Five-Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes (low-carb, gluten-free, refined sugar–free)
Five-Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

Five-Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

5 from 1 reviews
Five-Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes (low-carb, gluten-free, refined sugar–free)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Unbelievable. These little "pancakes" can be made with just three ingredients, but I've added some baking powder and whey protein in this recipe. They're a super quick and healthy breakfast or snack. They come out with almost a crêpe texture. You can add sugar or other sweetener if you don't plan on using a sweet topping. You can also ditch the protein if you're not looking to supplement yours. Each little pancake is just around 48 calories!
Author:
Serves: 6-8 3-inch pancakes
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder (optional but recommended)
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla whey protein powder (optional; you can also add a touch of vanilla extract instead)
Instructions
  1. Place a medium skillet over medium heat on the stove. Let it heat up while you prepare the pancakes. It's ready when water dropped into the pan sizzles.
  2. To prepare the pancakes, whisk the pumpkin, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and protein powder (if using) until well combined. Spray the skillet with nonstick cooking spray before adding in 2-3 tablespoons of the pancake mixture and spreading it into a pancake shape (NOTE: I used a sprayed metal ring to make mine so round — if you don't want to bother, they'll just be a little wonky shaped. And there's NO WAY your first one is gonna be cute. It's gonna be a hot mess just like every first crêpe/pancake in the history of crêpe/pancake-making, and you just have to live with that. It'll still taste good.)
  3. Let the pancakes cook for 35-45 seconds before flipping and letting the other side cook for 25-35 seconds. Remove to a plate and serve with nut butter, sugar-free syrup, butter, fruit, or whatever you'd like!

 

33 Comments on Five-Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes (low-carb, gluten-free, refined sugar–free)

  1. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
    January 25, 2016 at 7:32 am (8 years ago)

    I’m always looking for lower carb, higher protein recipes like this, since I’m a vegetarian and finding creative ways to get protein in is fun! 🙂 These look amazing!

    Reply
  2. Jenni
    January 25, 2016 at 7:59 am (8 years ago)

    Yes! These are super lovely! I love pancakes, and anyway to make them healthier but still tasty is awesome!

    Reply
  3. Megan Keno
    January 25, 2016 at 7:13 pm (8 years ago)

    I would love a stack of these! Yum!! I love that they are low carb too!

    Reply
  4. Joanna
    January 27, 2016 at 2:17 pm (8 years ago)

    I’m thinking pancakes for supper!

    Reply
  5. kristen
    April 22, 2016 at 10:51 am (8 years ago)

    Can the batter be made before hand and then just poured into the pan the next day?

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      April 22, 2016 at 3:54 pm (8 years ago)

      I’ve never tried it, but I assume the baking powder would react with the moisture immediately and that it wouldn’t work quite as nicely. No harm in trying!

      Reply
  6. Nan
    September 13, 2016 at 12:48 pm (8 years ago)

    I need to count carbs on everything I eat – could you
    Please give me a carb count?

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      September 13, 2016 at 12:52 pm (8 years ago)

      Hi Nan, I use SparkPeople’s recipe nutrition calculator to find this. I think there are also apps on your phone that, if you input the ingredients, will provide nutrition stats.

      Reply
  7. Kathy
    October 7, 2016 at 8:48 am (7 years ago)

    how many crbs are in Pumpkin protein pancakes?

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      October 24, 2016 at 3:33 pm (7 years ago)

      I use Spark Recipes to get nutritional facts for recipes.

      Reply
      • Lottie
        August 19, 2018 at 11:08 am (6 years ago)

        Just my opinion but if you post recipes labeled LOW CARB or any other dietary term, I believe it is the poster’s responsibility to post the nutritional analysis.

        Reply
        • Julie Ruble
          August 20, 2018 at 12:00 am (6 years ago)

          LOL okay, feel free to do that on your blog, Lottie. Let me know if you want a refund of the money you paid me to create a recipe and write a blog post for you. (…Oh wait.)

          Reply
  8. Megan
    October 24, 2016 at 2:31 pm (7 years ago)

    I made these today, and they are delicious! I added a dash of Stevia to the batter for sweetness. I liked the pumpkin pie texture of the pancakes. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  9. Rick
    November 22, 2016 at 10:16 pm (7 years ago)

    Want to make your pancakes fluffier? Separate your eggs first and whip the whites to soft peaks. Mix wet ingredients, incorporate blended dry ingredients, then fold in the egg whites. Also, toasted walnuts or pecans add a nice flavor.

    Reply
    • Sandra
      January 8, 2019 at 7:31 am (5 years ago)

      whipping the egg whites is a great idea!

      Reply
    • Laura
      March 24, 2021 at 3:18 pm (3 years ago)

      I have recently seen that done in a couple recipes, too. Apparently some Japanese “soufflé “ pancakes are done like that. Great suggestion. Either way, these look and sound fantastic!

      Reply
  10. Jill
    June 22, 2017 at 12:17 pm (7 years ago)

    Wow – I am super impressed that you got these to come out so delicious looking. Tried them twice and mine were a hot mess..not just the first one… and had to cook for several minutes before I could even turn them. Once they were cooked (burned) enough to come out of the pan, the pumpkin was super runny inside and pretty disgusting. Not sure where I went wrong.

    Reply
  11. JD
    June 22, 2017 at 12:18 pm (7 years ago)

    Wow – I am super impressed that you got these to come out so delicious looking. Tried them twice and mine were a hot mess..not just the first one… and had to cook for several minutes before I could even turn them. Once they were cooked (burned) enough to come out of the pan, the pumpkin was super runny inside and pretty disgusting. Not sure where I went wrong.

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      June 22, 2017 at 7:39 pm (7 years ago)

      Hi Jill! A few tips: I use a metal cookie cutter sprayed with cooking spray to keep my batter in a nice circle while it cooks. I also keep them pretty small (~3-inches in diameter) so the middle cooks fast. Hope that is helpful 🙂

      Reply
  12. Garnet
    August 15, 2017 at 1:26 pm (7 years ago)

    Was just wondering if any one has tried batch cooking these for weekly meal prep and if they would re heat well in the microwave?

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      September 20, 2017 at 12:42 pm (7 years ago)

      I tend to doubt they’d hold up well since they’re so delicate, but let me know if you try it!

      Reply
    • Laurie
      April 25, 2019 at 10:43 am (5 years ago)

      I made them last night, let them cool then placed them in fridge. Pulled them out the next morning to take them to work after my workout. They heated up perfectly on a low heat setting on the microwave. My son even texted me later saying he really like them! (I have no idea how he heated them or if he just took them out of the bag and at them cold??? LOL) Ohhh….I just used a serving spoon to dip out the batter, slowly let it pool to about 3 inch disc. No problem looking like a hot mess! I will be making these again!!!! Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Julie Ruble
        April 25, 2019 at 5:07 pm (5 years ago)

        So glad to hear they were a hit! Thanks for sharing what worked for you, Laurie!

        Reply
  13. Amelia Savoy
    September 20, 2017 at 12:36 pm (7 years ago)

    I am eating them right now and they are amazingly delicious. Super fast to make and a great breakfast to eat before I go to the gym and workout.

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      September 20, 2017 at 12:43 pm (7 years ago)

      So glad you enjoyed them!

      Reply
  14. Michelle
    October 7, 2017 at 12:15 pm (6 years ago)

    Made this morning absolutely love them! I toasted and topped mine with crushed and drizzled a little Truvia Nectar for some sweetness! ????

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      October 7, 2017 at 1:58 pm (6 years ago)

      I’m so glad to hear that!!

      Reply
  15. Liz
    July 16, 2018 at 6:15 am (6 years ago)

    These look amazing! Are these freezer friendly?

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      July 22, 2018 at 2:13 am (6 years ago)

      I haven’t tried! I feel like they’re not sturdy enough, but if you froze them flat on sheets of parchment and then packed them into ziplocs, maybe?? If you try, please let us know!

      Reply
  16. Denise Nelsen
    November 18, 2018 at 1:58 pm (5 years ago)

    I just made these for my husband who is eating low carb. I have a small cast iron skillet (4 in diameter?) that worked perfectly. All the batter made 3 pancakes. They were fairly easy to turn since the skillet is small & helps the pancakes hold their shape. I used 2 tbsp unflavored whey protein & added a little vanilla. He loved them with sugar free walnut flavored syrup. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! He loved them.

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      November 21, 2018 at 1:51 am (5 years ago)

      I’m so glad to hear that, Denise! Hooray!

      Reply
  17. Sandra
    January 8, 2019 at 7:41 am (5 years ago)

    I made these exactly as per the recipe and they were great! I think the batter definitely benefits from sitting for a few minutes for the baking soda to work it’s magic as my second and subsequent pancakes were more “bubbly” and better formed. I also recommend heating the pan to quite hot but then turning the heat way down and cooking a little longer per side. They were fairly savoury, so I think next time I would add a bit of stevia for a bit more sweeter pancake, as I didn’t want to put syrup on top. Thank you for sharing your creative genius!

    Reply

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