Pancake Bowls are the easiest hack to meal prep your pancakes. Add all your favorite toppings for the best healthy breakfast!
For me, a tall stack of protein pancakes is one of the best ways to enjoy a weekend morning. But why shouldn't we enjoy pancakes on weekdays too? It seems like an easy way to make a work morning more special.
I've shared my sheet pan pancakes which are great for families, but these protein pancake bowls are perfect if you're doing a smaller meal prep for just yourself. I also love these pancake bowls because they're so customizable and you can easily pack them to bring to work.
Don't wait until the weekends for pancakes. These pancake bowls will make even weekday breakfasts worth waking up for.
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Small batch meal prep. I love the pancake bowl hack for smaller meal preps, but you can also prep enough bowls for a full week.
- Customize to your liking. Go crazy and load up these pancake bowls with all your favorite toppings. Chocolate chips, banana slices, berries, etc. I have lots of ideas below.
- Balanced nutrition. This breakfast is balanced with protein and fibre to keep you full and satisfied all morning.
Ingredients
Egg. These are essential for binding, but also add protein and fluffiness.
Greek yogurt. I typically use plain 0 or 2% fat Greek yogurt however you can use a flavoured yogurt if you prefer. The yogurt helps thicken the batter, creating a more fluffy pancake bowl.
Milk. Any milk of choice will work great! I typically recommend dairy or soy milk for the highest protein.
Sweetener. Maple syrup, honey or any liquid sweetener of choice will work great in this recipe.
Flour. I chose all purpose whole wheat flour because it's affordable, provides a nice rise, and has some extra fibre compared to white flour.
Protein powder. Unflavoured or flavoured protein powder will both work here. You can also use collagen if you are looking for an alternative.
Cinnamon. A small dash will go a long way for flavour!!
Baking powder. Always use fresh baking powder for the best rise.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and thoroughly grease an oven safe circular dish.
- In the dish, add egg, greek yogurt, milk and maple syrup. Whisk until smooth.
- Add flour, protein powder, cinnamon and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
- Once smooth, top with desired toppings.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pancake bowl comes out clean). Allow to cool before enjoying.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour. You may also use a gluten-free oat flour (or make your own).
To make dairy-free: use a thick dairy-free yogurt and milk of choice.
To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut-free.
Missing ingredients? Try these:
- Whole wheat flour: swap for an equal amount of all purpose flour or oat flour
- Protein powder: this can be replaced with collagen, ground flaxseed or 1 tablespoon of additional flour
- Maple syrup: this can be replaced with an equal amount of honey, or any liquid sweetener of choice. Please note if you are looking for a sweeter pancake bowl, you can add 1 teaspoon of additional sweetener.
- Eggs: whole eggs can be replaced with 3 tablespoon of egg whites.
Equipment
- Oven safe bowls (I like these glass containers because they have lids for direct storing into the fridge)
Storage
Once baked, these pancake bowls stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days. I love using glass containers as you can easily add the lid once the pancakes are cooled for the perfect meal prep breakfast!
To reheat, simply remove the lid and place in the microwave for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Top Tips for Success
For easy cleaning, thoroughly grease your dish prior to adding the ingredients. This will make it so much easier to clean after you enjoy your bowl.
The type of protein powder you use may affect the texture of the pancake bowl. A casein/whey blend tends to be the best in baked goods however I have also had great success using this one.
These bowls aren't overly sweet as they are meant to be a neutral base to add all your favourite toppings. For a sweeter breakfast, you can top with a drizzle of maple syrup.
Frequently Asked Questions
I love adding fresh fruit like sliced bananas, blueberries and strawberries. Chocolate chips, chopped nuts and shredded coconut are also a great addition! Once the pancake bowls are cooked, I always top them with some peanut butter, a large dollop of Greek yogurt for additional protein and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Yes, but I have found that if added when frozen, the fruit tends to release additional moisture during baking. This results in the pancake bowls needing to be baked longer (about 40-45 minutes). If you wish to use frozen fruit, I recommend defrosting and draining it first.
Make sure you thoroughly grease the bowl and don't overcook the pancake bowls. Let it cool slightly before eating.
More Pancake Recipes
I love pancakes! Try these next:
- Easy Sheet Pan Pancakes from a Mix
- Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
- Protein Pancakes Without Protein Powder
- Fluffy Oat Flour Pancakes
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these pancake bowls, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Protein Pancake Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or sweetener of choice
- ⅓ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoon protein powder of choice
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup toppings of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and thoroughly grease an oven safe circular dish.
- In the dish, add egg, greek yogurt, milk and maple syrup. Whisk until smooth.
- Add flour, protein powder, cinnamon and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
- Once smooth, top with desired toppings. Baket for about 30-35 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pancake bowl comes out clean).
- Allow to cool before storing or enjoying!
Danielle G. says
I make these every Sunday for meal prep. Super easy, tastes like eating (healthy) cake for breakfast, filling, plenty of protein. Obsessed.
Rebecca says
I’ve been looking for a simple and healthy version of pancake bowls and this recipe was perfect! I cooked it the night before and just warmed it up in the microwave before work the next day. Will definitely be adding to my breakfast rotation and coming back here for more recipes!
Antoinette says
Can I use other flour if I don’t have whole wheat
Hayley Sheppard says
These are so delicious it’s insane! Strawberry banana mixins topped with Greek yogurt and a dollop of Nutella has become my go-to morning breakfast!
Larissa Baker says
Yum! these are so good for food prep, I do a couple of different flavours at a time. My Fave so far are 1) Vanilla protein with strawberries & biscoff drizzle and the other is 2) choc protein with BYS Coffee sachet added & blueberries (a bit of grated dark choc is a treat to add to any!!)