, sea salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour together until combined.
- Once rested, add the strawberry mixture and crushed freeze-dried strawberries to the wet ingredients. Stir together until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Heat a non-stick griddle skillet over medium heat (or a pancake plate on medium) until hot. Add the oil or butter, then swirl to coat the pan. Scoop the batter onto the skillet in ¼ cup scoops, leaving 2 inches between them. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the bottoms are golden and bubbles on the surface have popped. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes (if cooking on a pancake plate, you don’t need to flip). Reduce the heat if the pancakes start to brown too quickly, as the pan can continue to heat up throughout the cooking process.
- Remove the pancakes from the pan, re-grease it if needed, and cook the remaining pancake batter. Keep the pancakes warm in a 200°F oven if preferred while cooking subsequent batches.
- Serve the pancakes hot with your favorite toppings, such as strawberries, butter, maple syrup, chocolate chips, and/or sliced bananas.
Notes
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Let the wet ingredients rest for 5 minutes. This allows the vinegar to react with the milk and protein, creating a tender, flavorful pancake batter.
- Mix gently and stop once combined. Overmixing develops gluten and can make pancakes dense instead of light and fluffy.
- Adjust the heat as you cook. Cook over medium heat and turn it down if pancakes brown before bubbles pop—pans continue heating as you go.
- Flip only once, when bubbles pop. This helps create golden-brown pancakes with moist centers, especially with added protein.
- Make your own strawberry powder for best flavor. Blend freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder for concentrated strawberry flavor without extra moisture.
- Keep cooked pancakes warm if needed. A 200°F oven keeps batches warm while you finish cooking.
- Use whey protein for best results. This recipe was tested with whey; plant-based protein may require a few extra tablespoons of milk to keep the batter pourable.
- Refrigerating: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Once cooled, stack the pancakes with small pieces of parchment paper between each one, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the microwave or toaster on low heat.
- Reheating: Reheat pancakes in the microwave on medium heat for 15–30 seconds or in the toaster for 1–2 minutes, until warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving: 3 pancakesCalories: 254kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 15gFat: 9.5gFiber: 3gSugar: 14g
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