Fuel up for your autumnal adventures with my super simple Pumpkin Protein Pancakes! These naturally gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal pancakes are made with just 10 basic ingredients and no protein powder, relying instead on the cheap, protein-packed goodness of cottage cheese.
It's official, y'all. Pumpkin season is HERE and I couldn't be more jazzed. Not only do I love fall—the riotous colors! The nip in the night air! The smell of bonfires!—but I'm also a fan of nearly all things pumpkin-spiced. Call me basic if you must; it’s a badge I’ll wear proudly with my fuzzy socks and cozy scarves as I’m slurping down a copycat Starbucks pumpkin spice latte.
But, how can you go wrong with the cheerful orange hue and earthy sweetness of pumpkin for breakfast? Whether it’s pumpkin pecan waffles, pumpkin pie baked oatmeal, pumpkin protein muffins, or a slice of toasted pumpkin yeast bread slathered with peanut butter, if I’m starting my day with pumpkin spice, I know it’s gonna be nice. Pumpkin + flapjacks? Even better.
Oatmeal pumpkin pancakes are just my newest pumpkin obsession, and I think they’ll be yours, too. They’re warmly spiced, deliciously fluffy & tender, and healthy to boot. Plus, while they may have serious Saturday morning vibes, they're so easy you can enjoy them any day of the week!
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This High-Protein Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Healthy Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
- Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Expert Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- FAQs
- More Pumpkin Recipes
- Oatmeal Pumpkin Protein Pancakes with Cottage Cheese (Gluten-Free!)
- 💬 Reviews
Why You’ll Love This High-Protein Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe
- Wholesome & Nutritious -This healthy breakfast has all the charm of traditional pancakes, but the nutritional information reads like a dieter's dream. With a whopping 19 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and 12 grams of fat, these fluffy pancakes are sure to fuel you up for the day—without spiking your blood sugar.
- Quick & Easy - You only need 10 simple ingredients (not a lick of protein powder or pancake mix among them!) and about 15 minutes to cook up a batch. In case you didn’t know, using a blender is a great way to cut down on pancake-making messes. Only one container gets dirty, and since there's a pour spout built-in, you don't need a ladle! 😉
- Meal-Prep Masters - These healthy pumpkin pancakes can be made ahead so you can treat yourself to pumpkin goodness even on busy mornings when you hit snooze one too many times. Plus, they’re easy to make dairy-free and vegan, so they're the perfect breakfast for the whole family!
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, most of what you need to make these oat pumpkin pancakes is likely already in your kitchen. Here’s what to grab:
- Pumpkin Purée - Make sure you're using 100% real pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie filling.
- Cottage Cheese - Not only is cottage cheese a good source of protein and healthy fats, it also contributes to the deliciously tender texture of the pancakes.
- Milk of Choice - I used unsweetened almond milk, but you're welcome to use the dairy or plant-based milk of your choice. Note that dairy milk will add even more protein to the mix.
- Eggs - These fellas pull double duty by binding the pancake batter and adding more protein. Feel free to swap in your favorite egg substitutes like JUST Eggs or Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer.
- Old Fashioned Oats - To make truly gluten free pancakes, make sure to get Certified Gluten-Free oats. You can also use oat flour.
- Baking Powder - This is our leavener, helping our pancakes rise to fluffy perfection.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice & Vanilla Extract - For adding warmth and dessert vibes. Feel free to swap in the warming spice blend of your choice (e.g. chai masala or haiwaj) as well as vanilla paste or powder.
- Maple Syrup - Feel free to swap in another liquid sweetener like agave or honey, or use a less-processed granulated option like maple or coconut sugar.
- Butter - For pan-frying. Feel free to swap in vegan butter or coconut oil instead.
How To Make Healthy Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Step 1: Blend Batter. Add all pancake ingredients except the butter to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Step 2: Melt Butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until bubbling aggressively, then reduce the temperature to medium-low heat to prevent burning.
Step 3: Cook & Flip. Pour about ⅛ of the pancake batter in, swirl pan to level out batter, and let rest until small bubbles appear on the surface—about 2-3 minutes. Flip, smash down with spatula and cook until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Step 4: Garnish & Serve. Top with maple syrup, pecans, powdered sugar, or your favorite toppings. ENJOY!
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
As much as I love this protein pancake recipe just the way it's written, there are plenty of ways for you to make it your own.
- Different Fruit/Veg - Try making sweet potato protein pancakes or banana protein pancakes by swapping in their respective purées.
- Extra Boost of Protein - If you have your favorite protein powder on hand and want to use it, I won’t stop you! Feel free to add plain or vanilla protein powder to the mix. I’ve added up to ¼ cup of collagen powder and had them turn out great. Just be mindful of what flavor you’re adding, and if you decide to add more than ¼ cup, you *might* need to thin out your batter with more milk. Also, while you're welcome to use any kind of protein powder you prefer, I suggest sticking to flavors that are complementary to the pumpkin flavors like plain, vanilla, maple, or spice.
- Dairy-Free/Vegan Protein Pancakes - I haven’t tried, but I see no reason why this protein banana pancakes recipe wouldn’t work using your favorite dairy-free cottage cheese. To go a step further and make it eggless is a slightly bigger concern, but I *think* you could use a vegan egg replacer like JUST Eggs or silken tofu and it should work. Hit me up in the comments to let me know how it goes if you try!
- Add-Ins - Feel free to make decadent pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes by sprinkling on a small handful of regular or mini chocolate chips once the batter is in the pan. You can also add crunch with chopped nuts, toasted pepitas, or almond vanilla granola. You could even add banana slices for pumpkin banana pancakes!
Expert Tips
- Keep it light. Start with no maple syrup in the mix and give it a taste. Depending on your palate, you might not need to add any! I usually end up using only about a tablespoon since pumpkin is naturally sweet, and I know I'm gonna drizzle them with syrup when it's time to eat.
- Layer wet ingredients at the bottom of the blender to help ensure all the goodness gets pulled into the mixture. Depending on your blender, you may need to use a plunger to push the dry ingredients down and/or stop the blender to scrape down the sides.
- For loftier pancakes, feel free to add more oats. More oats makes for a thicker batter, which in turn makes for thicker, extra-fluffy pancakes. If you like a bit of oatmeal cookie-ish texture, try adding them after blending the original recipe, just pulsing in the new oats.
- Waste not, want not. Since we're only using 1 cup of pumpkin purée, make sure the rest doesn't go to waste. If you're a pumpkin fan, I've got you covered. Try making my bread machine pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice latte syrup, pumpkin protein muffins, streusel-topped banana pumpkin muffins, healthy pecan pumpkin waffles, pumpkin pie baked oatmeal, pumpkin cheesecake ice cream, or even some pumpkin peanut butter dog treats for your pups. Alternatively, freeze it for up to 6-12 months so you can make pumpkin goodness in the future!
Serving Suggestions
- These easy pumpkin protein pancakes are perfect with a hot cup of coffee (sweetened with my Starbucks pumpkin sauce, perhaps?!?).
- For added sweetness, try making spiced pecan maple syrup to drizzle over the top.
- For extra protein, bulk up with a side. Serve some greek yogurt drizzled with maple syrup, topped with toasted pecans, and sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice for all the fall flavor.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- If you have leftovers, allow the pumpkin oat pancakes to cool completely, then separate each with a piece of parchment before stacking.
- They will keep well in the fridge for about 5 days.
- To freeze for the future, place the pumpkin cottage cheese pancakes in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container, pressing as much air out as possible. They should keep well for 6-8 weeks.
- To serve, toast in a toaster oven or in a dry nonstick pan sprayed with a touch of nonstick spray until warmed through.
FAQs
It depends on the recipe, but it’s likely that most pumpkin pancakes have at least a smidge. However, these pumpkin protein pancakes are designed with macros in mind, offering 19 grams of protein per 2 pancake-serving.
Sure! There’s no reason you couldn’t. If you’re concerned about your diet, I recommend consulting with an RDN like my friends Megan and Mackenzie, but overall, I think these pumpkin pancakes constitute a well-rounded, nutritious breakfast.
I actually don’t use any flour in this recipe! We blend rolled oats in instead.
I suppose it depends on your diet, but fruit, nut butter, and nuts are generally a good “healthy” pick. For these pumpkin protein pancakes, you’re already on a pretty healthy train since there’s very little added sugar. So while maple syrup is high in sugar and calories, it also has some vitamins and minerals that more processed sugar doesn’t and is lower on the glycemic index, making it a “healthier” choice. Other healthy topping options include yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, cottage cheese, low-sugar chia jam, or a runny egg.
Oats are naturally gluten-free, so you’re off to a good start with this protein pumpkin pancake recipe. Just make sure to opt for Certified GF oats since some brands process their oats on shared equipment with wheat products.
If a recipe calls for an ingredient, it’s usually not a great idea to just omit it without finding a replacement. (There are definitely exceptions to this rule, e.g. spices.) In pancake recipes, eggs act as the binder that holds the batter together to make the flapjacks flippable. Rather than omitting the eggs (which could result in a very messy but probably still edible pile of…something?), I recommend using your favorite egg replacer—preferably one with protein like silken tofu or liquid vegan eggs.
It sure is! But, just for the record, canned pumpkin has been pre-roasted before blending. That said, truly raw pumpkin is also safe for humans.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Oatmeal Pumpkin Protein Pancakes with Cottage Cheese (Gluten-Free!)
Ingredients
- 1 C Pumpkin Purée about 2 bananas worth
- 1.5 C Cottage Cheese feel free to use dairy-free
- ¾ C Milk of Choice
- 2 Eggs
- 2.5 C Old Fashioned Oats ensure they're Certified GF if you're gluten-free
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or vanilla paste or powder
- ¾ - 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste
- ¼ C Maple Syrup if needed for sweetness; I typically only end up adding about 1 tablespoon. Feel free to swap in agave or honey.
- 1-2 tablespoon Butter for pan frying
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except butter to blender. Blend until smooth.
- Melt butter in sauté pan over medium heat until bubbling aggressively. Reduce heat to medium low.
- Pour about ⅛ of the batter in, swirl pan to level out batter, and let rest until bubbles appear. Flip, smash down with spatula and cook until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Top with maple syrup, pecans, powdered sugar, or whatever you fancy. ENJOY!
Notes
- If you have leftovers, allow the pumpkin oat pancakes to cool completely, then separate each with a piece of parchment before stacking.
- They will keep well in the fridge for about 5 days.
- To freeze for the future, place the pumpkin cottage cheese pancakes in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container, pressing as much air out as possible. They should keep well for 6-8 weeks.
- To serve, toast in a toaster oven or in a dry nonstick pan sprayed with a touch of nonstick spray until warmed through.
- Different Fruit/Veg - Try making sweet potato protein pancakes or banana protein pancakes by swapping in their respective purées.
- Extra Boost of Protein - If you have your favorite protein powder on hand and want to use it, I won’t stop you! Feel free to add plain or vanilla protein powder to the mix. I’ve added up to ¼ cup of collagen powder and had them turn out great. Just be mindful of what flavor you’re adding, and if you decide to add more than ¼ cup, you *might* need to thin out your batter with more milk. Also, while you're welcome to use any kind of protein powder you prefer, I suggest sticking to flavors that are complementary to the pumpkin flavors like plain, vanilla, maple, or spice.
- Dairy-Free/Vegan Protein Pancakes - I haven’t tried, but I see no reason why this protein banana pancakes recipe wouldn’t work using your favorite dairy-free cottage cheese. To go a step further and make it eggless is a slightly bigger concern, but I *think* you could use a vegan egg replacer like JUST Eggs or silken tofu and it should work. Hit me up in the comments to let me know how it goes if you try!
- Add-Ins - Feel free to make decadent pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes by sprinkling on a small handful of regular or mini chocolate chips once the batter is in the pan. You can also add crunch with chopped nuts, toasted pepitas, or almond vanilla granola. You could even add banana slices for pumpkin banana pancakes!
Joe says
So quick and easy, and I love that I don’t have to use protein powder.