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These delicious chocolate protein pancakes will give your body a healthy dose of protein without adding protein powder and extra fat. How is this achieved? They are made with oatmeal, Greek yogurt, whole milk and eggs. I’m not complaining, but sometimes when I eat pancakes I’m hungry again within an hour or two. These pancakes definitely make me feel full longer. Of course, they won’t replace a hearty omelette or frittata, but when you’re craving something sweet, these are perfect!
Serve them with this irresistible (and super easy) Homemade Chocolate Pancake Syrup, and you’ll be the hero (or heroine) at your breakfast or brunch table!
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❤️ Reasons to love this recipe
- It is high in protein. Oatmeal, yogurt, eggs, and whole milk give these pancakes an extra dose of protein that will keep you satisfied for longer.
- It is easy. With just 6 steps to follow, you can make these pancakes successfully, even if you’ve never made pancakes before.
- It’s fast You can have these pancakes on the table in 30 minutes or less!
🍫 Ingredients
- Whole milk. You can substitute buttermilk in a 1:1 ratio and omit the lemon juice.
- Lemon juice Omit lemon juice if substituting butter.
- Rolled oats Be sure to use rolled oats and not quick or steel cut oats.
- Cocoa powder without sugar. We highly recommend Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. The Dutch process removes some of the bitterness inherent in cocoa powder.
- Copper powder Double action
- Sal. Salt enhances the flavor of these pancakes.
- granulated sugar This may seem like a bit much, but it helps reduce some of the bitterness of the cocoa. If you’re concerned about too much sugar, we suggest substituting Swerve sugar substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
- Greek yogurt You can use it plain or vanilla.
- large eggs divided Separate the yolks from the whites. Cracking the eggs helps these pancakes rise.
- Vanilla extract. Add flavor
- Unsalted butter Thawed and cooled. Butter adds flavor and promotes tender pancakes.
See recipe card for quantities.
📝 Instructions
Add lemon juice to the milk. Stir to combine. Aside. You can substitute buttermilk for the milk used in this recipe, if you like. If substituting buttermilk, you can omit the lemon juice and use buttermilk at a 1:1 ratio.
🥣 Equipment
- Dry measuring cups.
- Liquid measuring cups.
- measuring spoons
- blender We love using our mixer to mix wet ingredients for convenience. However, you can always use a medium bowl and an electric mixer or stand mixer.
- large bowl Add your dry ingredients to this bowl because eventually it will all end up here!
- medium bowl To mix the wet ingredients and the sugar. Use this instead of a blender, if you so choose.
- Electric mixer. Also use this in place of a blender if you so choose.
- iron We use an electric iron for our pancakes. You can use your stove and a large flat pan. You may need to adjust the temperature and/or cooking time depending on whether or not you have a gas or electric stove.
- large pan If you don’t have a griddle, use it to cook your pancakes.
- Wide non-stick spatula. A wide spatula is best.
- small neck
i ️ Substitutions
- No sugar – If you are concerned about too much sugar or are on a sugar-free diet, we suggest substituting Swerve Sugar Substitute in a 1:1 ratio.
- Low in fat – You can replace low-fat or skim milk with low-fat Greek yogurt. However, we recommend keeping the butter.
Looking for more information on how to make pancakes? Visit our complete guide to making homemade pancakes from scratch, including detailed ingredient information, step-by-step instructions, and more!
🌡️ Storage
Leftover pancakes will stay fresher if you freeze them immediately. To freeze, place a piece of waxed paper on a baking sheet and place the leftover pancakes on it. Place them in the freezer until frozen, then store in a freezer bag. They will keep in your freezer for up to 6 months. Reheat from frozen in the microwave or toaster.
💭 The best tips
- Be sure to separate the eggs and stir the egg whites well at the end. Because of the density of the oatmeal, these pancakes don’t want to rise as well as pancakes made with regular all-purpose flour. After many attempts, I found that separating the eggs helps solve this problem.
- Before baking, let the dough rest for at least 5 minutes so that the baking powder has enough time to activate.
Have you made this recipe? We would love it if you could leave a rating. Tap or click on the stars on the recipe card or leave a comment below. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to receive a free e-book of quick and easy breakfast recipes. Thanks!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate protein pancakes
Avoid screen dimming
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Add lemon juice to the milk. Stir to combine. Aside.
¾ cup whole milk, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
-
Add rolled oats to a blender or food processor. Blend or process until the oats are ground into flour. Add to a large bowl.
1½ cups rolled oats
-
Beat cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Aside.
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
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Add the milk, yogurt, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract, and butter to a mixer or medium bowl. Blend or mix with an electric mixer on low speed until frothy.
⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup Greek yogurt, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons of unsalted butter
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Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Fold in the egg whites until incorporated. Let rest for at least five minutes.
2 large eggs
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Meanwhile, heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Melt some butter on the hot surface and add about ¼ cup of batter to the surface. Repeat until there is no more space left on the cooking surface. Cook the pancakes until bubbles form and appear on the surface, about 4-5 minutes. Then flip and cook for about 4 more minutes. Remove the pancakes to a plate or baking tray. Repeat this step until the mass is gone.
notes
- Be sure to separate the eggs and stir the egg whites well at the end. Because of the density of the oatmeal, these pancakes don’t want to rise as well as pancakes made with regular all-purpose flour. After many attempts, I found that separating the eggs helps solve this problem.
- Before baking, let the dough rest for at least 5 minutes so that the baking powder has enough time to activate.
nutritional data
Calories: 308kcal (15%)Carbohydrates: 45g (15%)Protein: 15g (30%)Fat: 9g (14%)Saturated fat: 4g (25%)Polyunsaturated fats: 1gMonounsaturated fats: 3gTrans fats: 0.1gCholesterol: 106mg (35%)Sodium: 432mg (19%)Potassium: 371mg (11%)Fiber: 5g (21%)Sugar: 21g (23%)Vitamin A: 274UI (5%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 267mg (27%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
The nutritional information provided is for one serving and is an estimate only. The accuracy of the nutritional information of any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that you used to touch raw meat.
- Wash your hands after touching raw meat.
- Do not leave food at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave food cooking unattended.
- Use high smoke point oils to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.