Nothing says fall like a stack of light, fluffy, and warmly spiced pumpkin protein pancakes! Made with just six simple ingredients, this easy recipe comes together in under 5 minutes right in your blender. You’ll get two servings of soft, deliciously healthy pancakes — perfect for a cozy, high-protein breakfast that tastes as good as it makes you feel.
I love all things pumpkin—especially for breakfast! So when pumpkin season rolls around, these blender pumpkin protein pancakes are on repeat in my kitchen. Thanks to the combination of egg whites and cottage cheese, each serving packs 13 grams of protein. They’re satisfying enough for busy mornings yet cozy enough for a lazy weekend breakfast.
Honestly, high-protein pancake recipes like these have completely ruined traditional pancakes for me — they don’t keep me satisfied the way these do. Some mornings, I’m in the mood for my Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes. Other times, it’s my Box-Mix Protein Pancakes. But once fall hits, nothing beats these cozy Pumpkin Protein Pancakes for a delicious, energizing start to the day.
Need a substitute for pumpkin pie spice? Use 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, or simply 1 tsp cinnamon.
Ingredients Highlights for Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
This protein pancake recipe is a leveled-up version of a traditional pancake. Made with rolled oats, egg whites, and cottage cheese, they have an outstanding balance of protein and complex carbohydrates without the sugar overload.
Keep in mind that rolled oats work best for this recipe — they create the perfect texture and help everything hold together beautifully. I also tested the recipe with quick oats, which work fine in a pinch, though the texture is a bit softer. Steel-cut oats, on the other hand, are too hard and won’t work here.
💡 Pro Tip: 100% pure pumpkin purée is often mistaken for pumpkin pie filling — but they’re not the same thing! Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices, so be sure to grab the plain purée (trust me, I’ve made that mistake before!).
If you can’t find pumpkin purée, sweet potato, or butternut squash purée, make great substitutes. Both offer that same naturally sweet, creamy texture.
How to Make Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Grab your blender and don’t look away—these pancakes come together in a flash (aka in under five minutes).
Our favorite pancake add-ins and toppings
If you like adding a topping to your pancakes but want to avoid extra sugar from maple syrup, try topping them with coconut butter or almond butter. So good!
My kids almost always ask that I stir chocolate chips into the batter (so much for avoiding extra sugar, lol), but it’s delicious. My hubby requests walnuts and raisins, which are delightful as well.
Thanks so much for reading! You can watch the video down below, and if you make this recipe, I would love for you to give it a ★ rating below.
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup egg whites about 6
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Pop everything into the blender and blend until you have a pancake-like batter.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over a medium heat. Lightly coat the pan with coconut oil or cooking spray and drop cup rounds of batter onto the pan. Cook until edges are bubbling and then flip and cook another two minutes or until edges are golden brown and pancakes are cooked though.
- Top pancakes with any favorite toppings, such as chopped nuts and maple syrup. Makes 2 servings.
Notes
These pancakes freeze really well. Sometimes I double or even triple the recipe, and keep extra pancakes stored in the freezer for busy weekday mornings.
Let pancakes cool completely, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag, label, and store for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or toaster oven until warmed through. If making extra pancakes for a crowd, place the cooked pancakes in a 200ºF oven to keep them warm while cooking the remaining pancakes.
Comments
Kendra E. says
These sound wondedul. Can these be made into waffles instead?
Dani Spies says
I have never tried to use this batter for waffles but I have a feeling it could work!
Lisa says
Really delicious recipe! My batter was quite thin so I may try straining my cottage cheese and using sugar instead of maple syrup. I ended up adding 2 tsp of ground flax to thicken up the batter and that worked great. I used a medium cookie scoop and got exactly 10 small pancakes. I cooked 5 at a time for about 2 mins aside. I find smaller pancakes are easier to flip. Will make again, thank you.