Low Carb Chocolate Protein Pancakes Recipe

Name: Low Carb Chocolate Protein Pancakes Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Whey protein powder ((or collagen, or egg white protein powder)); 1/2 cup Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour; 3 tbsp Cocoa powder; 3 tbsp Besti Erythritol ((or sweetener of choice)); 1 tsp Baking powder; 4 large Eggs; 1/3 cup Unsweetened almond milk; 2 tbsp Avocado oil ((or melted coconut oil)); 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 1/8 tsp Sea salt

Jump to recipeLearn how to make protein pancakes! This low carb chocolate protein pancakes recipe (protein powder pancakes) takes just 20 minutes and has 11g protein per serving.

By Maya Krampf

34 Comments

stack of chocolate protein pancakes with strawberries and chocolate chips

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Calling all chocolate-obsessed!!! (That’s you, right?) We’re starting the day off on a sweet note with this low carb chocolate protein pancake recipe (a.k.a. protein powder pancakes). Wondering how to make protein pancakes? I’ll show you exactly how.

Did I mention that they only take 10 minutes to prep? This just might become your favorite low carb breakfast to share with your family! (And can I just add that protein pancakes in bed are the sweetest way to treat mom for Mother’s Day? Hint, hint.)

Chocolate protein pancakes sound decadent, don’t they? But they are healthy, and definitely a nutritious way to start the day. The base of these pancakes is a combination of almond flour, protein powder, and pure cocoa powder. Delicious and healthy… much like chocolate protein muffins or chocolate chaffles.

My girls are young, and so it goes without saying that pancakes are a staple meal. They are definitely the most-requested family breakfast at our house and that’s also why I’m always coming up with more low carb pancake recipes! Whether we have them for breakfast or breakfast-for-dinner, easy protein pancakes are always a hit.

What Are Protein Pancakes?

Protein pancakes are pancakes that are high in protein, usually made with protein powder as a main ingredient. Many protein pancake recipes have some kind of mix of protein powder, wheat flour, and banana, so they are far from low carb.

These chocolate protein pancakes are low carb without sacrificing flavor! I’m excited to show you how to make protein pancakes without banana or extra carbs…

How To Make Protein Pancakes

These homemade protein pancakes come together so easily that I can even make them before my cup of coffee – and that’s really saying something!

First, we’ll shake all of the ingredients together in the Whiskware Batter Mixer. It’s super convenient to mix up the batter in one container that you can then use for pouring straight onto the pan! Plus, I end up with fewer dishes to wash.

This time, I actually used the Pancake Art Bottle, which is similar to the Batter Mixer but has a smaller tip so that you can easily pipe your protein pancakes into fun shapes.

Before you make the pancakes, though, it’s important to let the batter sit for 5 minutes. This lets the bubbles settle and the batter thickens a bit. (It’s the perfect time to go make that cup of bulletproof coffee we haven’t had yet! ;))

TIP: Want even more dark chocolate flavor? (I thought so…) Add an additional 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to the batter. You may need to add a little bit of almond milk to thin it out if it is thick.

Here’s my batter in the bottle:

Then, we cook them on a medium-low heat non-stick fry pan or griddle. You can even make fun shapes using the molds that it comes with:

Tips For Flipping Protein Powder Pancakes

Chocolate protein pancakes can be a little challenging to flip, but just follow these tips to make it easier:

Cover the pan when frying to cook through well, otherwise they’ll be harder to flip.
Keep your protein pancakes small, about 3 inches in diameter. This will make flipping easier as well.
Use a very thin turner. The best ones are thin nylon turners (I link to the one I used at the bottom of this post!). Thicker ones or silicone don’t work as well.

The pancakes are done when there are a bunch of bubbles formed on top:

Toppings For Protein Pancakes

Topping your chocolate protein pancakes is entirely up to you. You can add:

A pat of butter
Some fresh strawberries
Extra dark chocolate chips (if you love chocolate as much as I do!)
Sugar-free syrups, like homemade sugar-free maple syrup or a simple berry sauce recipe (be sure to use sugar-free sweetener)

How Many Calories Do Protein Pancakes Have?

Calorie counts for protein pancakes will vary, depending on the recipe and ingredients. These protein pancakes have 237 calories per serving.

You’ll be happy to know that my chocolate protein powder pancakes are low carb and keto, and have:

237 calories
20 grams fat
11 grams protein
5 net carbs
2 grams fiber

How To Store Low Carb Protein Pancakes

These protein pancakes make a decent sized batch. I ended up with 12 pancakes, each about 3 inches in diameter. The amount is perfect for having extras on hand throughout the week, feeding an entire family, or even freezing.

Chocolate protein pancakes will keep in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.

Can You Reheat Protein Powder Pancakes?

Yes, you can reheat frozen pancakes in the microwave or in the oven. They are small, so they won’t take long. Start with 15-30 seconds in the microwave, or 5 minutes in the oven and then check frequently until they reach your desired temperature.

How To Freeze Chocolate Protein Pancakes

Can you freeze protein pancakes? Yes, you can! Simply place them in a freezer bag with parchment paper between them. This prevents sticking.

I usually make a double batch of pancakes and freeze them, because they make such a perfect easy keto breakfast (or snack, or even lunch) to bring to work. So, if you like to meal plan or just have freezer meals ready to go, you’ll want to make an extra batch or two to have on hand.

More Low Carb Pancake Recipes

I mentioned that I’m always working on new and healthy protein pancake recipes because we love them so much. Here are a few of my other favorite low carb keto pancake recipes:

Tools To Make Chocolate Protein Pancakes

Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.

Whiskware Batter Mixer – The basic batter mixer used for this recipe and pictured above. Easy to use and quick cleanup!
Whiskware Pancake Art Kit – You’ll love this if you have kids. The pancake art kit lets you create pancakes in fun shapes.
Thin Nylon Spatula – These easy protein pancakes are a little delicate when flipping, so make sure to use a thin spatula, and not a thick or silicone one.
Ceramic Nonstick Fry Pan – A must for this recipe! This one is my favorite.

Chocolate Protein Pancake Recipe

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Meet Wholesome Yum Keto Maple Syrup: this natural sugar-free syrup tastes, bakes and pours just like maple syrup does - with NO aftertaste and only 2g net carbs!

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34 Comments

Leslie
0 August 14, 2022Reply

This chocolate pancake recipe is excellent! I doubled the recipe and added chocolate protein powder and 1 tsp mocha coffee grounds – it was thick and moist! Thank you very much!!
Donna
0 July 20, 2022Reply

I made it but was very thick had to add more milk. Where did I go wrong
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 July 20, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Donna, If the batter is too thick milk should be added to thin it out.
BHPZD
0 May 18, 2022Reply

Made this exactly as written and let it sit awhile before I simply had to make it because it was time to go. Batter was extremely runny and I knew it wouldn’t work so I added 4 tablespoons of coconut flour to dehydrate it a bit which at least made it possible to make a thin pancake. They’re kind of thin and rubbery as you’d expect from a protein powder recipe but I’ve tried protein powder pancakes that weren’t like that. My kids aren’t usually picky eaters but they weren’t huge fans. I think this recipe needs some tweaking.
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 May 24, 2022Reply
  
  Maybe your kids would like these low carb keto pancakes more.
Mar
0 March 31, 2022Reply

Loved it! Very yummy and filling. I added homemade cranberry sauce and whipping cream so so good!😋😋😋😋😋
Susan
0 December 29, 2021Reply

After I wrote my comment, I looked at a few others and realized I hadn’t read the part of the instructions that said to let the batter rest for 5 minutes, so that is clearly something I did wrong. I’m still not sure, though, that the pancakes would cook correctly without a lid? I’ll let that answer determine if I try them again. Thank you.
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 January 3, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Susan, Letting the batter rest is a very important step in the process. Cooking on a griddle should work for you but may not produce the exact same results as mine. Also… mixing in the blender may result in too much mixing making your batter very thin.
Susan
0 December 29, 2021Reply

Maya, I don’t know what went wrong with these for me, but we were not pleased with them at all. For starters, the batter was so thin that I don’t think it would have formed pancakes (I did mix it in a blender if that makes a difference), so I ended up adding about 1 cup of almond flour, which (predictably) made them dry, though the batter worked well for cooking. Then there was the flavor. We pretty much could not taste the chocolate at all. Finally, I always cook my pancakes on a griddle becuase they are easier to turn that way, and I don’t have a lid for my griddle. I’ve never before seen a recipe for pancakes that requires a lid. In the end, what we got was dry and flavorless. Some of the flavorless may also have been my fault for adding so much almond flour. Unless there is a solution to make them turn out better, I will not be making them again. That said, I bought the thin spatula you recommended and it worked really well. Thank you for that recommendation.
Aeiman
0 March 29, 2021Reply

My pancakes turned out really tough. What did I do wrong?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 March 29, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Aeiman, Overcooking can cause your pancakes to become tough. Try not to let them sit on the stove any longer than they need to.
Amy Gabel
0 September 27, 2020Reply

Making these this morning and my batter is on the runny side, like I’m making crepes instead of pancakes. Any suggestions on how to fix the batter? My baking power is not expired. They taste great just super thin.
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 September 27, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Amy, Did you let the batter rest to thicken for 5 minutes before making pancakes? If you did and they are still runny, feel free to add a little extra almond flour to get the right consistency.
Aaliy C
0 July 6, 2020Reply

These are great!! I made them for breakfast as I was looking for a way to up my protein intake. A few things… I did add an extra tablespoon of cocoa just cuz, and I actually used agave as my preferred sweeter. Finally… these guys cook so fast! I wasn’t prepared for how soon I’d need to flip them especially as I was using low heat… overall, awesome recipe! so tasty!
Ayse
0 June 7, 2020Reply

Thanks for the recipe! We tried it this morning…in the metric measurements it states 3 eggs but in the US measurements it says 4…I used metric so that I can get more accurate macros so I only used the 3 eggs. The batter was quite thick and the pancakes turned out quite dense. I used stevia (less than indicated) but i could still taste it. My husband enjoyed them though. I will try this again with 4 eggs next time and see if there is a difference. Overall not too bad 🙂
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 June 24, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Ayse, Thank you for catching this! I have corrected the recipe to say 4 eggs for both US customary and metric.
Julie
0 April 29, 2020Reply

Can coconut flour be used instead?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 April 29, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Julie, Yes, coconut flour should work fine. I would cut the amount down to 1/4 cup. Enjoy!
Niloufar
0 November 30, 2019Reply

tnx. can I replace whole almond flour with blanched one?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 January 14, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Niloufar, Yes, that is fine.
Brenda C Schwalm
0 September 27, 2019Reply

How many pancakes is a serving?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 March 11, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Brenda, That depends on how small or large you make your pancakes. The recipe serves 4, so you could divide them up after they are made. Enjoy!
Raia Todd
0 September 12, 2019Reply

These look so delicious!
Megan Stevens
0 September 11, 2019Reply

This is great timing, thanks for these! We just started using and baking more with protein powder! 🙂 The pancakes look great!
Virginia
0 May 26, 2019Reply

I tried the recipe. My husband liked them. I did not. It is the protein powder that I did not care for.
- Rima
  0 August 31, 2019Reply
  
  I used a chocolate flavored protein powder (all we had) and I also did not like the taste of the protein powder so if I make them again I’ll try a different kind.
  - Dk
    0 June 22, 2020Reply
    
    Hi Maya, Can I use something else to replace the eggs? Flaxseed egg ? Or chia seed egg?
    - Wholesome Yum M
      0 June 22, 2020Reply
      
      Hi DK, I have not tested this recipe with flax or chia eggs, but I think it should work fine. Please let us know if you decide to try it.
Jeryn Blossom
0 May 19, 2019Reply

These tasted wonderful! Curious what the nutrition facts per serving size are if the pancakes are 3 inches.
- Wholesome Yum
  0 June 20, 2019Reply
  
  Hi Jeryn, since pancakes sizes can vary so greatly there’s no number in the recipe card. For the most accurate macros, you can divide the total number of pancakes you make by 4.
Jennifer Garcia
0 May 11, 2019Reply

Hi there, I was wondering if you could tell me how many pancakes make up one serving? I see that the recipe makes 4 servings. Thank you. Jen
- Wholesome Yum
  0 June 20, 2019Reply
  
  Hi Jen, there’s no number of pancakes in a serving here because pancake sizes can vary greatly! As long as you divide the total number of pancakes by 4, you should be able to get the correct approximate serving size.
Alice Y
0 May 9, 2019Reply

Could I use this batter to make waffles?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 May 10, 2019Reply
  
  Hi Alice, I haven’t tried that yet. It might work, but they might fall apart easily.