protein pancakes

Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Pancakes

It's officially pumpkin season, and I couldn't be happier. Pumpkin is without a doubt one of my favorite flavors. It gets you in the mood for fall and Halloween, and it almost feels like it warms you up on those cool autumn mornings and nights.

I generally associate pumpkin with pie and coffee, but why not incorporate it into one of my favorite breakfasts, Greek yogurt pancakes. It's simple to make, and you will not be disappointed!

Here's what you'll need:

-5.3 oz of nonfat plain Greek yogurt (I use Wallaby Organic)
-1/4 cup of coconut flour
-1/4 cup of pumpkin
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 tsp ginger
-1/8 tsp nutmeg
-a pinch of allspice

Instructions:

1) In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until smooth. Yes, it's really that simple.
2) Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out your pancake mix onto the pan, and arrange and smooth  the batter into pancakes using a spoon. 
3) Cover the pan, and let the batter cook for about 2-3 minutes (may vary by stove). You will know that it's ready to flip because you'll be able to flip it. If the batter on the side of the pancake sticks to your spatula, give it some more time before flipping.
4) Flip each pancake, and cook the other side for about 2-3 minutes. 
5) Remove from heat, put your pancakes on a plate, and add any additional toppings as desired.

I added pumpkin seeds and maple syrup to mine, and I'd highly recommend the combination! I hope you enjoy this taste of autumn. Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to subscribe for e-mail updates!

Cinnamon Apple Greek Yogurt Pancakes

I told you I was on a fall/apple kick, so here we are with another apple recipe. I find that I'm really craving cinnamon apples now when I get up in the morning, and there's a little chill in the air. Nothing seems more comforting then spiced apple pancakes. They'll warm you from the inside out.

Here's what you'll need:

-1 apple, chopped
-1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, split 1 tsp and 1/2 tsp
-1 tsp brown sugar
-1/4 tsp nutmeg
-1 tsp sunflower seeds
-5.3 oz of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-1/4 cup coconut flour
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-Cooking spray (Coconut oil)
-2 tbsp of maple syrup (or honey)
-pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

1) Mix the chopped apple with 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp brown sugar.
2) In a bowl, mix together the egg and Greek yogurt.
3) Add in the coconut flour, baking soda, 1/2 of the apple mixture, the nutmeg, the remaining cinnamon (1/2 tsp), and sea salt.
4) Heat up a large pan and coat with cooking spray.
5) Scoop out 1/4 cup of pancake mix and form into pancakes in the pan. Heat for about 3-4 mins/per side, covering the pan with a lid while cooking.
6) In a separate pan, heat up the remaining apple tossed in cinnamon sugar for a few minutes until the apple softens.
7) Serve the pancakes, top with the cooked cinnamon sugar apple and sunflower seeds, and drizzle on maple syrup.
7) Enjoy!

I hope these pancakes give you the taste of fall you're looking for! Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to sign up for e-mail updates!

Blueberry Greek Yogurt Pancakes

I grew up eating pancakes for breakfast occasionally, but as I've gotten older, I've kind of steered away from them. I love the way they taste, but we grew up using pancake mix. Grabbing that bag of pancake mix and reading the ingredients on the back can be a scary thing, mostly because I couldn't tell you half of the ingredients in there. 

I decided it was time to stop shunning pancakes. I don't need to avoid them, I can just make my own and know exactly what goes into them. I also decided to give them more of a protein base instead of just straight up carbs by making Greek yogurt one of the major ingredients. 

And of course I added in some blueberries because I love squeezing in color and fruit or veggies where I can. Plus who doesn't love blueberry pancakes?

This recipe yields 4 pancakes and servings (2 pancakes per serving).

Here's what you'll need:

-One 5.3 oz container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt (I used Wallaby organic Greek yogurt and measured it out on a scale instead of buying a smaller container)
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp pure vanilla flavor/extract
-1/4 cup coconut flour
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/4 cup fresh blueberries
-Cooking spray (I used coconut oil spray)

Instructions:

1) In a bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth. 
2) Add in the coconut flour and baking soda and mix together. The mixture will become thick.
3) Add in the blueberries and mix until evenly distributed.
4) Heat up a large pan over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray.
5) Add 1/4 cup of mixture per pancake and spread to make circular pancakes in the pan. I used the same 1/4 cup measuring cup that I used previously and a spoon to arrange the mixture. 
6) Cover the pan and let the pancakes cook for about 3-4 minutes. Trust me you want to cover the pan, it will be a mess and half to flip them over if you do not. It helps them to cook just a bit throughout so that the batter will not stick to a spatula when flipping.
7) Flip the pancakes and cook on the other side for about 3-4 minutes.
8) Remove the pancakes from heat, serve on a plate, and top with additional blueberries, syrup, or honey as desired. 
9) Enjoy!

I topped my pancakes with extra blueberries and 1 tbsp of organic maple syrup. I also added some steamed asparagus and turkey bacon on the side. These are probably my favorite pancakes I've had to date, so I hope you enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to subscribe!