Raise your hand if you need a high protein breakfast or snack idea?
Jump to RecipeI think this has been a topic of conversation with ALL of my clients. Both breakfast and snacks seem to be the hardest meal occasions for folks in terms of getting adequate protein. Often, people will default to a protein bar or a smoothie with protein powder in it and while this is fine, I do like to teach clients how to meet their protein goals without powders and bars. Enter: these protein pancakes! What I like about these is that they use cottage cheese for the protein boost vs adding powder. Cottage cheese has the added bonus of some B vitamins and calcium in addition to its protein punch.
As an added bonus, these babies have a serving of starchy vegetables in the sweet potato. This makes them perfect fuel to eat pre workout or to recover with after getting your sweat on. I love to incorporate complex carbohydrate sources like potatoes, beans, and rice because they offer more vitamins and minerals than a white bread or pasta would. A serving of these pancakes for example meets over 100% of your daily Vitamin A needs!
The flavors of these pancakes scream fall to me: between the warmth of the cinnamon and cloves, the sweetness of the roasted sweet potato and the touch of maple, I am in full on Thanksgiving mode over here. Which reminds me: I have got some great thanksgiving sides and desserts coming up for you guys, so be sure to check back weekly through the month of November!
The best part of these cakes? The toppings can be adapted to fit your preferences and needs.
Here’s what I would choose, based on meal/time of day:
– Pre workout early morning breakfast: eat a couple cakes with some sliced banana on top for a carbohydrate snack to fuel your session.
– Post workout breakfast: top 3-4 cakes with greek yogurt, nut butter, and banana for a more filling meal to replenish glycogen stores and recover with added protein.
– Mid day: drizzle 2-3 cakes with nut butter for a satiating snack to power through the afternoon.
– Dessert: top 2 cakes with berries and maple syrup for a sweet after dinner treat!
Want more Fall inspired recipes? Download my Holiday Recipe Ebook!
Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup oat flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup cottage cheese (I prefer 4%)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 ounces sweet potato cooked and peeled
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce or 1/2 ripe banana
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Optional Toppings
- Greek Yogurt
- Peanut Butter
- Maple Syrup
- Nuts
Instructions
- Combine oats, oat flour, baking powder, and salt in a high-speed blender or food processer. Blend until fully mixed.
- Add in the remaining ingredients (potato, egg, oil, cottage cheese, vanilla, syrup, applesauce, spices). Blend until smooth and well combined. Stop a few times to scrape the sides to ensure everything is well mixed.
- Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a little cooking oil and when the oil is hot, portion out the batter into small pancakes using a 1/4 measuring cup. I usually do 3 pancakes in a medium skillet.
- Cook until you see small bubbles forming on the top of the pancake and the edges seem dry, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
- Place cooked pancakes onto a plate and continue the process with the remaining batter. Enjoy warm with topping of choice!
