This easy pumpkin protein pancakes recipe is the perfect breakfast to enjoy on cool fall mornings when all things pumpkin spice are officially in season!  Sprinkles of light pumpkin pie spice, real pumpkin purée, and a bit of vanilla protein powder make easy satisfying pancakes.  Pour a hot cup of coffee and enjoy these protein pumpkin spice pancakes with a dab of butter or a drizzle of maple syrup. 

Sometimes the best healthy breakfast is one that’s homemade (and one that tastes as good as it looks).  With simple ingredients like flour, pumpkin purée, vanilla, egg, milk, and a bit of melted butter, you can make easy pumpkin pancakes in just a few minutes–and even have a few leftover that you can re-heat and enjoy the next day.

An Easy Breakfast with Warm Fall Spice…

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My favorite part about these healthy pumpkin protein pancakes is the warm fall spice, and of course, the pumpkin taste you’ll get by adding in real pumpkin.  It’s a great cozy breakfast loaded with fall flavor that’s easy to toss together.  You’ll enjoy making these nutritious protein pumpkin pancakes throughout the fall season…

  Dashes of pumpkin pie spice and drizzles of milk, egg, and melted butter help to create a pancake batter that makes moist buttery pancakes that puff up when they hit the pan.

The key to nice golden puffy cakes lies in the addition of baking powder, baking soda, and a quick sifting of the dry ingredients.  As the powders and flour pass through the sifter, they receive a lightness.  This really helps to keep an airy batter when it comes time to cook this pumpkin pancake mix in the pan.

Protein Pancakes Make A Good Source of Protein Hidden Inside Your Favorite Breakfast!

I used just a single scoop of regular vanilla protein powder to make these easy and healthy pumpkin pancakes which adds about 20 grams of protein to the batter.  I use Garden of Life organic plant-based protein powder with a good vanilla flavor. It gives the pumpkin spice pancakes a nice boost of protein and a satisfying finish.  This is my favorite protein powder since it’s readily available on Amazon and at Target.  I really love using it in fruity spinach protein smoothies as well.

This is a great way to sneak in a good source of protein with your morning breakfast!  These pumpkin protein pancakes are a tad more filling than plain traditional pancakes, so my boys don’t eat as many in one sitting as they do the regular cakes.  We’ll take the leftover pancakes and toss them in a ziplock.  They’ll usually pop some in the toaster, swipe on some butter, and polish the rest of them off as snacks or on the go the next day.  Here’s what you’ll need to get these started.

Ingredients to Make Simple Protein Pumpkin Pancakes

• All-purpose flour – use flour that’s been spooned through in the container and then leveled on the measuring cup
• Brown sugar
• Fine salt
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Vanilla Protein Powder
• Plain pumpkin-puree – I used Libby’s plain pumpkin purée 
• Vanilla extract
• Egg – one whole egg
• Melted butter – plus more for buttering the pan or non-stick cooking spray
• Whole milk

Instructions To Make Easy Pumpkin Spice Protein Pancakes

Grab a large bowl and place a sifter on top.  To the sifter add a few dry ingredients.  Add the flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder.  

I used Garden of Life organic Vanilla protein powder.  Shake dry ingredients through the sifter and set aside. This quick sifting step has a lot to do with the end result for the texture of the pancakes, so I highly recommend not skipping this step!

Combine Wet Ingredients

Separately, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla, egg, melted butter, and milk.  Whisk together to combine.

Add Dry Ingredients To Wet Ingredients

Gently sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet pumpkin puree mixture a little bit at a time until finished. Stir with a spatula until combined.

Once combined, if batter is still too thick, be sure to thin out with another 1/4 cup or so of milk.  Stir in with your spatula.  This protein pancake recipe batter should be thick, wet, and slightly lumpy but able to be scooped up and plopped back out easily.

It won’t resemble your typical loose pancake batter since we’ve added the protein powder and pumpkin puree.  The batter will have more body and run with a thicker consistency.  That’s ok.

Cook Protein Pancakes On a Hot Buttered Pan

On an already buttered hot skillet, use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop batter from the bowl and drop onto the buttered skillet.  Grab the skillet by the handle and give it a quick shake to flatten the batter out once it hits the heat.

Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat then flip once and cook for another 2 more minutes on the other side.

Try Testing One or Two First To Help the Process Before You Start…

Test the first pancake on its own before making multiples. Tear through the center of the pancake and taste.  If center is still gooey, cook another minute or so longer on each side, adjusting time as needed to allow cakes to cook through internally.  Repeat as needed until you get the hang of your cook time.

 Once cooked through, the protein pancakes should be no longer gooey in the center but still nice and moist.

Adjust the heat as needed for any extra cook times taking care not to let pancakes burn on the outside.  The butter will help crisp the top and edges of the cakes as they cook, so I like to re-butter the skillet between sets.

When cooked, remove and transfer to a platter.

Keep Leftover Pancakes As a Ready-Made Breakfast On The Go The Next Day

Due to the bit of brown sugar, generous dashes of pumpkin spice, and protein powder, they are perfectly good enjoyed plain, all on their own with your favorite cup of coffee. It’s an easy fall breakfast the whole family can enjoy from September to November…

If desired, you can take it a step further and serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or dabs of extra butter plus drizzles of maple pancake syrup.  One of my favorite toppings for these pancakes is a simple twirl of whipped cream on top.  Serve warm.  

Throw any extras in an airtight container or a large ziplock bag.  Slip them in the toaster the following morning.  Hit the ‘stop’ button on your toaster once the pancake is heated through. Enjoy on busy mornings with a cup of coffee, OJ, or milk as a quick but satisfying breakfast on the go. These easy pumpkin banana bread muffins are another easy quick breakfast you can enjoy on busy mornings.

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