15 In Food & Recipes

Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes

My children are always asking me to make pancakes. I admit, I’m not always eager to make a pile of pancakes first thing in the morning, but there’s nothing like seeing their faces when they wake up to freshly made pancakes on Saturday morning.

This recipe makes you think you are eating apple pie. You get all the comforting spices — such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg — we love from grandma’s apple pie without the sugary extra calories you get from traditional pie fillings and the saturated fat you get from the butter or shortening used to make pie crusts flaky. Plus, the pancakes act like a sponge that soaks up all of that warm apple and spice goodness you dollop on top.

You all know that we try to eat as healthy as possible, so traditional pancake recipes just don’t happen in this house. While we are gluten free, I stopped using refined white flour long before we knew of any allergies. White flour has nothing of nutritional value in it and leaves you hungry quickly after. These Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes actually have a decent amount of protein, so you will be satisfied.

Because these pancakes are topped with warm, cinnamon-spiced apple slices, you won’t feel the need to drown your pancakes in syrup. Small tweaks like these that can allow you to enjoy pancakes without the guilt. I love using fruit as natural sweetener.

This recipe is gluten free, but you don’t need to buy expensive gluten-free flour blends. Instead, all you’ll need are oats and a bit of coconut flour. If you haven’t used coconut flour before, it’s a great one to have on hand for gluten-free baking. Coconut flour is made from dried coconut meal, and is high in fiber. You can usually find it either in the bulk section of your local grocery store or alongside other alternative flours in the health foods aisle.

Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes

Serves: 3 servings, 2 pancakes each

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
1 medium apple, peeled, sliced
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided use
4 large egg whites (½ cup)
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop whey protein powder, vanilla flavor
¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 Tbsp. coconut flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. ground ginger
1 dash ground nutmeg

Instructions:

Heat medium nonstick skillet lightly coated with spray over medium-low heat.
Add apple and ¼ tsp. cinnamon; cook, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes, or until apple is soft. Remove from heat. Set aside.
Combine egg whites, applesauce, and almond milk in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
Combine protein powder, oats, coconut flour, baking powder, remaining ½ tsp. cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; mix well.
Add applesauce mixture to oat mixture; mix until just blended.
Heat large nonstick skillet lightly coated with spray over medium heat. Ladle about ¼ cup batter for each pancake; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbles form on top. Flip. Cook for 90 seconds, or until golden brown and cooked through.
Divide pancakes between three serving plates. Top evenly with cooked apple slices.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 149
Total Fat: 2 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 12 mg
Sodium: 194 mg
Carbohydrates: 20 g
Fiber: 4 g
Sugars: 10 g
Protein: 13 g