These protein pancakes are made with whole wheat pastry flour and Greek yogurt, and topped with a strawberry ginger compote -- perfect for a healthy Saturday morning breakfast or brunch.
Tell me that there are no days in which you want a large stack of fluffy pancakes doused in some sort of syrupy substance, and I will not believe you. Not even for a second.
Especially not when they're made with whole foods, are naturally protein-packed with just a touch of sweetness, and will fuel you for an entire Saturday's worth of activities (well, at least until second breakfast). Not to mention strawberry ginger compote?! Ummm hello fancy (not really -- it's super easy to make ;)).
And given that Saturday is tomorrow... we should probably already be thinking about what we're going to eat for breakfast like a bunch of normal, hungry people. Soooo pancakes, then?? Let's get into it.
Protein Pancakes Ingredients
"Protein pancakes" take on many meanings in the cooking world. Sometimes they're made with protein powder, oats, nut butters, or other protein-rich ingredients. In this case, the high protein comes in part from your every day basics: whole wheat pastry flour, eggs, and most importantly, Greek yogurt. Here's what we've got on deck:
- Whole wheat pastry flour (or whole wheat flour)
- Eggs
- Milk (either dairy or plant-based -- I tend to use almond milk)
- 2% or whole milk Greek yogurt
- Baking powder
- Lemon zest
- Maple syrup, honey, or agave
- Vanilla extract
- Salt (always)
- And if you're feeling spunky, chia seeds (totally optional, though)
For the compote? Just some strawberries, fresh ginger, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt.
Oh, and butter for serving. Because who are you if you don't like butter on your pancakes?
How to Make Protein Pancakes with Strawberry Ginger Compote
Before you go sprinting in the other direction because you saw the word 'compote', HALT. I've been you, and I still run away from fancy cooking terms all the time. It's actually not scary -- it's almost like making pie filling or jam to be completely honest -- and we're going to start with it because we can do some pancakes things simultaneously. Kapeesh?
For the Strawberry Ginger Compote
So seemingly fancy, but in reality nearly effortless. Just put your strawberries (hulled and sliced) in a saucepan with some maple syrup, fresh ginger (or ginger paste), and a pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. If you want a smoother, jammier consistency, you can mash it with a potato masher or fork right in the saucepan (I usually do). Continue to cook and stir until the fruit has reduced to about half its original volume, at which time you can remove it from the heat and allow it to set and cool and thicken.
If you haven't already, while the compote cools is an excellent time to start on those pancakes.
For the Pancakes
Pancakes are easy. They're a piece of (pan)cake (--->how could I have resisted that, though??). All you need to do is whisk the wet ingredients together in one bowl, and the dry ingredients in other. Make sure that bowl is big enough, because you'll be pouring the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mixing until just combined. This is true for all pancake recipes: to avoid a tough or rubbery consistency, you don't want to over-mix the batter. Actually, it's even okay if you come across a few barely-there flour pockets or lumps within the batter. Keep some air in there -- we want fluffy, porous pancakes so they soak up all the compote and maple syrup we put on them.
Now that the batter is mixed, heat some oil or butter in a pan over medium heat. Using a ¼ cup measure, scoop batter into prepared pan. Once the batter starts to bubble on top, you're ready to flip and continue cooking until the pancake is heated through. Repeat that until you've used up all the batter, and you've got yourself a big old stack of protein pancakes with strawberry ginger compote.
The final steps? In the following order: Butter. Compote. Fork. Pancake. Face.
P.S. If you like breakfasts full of strawberry goodness, you might also like this strawberry lemon coffee cake, or this strawberry coconut baked French toast.
PrintRecipe
Protein Pancakes with Strawberry Ginger Compote
These protein pancakes are made with whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt, and topped with a strawberry ginger compote -- perfect for a healthy Saturday morning breakfast or brunch.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: ~6 pancakes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Compote:
- 1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2-3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or 1 tbsp fresh ginger paste)
- pinch of salt
For the Pancakes:
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- ⅔ cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the compote: Combine strawberries, maple syrup, and salt in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally until reduced by half (about 10 minutes). While simmering, mash with a potato masher or fork if desired. Remove compote from heat and allow to cool while you make the pancakes. Compote will thicken as it cools.
- Make the protein pancakes: Whisk together dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and gently stir until just combined (careful not to over-mix). Heat oil or butter in a pan over medium heat. Using a ¼-cup measure, scoop pancake batter into pan one at a time. Once you see bubbles in the surface of the batter, flip and allow to cook through. Repeat for remaining batter.
- Serve: Butter pancakes if desired and top with strawberry ginger compote.
Notes
- I actually almost always use ginger paste because I hate grating things. You can omit the ginger if you want -- strawberry compote will still be delicious.
- Nonfat Greek yogurt could work, but I always stick to 2% because it's less processed and the extra fat adds moisture and flavor to the pancakes.
- Honey or agave will work in place of maple syrup in either the compote or the pancakes. As always, adjust the sweetness to your taste.
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