Carrot Cake Protein Pancakes (Gluten-Free)
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These Carrot Cake Protein Pancakes are quick and easy to make in the blender, have no protein powder, and are gluten-free!
I’ve been making these all the time lately!! My kids love these pancakes and I’ve been craving them each morning. I love making healthier pancakes for my kids (and for myself!) as a more supportive start to their day, while still really enjoying our food!
If you need support in this, I am a Certified Nutrition and Fitness coach and would be happy to help support you! You can learn more about how you can work with me on my health coaching page.
These pancakes have no protein powder and contain about 4 grams of protein per pancake, which is pretty good considering how small they are!
My kids and I also love sheet-pan pancakes and pumpkin protein pancakes. I love making a batch of protein pancakes for the kids as part of meal prep to have an easy and healthy breakfast on hand during the week!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make these Carrot Cake Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes:
Ingredient Notes
- Cottage Cheese: I used low-fat for this recipe, but any kind will do!
- Oats: Use certified gluten-free oats, if you need to, ensure no cross contamination.
Additions
- Raisins: To give it that carrot cake feel, add some raisins to the batter! Or you can top your pancakes with some raisins after the pancakes are cooked.
- Walnuts: Again, to go for that carrot cake feel, you can chop up some raw walnuts and add them to the batter or top the pancakes with them after they’re cooked.
Substitutions
- Cottage Cheese: You can opt for a dairy-free cottage cheese if you need the recipe to be dairy-free. You could also try swapping out the cottage cheese for Greek yogurt, though this would create a much more tangy taste. I haven’t personally tried it, but it might be a yummy option!
- Oats: If you don’t have oats on hand, you could try using flour (gluten-free if needed) instead. I have not made the recipe this way, but if I were to try it I would swap the oats for flour at a 1:1 ratio.
Tools For This Recipe
- High-speed blender
How to Make Carrot Cake Protein Pancakes: Step-by-Step
For the full recipe with the exact ingredients, scroll down to the printable recipe card below!
Step 1: In a high-speed blender, blend the oats until they form a flour (and look mostly ground).
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.
Step 3: Allow the pancake batter to rest for about 5 minutes while you warm up the griddle or pan.
Step 4: Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or a cookie scoop and pour pancake batter onto a greased griddle or pan over medium heat. I create small sized pancakes so that they’re easier to flip, since these are thinner pancakes. Flip pancakes once bubbles start to form and the under side is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Cook on the other side until golden brown, about another 2-3 minutes.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Make small pancakes: I keep my pancakes pretty small so that they’re easier to flip, since they’re a thin pancake.
- Meal prep: I love meal prepping these protein pancakes on the weekend, so we have an easy go-to breakfast during the week. I like make 1-2 batches, since we eat them quickly! You can freeze the pancakes, too!
What to Serve With Carrot Pancakes
- Raisins
- Walnuts
- Dollop of yogurt
- Fried eggs for some more protein
- Fresh blueberries
- Nut butter
- My favorite clean coffee! Code: SUPERMOMEATS gets you 20% off your first order.
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Let the pancakes cool completely and then store them in an airtight freezer-safe container, placing a piece of parchment or wax paper between each one so they don’t stick together.
- Reheating: Heat the pancakes in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until warm when ready to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can! I highly recommend using a blender if you can though, in order to get the best results. However, if you don’t have access to a blender, you can try making them without! Note that the texture will be different though, as the oats will be whole instead of blended and the carrot shreds won’t be blended either. The flavor should still be great though!
Each pancake has 4 grams of protein. They are small pancakes though!
Yep! They’re a pretty thin pancake versus thick and fluffy, but believe me, they’re really tasty!
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Carrot Cake Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup gluten free oats, blended
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup cottage cheese, I used low-fat, but any kind will do!
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup carrot, grated (about 1 medium carrot)
- 1/2 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, blend the oats until they form a flour (they should be mostly ground).
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.
- Allow the pancake batter to rest for about 5 minutes while you warm up the griddle or pan to medium heat.
- Once the griddle/pan is heated, grease it with butter or avocado oil. I’ve found that butter works the best!
- Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or a cookie scoop and pour pancake batter onto the griddle or pan, forming small sized pancakes about the size of your palm. I keep them small so that they’re easier to flip, since these are thinner pancakes.
- Flip pancakes once bubbles start to form and the under side is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Cook on the other side until golden brown, about another 2-3 minutes.