Strawberry Protein Powder Pancakes with Banana (Gluten Free)

Fluffy Strawberry Protein Powder Pancakes with Banana pack a bunch of protein into favorite breakfast meal!

Using strawberry protein powder, ripe banana, and cassava flour or gluten free all purpose flour, these pancakes are straightforward but still have a fluffy pancake texture.

My protein pancakes are gluten free, paleo-friendly, and dairy free depending on the protein powder you use!

Ingredients for Strawberry Protein Powder Pancakes

I worked hard to keep the ingredients list relatively short for these protein powder pancakes!

I did test these pancakes with just bananas, eggs, and protein powder, but I could never get the pancakes to come out fluffy — instead they were lifeless, floppy things. Not bad-tasting, but definitely not PANCAKES.

A few additional ingredients added some fluffiness. Baking powder and cassava flour or an all-purpose gluten free flour did the trick!

Here's a list of everything you'll need:

— Protein powder: I use Equip Foods protein powder. Absolutely my favorite! It's dairy free and made from beef, but tastes absolutely fantastic. The strawberry protein gives these pancakes their strawberry flavor!

— Banana: Any large ripe banana will do. Banana adds a boost of fiber and potassium as a complex carbohydrate source. For the recipe, it reduces the amount of flour needed to make fluffy pancakes!

— Eggs: Very important for fluffy pancakes! However, if you want to omit them,

— Cassava flour or gluten free flour: My go-to is cassava flour — I use it for the vast majority of my baking recipes. However, I also tested this recipe with King Arthur All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour with similar results. I can't text all gluten free flour blends, so please report how your brand does in the comments!

— Baking powder: Increases the volume and lightens the texture of protein powder pancakes — so don't skip it!

Which protein should I use for pancakes?

If you're a regular follower of Chelsea Joy Eats, you know that I have several Protein Powder Recipes.

And for the most part, I use the same protein powder: Equip Foods Prime Protein.

I freaking LOVE that stuff. It's dairy free, made from beef (although it doesn't taste like it!), and has fantastic flavors. Including the strawberry flavor used for this recipe.

However, since I primarily tested this recipe with a dairy free, beef-based protein power, I can't guarantee using whey protein or plant-based protein will turn out the same.

If you're open to trying a new protein, though, I highly recommend checking out Equip Foods Prime Protein. I wrote a whole post about why I absolutely adore this protein — check it out and grab a code to save on your first order!

If you're opting to use your favorite brand or what you have on hand, just ensure that you're using strawberry protein powder. Or be prepared that the pancakes won't actually be strawberry flavored!

How to make protein powder pancakes

The steps for these protein pancakes are pretty simple!

First, mash the banana. I like to do this by hand, since I don't like washing my blender!

Then, whisk in the eggs until fully blended.

Add the protein powder, cassava flour/gluten free flour blend, and baking powder. Stir until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Heat olive oil, coconut oil, or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add pancake batter, about ¼ cup at a time, to the skillet.

Cook without disturbing for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles appear on the outsides of the pancakes, before flipping and cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Serve with fresh strawberries or sliced banana and maple syrup, if desired.

How to make protein pancakes without eggs

To be honest, I don't really recommend this, but here's a quick eggless protein pancake substition I tested with good results!

Omit the eggs. Add ½ teaspoon baking soda. After mixing all the other ingredients, add 1 teaspoon white vinegar. Make pancakes immediately.

Basically, you're using the natural reaction between baking soda and vinegar (think science project volcano) to create lift in the pancakes.

It doesn't keep forever, so if you plan to keep the pancakes as leftovers, they'll end up kind of mushy the next day.

Ideas for customizing this recipe

The easiest way to customize this recipe is to use another flavor of protein powder!

Equip Food Prime Protein currently comes in 4 flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Peanut Butter. So you could swap in any of the other flavors seamlessly to make different-flavored pancakes.

Mix-ins for the batter

Mix-ins offer an easy addition for these strawberry protein powder pancakes. Stir in ¼ cup of:

• Chopped strawberries
• Toasted nuts (pecans would be my choice!)
• Mini chocolate chips

For flourless protein powder pancakes

I tested this recipe with peanut butter instead of cassava flour or a gluten free flour blend, and while it wasn't my top choice as far as texture and flavor, the results were still great!

Simply omit the flour and substitute ⅓ cup peanut butter or almond butter.

How to serve protein powder pancakes

Best way to serve these pancakes, in my opinion, is with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of maple syrup.

That said, you can always eat these pancakes as-is — they make a good protein-packed grab-and-go snack.

Otherwise, you can lean into the topping realm with a generous dollop of whipped cream, a smear of nut butter, or a spoonful of jam.

More protein powder recipes to try

Of course I have more recipes using Equip Foods Prime Protein! The Strawberry Protein Waffles are an absolute MUST TRY. If you want something a little faster and straightforward, the smoothie is the way to go!

Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.

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