Fluffy and delicious chocolate protein pancakes are a great healthy indulgence! With simple ingredients, these pancakes are easy to make and have tons of protein. Dairy free + egg free recipe!
Free from: Dairy, casein, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn, sesame, mustard, lupin, sulfites, nightshades, tomatoes, and more
Optional free from: Wheat/Gluten
I love these chocolate protein pancakes. They are a super powerhouse way to start the day, especially on special occasions. It’s easy to mix up in one bowl and it’s nice to know that you’re adding in a few extra grams of protein.
In the mood for more protein packed breakfasts? Make sure to check out my chocolate nut butter protein shake or my double chocolate protein muffins!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love these Chocolate Pancakes
- Easy to mix up in one bowl
- Light, soft, fluffy, and no weird aftertaste
- Freezes super well for chocolate pancakes anytime
- Dairy free, Egg free, Nut free, gluten free
Ingredients
Here is a quick run down of the ingredients for these vegan chocolate protein pancakes. Need an allergy substitution? See the next section for all my tips, tricks, and swaps!
- Flour: I use all purpose flour here. If you use self-rising you can omit the baking powder. For gluten free options, see below.
- Protein Powder: Use your favorite protein powder. I recommend using either an unflavored powder, a vanilla powder, or a chocolate flavored powder. For these pancakes, I used a chocolate pumpkin seed based protein powder.
- Cocoa Powder: A little bit extra for that chocolate flavor! I recommend Dutch Processed cocoa powder since it is sweeter and has a richer flavor.
- Plant-based Milk: I recommend either soy milk, oat milk or almond milk for the best results.
- Sugar: A little bit of sugar to keep it sweet. If you are in the US, not all sugar is vegan so make sure to grab a bag that says vegan or organic. You can also replace this sugar with coconut sugar to keep it refined sugar free!
- Oil: A little bit of oil to help them with the fluffy texture. Use a neutral oil like canola or refined coconut oil.
- Baking Powder + Salt: This helps to make tall and fluffy pancakes.
- Vanilla extract: For the extra flavor.
Allergy Substitutions
To make these pancakes gluten free, replace the all purpose flour with an equal amount of a good 1:1 baking flour blend. I always get the best results from King Arthur Measure for Measure.
This recipe won’t work with pure almond flour or coconut flour. However, you can replace up to half a cup of flour with almond or coconut flour for extra protein.
Want to make these refined sugar free? Replace the sugar with some coconut sugar in an equal amount. Date sugar also works.
If you are sensitive to corn, make sure that you are using corn free vanilla and baking powder. For my personal favorites, please see my shop page.
Best Protein Powder
The best protein powder to use really depends on your unique food allergies and macro requirements. So the best one for you might look different to others. For a complete breakdown of my favorite vegan protein powder for the different allergies, see my protein article here.
For this recipe, I used the Mary Ruth’s Chocolate Protein Powder. It is a great plant-based protein powder that is super allergy friendly with a pumpkin seed base.
Instructions
For the full instructions, complete with recipe ingredients, please see the recipe card below!
If you are new to making pancakes from scratch and not out of a box, you are going to love how easy these are to mix up!
First up, making the batter. Simply whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then, pour the wet ingredients into the middle one by one before gently whisking them together until the batter is just combined. If it is a little lumpy, don’t worry! Let the batter rest while you heat up your pan or griddle.
Tip! Leave the pancake batter lumpy. When you overmix the batter, the pancakes end up flatter and not fluffier. Use a whisk and make slow figure 8s until the batter just comes together. And letting it rest is important so don’t skip that!
Next up, preparing the cooking surface. You can make these in a pan on the stove or on an electric griddle.
Spray a little bit of oil to prevent any sticking and make sure the pan is hot before adding any batter to it.
Now it’s time to make the pancakes. Using a quarter-cup or a third-cup measure, pour the batter onto the prepared pan. Cook the pancakes until little bubbles form and start popping. Depending on how thick you’ve made the pancakes, this can take 3 to 5 minutes. If it takes longer, turn the heat up.
Flip the pancakes over and cook for another few minutes on this side.
And that’s it! Top the pancakes with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
What to Serve with Chocolate Pancakes
- Dairy free butter and maple syrup is a classic combo on chocolate pancakes just as much as plain pancakes. But I also love them with some simple chocolate sauce!
- Sprinkle some chocolate chips into the batter before making them.
- Add a spoonful of peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or soy butter on top for a super delicious combo!
- Sprinkle some coconut flakes or whipped coconut cream on top if you aren’t allergic to coconut.
How to Store
Fridge: Allow the pancakes to fully cool and store any leftovers in an airtight container or bag for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Allow the pancakes to fully cool and place any leftovers in a freezer safe container or bag. Store them with pieces of parchment paper in between each pancake so they don’t all stick together. These will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Pop these pancakes in the microwave on a heat safe plate for 30 seconds, or place them on a baking tray into the oven or toaster oven. Heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
More High Protein Breakfast Ideas
If you try these out, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. And if you want more delicious, dietary friendly recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!
Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- mixing spoon
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- whisk
- Spatula
- Pan or electric griddle
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour can swap for gluten free 1:1 baking mix
- ½ cup protein powder I used Mary Ruth’s
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder natural or Dutch processed
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup soymilk or dairy free milk of choice
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Mix the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, protein powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Make a small well in the center and pour in the dairy free milk of choice, vanilla, oil, and water. Making figure 8s, whisk until the batter is just combined. Set aside while the pan warms up.
- Prepare the pan. On a large flat bottomed pan or on a griddle top, heat to a medium heat. Spray a light coating of cooking spray before each round of pancakes to help prevent sticking.
- Cook. pour about ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle of the pan. Cook for a few minutes on the first side until bubbles start to form and pop. Then, flip the pancake over and let cook for a few more minutes on the other side.
- Serve and enjoy! Plate the pancakes, top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Notes
- How to Store
- Fridge: Allow the pancakes to fully cool and store any leftovers in an airtight container or bag for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Allow the pancakes to fully cool and place any leftovers in a freezer safe container or bag. Store them with pieces of parchment paper in between each pancake so they don’t all stick together. These will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Pop these pancakes in the microwave on a heat safe plate for 30 seconds, or place them on a baking tray into the oven or toaster oven. Heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
- Allergy Substitutions
- To make these pancakes gluten free, replace the all purpose flour with an equal amount ofa good 1:1 baking flour blend. I always get the best results from King Arthur Measure for Measure.
- This recipe won’t work with pure almond flour or coconut flour. However, you can replace up to half a cup of flour with almond or coconut flour for extra protein.
- Want to make these refined sugar free? Replace the sugar with some coconut sugar in an equal amount. Date sugar also works.
- If you are sensitive to corn, make sure that you are using corn free vanilla and baking powder. For my personal favorites, please see my shop page.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This site contains affiliate links which means I may receive commissions for purchases made though those links. However, please know that I only provide links to products that I actually use and totally recommend! Your purchases help support this blog. Thank you!
Leave a Reply