You hit the alarm, sigh, and drag yourself out of bed.

It’s 5:30 a.m. and you are stumbling into the kitchen to make yourself some coffee and eat some bland breakfast before your morning workout. If you are like me, you are dreading the indoor cycling you planned the night before, but you know it’s good for you.

We might have little to no energy, we are not looking forward to what should be an important part of our day, and we are bored of our breakfast choices. How can we solve all of these problems? Here is the answer: protein pancakes.

Protein pancakes are all the rage, and it is not hard to see why. They bring back a component of your childhood whilst including nutrients that you need to fuel your day.

Although there are a thousand recipes for protein pancakes, I want to share with you one I created that has the least number of calories that I have seen thus far (trust me, I have done my pancake research). I like eating these about 30 minutes before my morning workout, because the carbs give me immediate energy, while the protein gives me energy halfway into my routine. However, these guys also pair well with a cup of coffee and the morning paper.

I love adding toppings to my protein pancakes, such as fresh fruit, cinnamon (a natural fat fighter), whipped cream, and, of course, maple syrup.

For a thicker consistency: add oats, but be careful, as these pancakes do not flip as easily. Make sure to oil the pan between pancakes.

For a thinner consistency: reduce the amount of protein powder or add water/egg whites. These cook faster, so pay attention!

For lighter pancakes: replace some protein powder with Greek yogurt. I love doing this, especially if my yogurt is flavored.

However you like your protein pancakes, they will definitely empower you to take on challenges throughout the day. Enjoy!

Protein Pancakes {Recipe}

Nutritional info (not including additional toppings): 247 cal, 24.7g protein, 34.3g carbs, 2.4g fat (no trans fat), 2.6g fiber, 14.6g sugars, 50mg cholesterol, 116mg sodium, 415.2mg potassium

Daily values of vitamins: 1.3% Vitamin A, 14.6% Vitamin C, 12.8% Calcium, 4.5% Iron

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Servings: 1 (4-5 medium-sized pancakes)

Ingredients:

1 egg white

1 banana

1 scoop whey protein powder (I use vanilla-flavored powder that has 20g of protein per scoop).

Instructions:

1. Cut up the banana and place half of it in a bowl. Mash it with a fork until the consistency is creamy. There will be chunks of banana that will make every bite tasty!

2. Add the egg white and whey protein powder in the bowl and stir until you get a thicker consistency. It will still be a little watery, and that will make thinner, but plenty, of pancakes.

3. At medium heat, drop 1-1.5 spoonfuls of the mix over a non-stick or cooking-sprayed pan. 

4. Flip the pancake over with a spatula when bubbles appear on the surface. This may take a few minutes, but depending on how you like your pancakes, use trial and error to time the flip.

5. After both sides are cooked, place them on a plate, sit down with some coffee, and enjoy those pancakes!

Author: Alexandra Mosenson
Image: Brenda Godinez / Unsplash 
Editor: Sara Kärpänen
Copy editor: Nicole Cameron