"Not-So-Guilty" Protein Pancakes

Every morning, my parents somehow manage to find the time to make my younger siblings pancakes.  The smell of buttery batter and syrup wafts through the house.  I have to admit that these evenings in the gym have suppressed a lot of my urges to be "bad" and give into morning pancakes.  But with my sweet tooth creeping up on me, my craving for fluffy cakes decorated with fresh berries and whip cream, doused in syrup could no longer be suppressed.

After coming home from the gym in the morning, my stomach is growling and I'm in full ravage mode.  But i'm sure i'm not the only one who finds downing a shake of just protein powder and water to not be satisfying.  Dumping that scoop of protein powder into a delicious batter of oats, and making soft pancakes out of it sounded like a much tastier option to scoring in on my protein goals for the day. So thats what I did... protein goals: check, late night snack: check, syrupy pancake craving satisfied: check.

These protein pancakes have now become my go-to in spicing up my protein powder intake. Even if you're not someone who regularly uses protein powder, you may find yourself storing some JUST to make this silver dollars.  They are that good.  And of course, totally guilt free. Although, you wouldn't actually ever know it.

I have also opted to make these in the morning whenever I have a few extra minutes before I have to run out the door.  Let me just tell you, these will keep you full for an insane amount of time.  And they're extremely customizable as well. In the mornings I like to top them with loads of mixed nuts for sustained energy while I'm studying the entire day. And in the evening, I choose to lighten them up with a few fresh berries for minimal carbs to help me recover from my workout and digest while I re-energize throughout the night.

This recipe really allows one's creativity to shine through.  The pancake batter is so versatile you can easily alter it to satisfy any craving. It goes beyond just adding chocolate chips or blueberries.  Try apples and cinnamon in your batter; or even cranberry and walnut toppings. Maybe you're a chocolate chip, peanut butter fan? Whatever I put on them, you better believe i'm not letting myself skip out on the whip cream and syrup.  I ALWAYS scoop on a hefty spoonful of fat-free cool whip and douse my cakes in about a tablespoon of sugar free syrup.  After all, what are pancakes without syrup anyways?

Get ready to really "wow" and surprise yourself in the kitchen with this Not-So-Guilty Pleasure recipe.





Makes: 2 servings
Time: 10 mins
Calories: ~200 per serving

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked oats

2 eggs (or 3 egg whites)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 banana 

1 handful blueberries (optional)

1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 tbsp splenda or stevia (optional)

1/4 cup of milk

any cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients except blueberries and cooking spray in a blender.**

2. Fold in the blueberries.

3. Heat a medium sized pan on the stove with medium heat.  Spray moderately with cooking spray to prevent the pancakes from sticking 

3. Once pan is hot, pour batter into pan until it makes a thin layer.

4. Cook the pancakes for about 1 minute on each side or until they are completely cooked.

5. Stack on to a plate and layer or top with desired toppings.

(Toppings in 1st picture: Strawberries, raspberries, slivered almonds, sugar-free maple syrup. Toppings in 2nd picture: Strawberries, organic granola, chopped walnuts, sugar-free maple syrup.)

*if you would like your pancakes to be fluffier, beat your eggs separately until fluffy, before folding them into the batter along with the blueberries.

*If you enjoy thicker pancakes, try hand-mixing the ingredients instead. The oats will remain whole, making for a heartier cake.