Berries and cream protein pancakes that are both festive and delicious; great for a healthy summer breakfast!
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Oh how I love Protein Pancakes, let me count the ways... regular, oven baked, bacon, birthday cake, cinnamon roll, pumpkin, carrot cake, chocolate raspberry, blueberry, St. Patrick's Day, and bananas foster...
My day just isn't the same without them.
I know I sound dramatic, but it's true. They taste delicious which makes me happy and I look forward to getting out of bed to eat my pancakes. They also keep me full for hours so I don't have to think about food until lunchtime.
Since I eat them pretty much every day, I try to change them up a little bit so I don't get tired of them.
This go-round, I decided to make a patriotic version that can be enjoyed for the 4th of July or anytime of year. A berries and cream version that is red white and blue - fun!
Berries are so wonderful in the summer, so these protein pancakes are great for the summer. But you could also use frozen berries and thaw them before serving - that would be equally yummy.
For the cream, I made a homemade whipped cream using real cream and Greek yogurt. I know that it's not the healthiest pancake topping but sometimes you gotta have a little fun for breakfast.
Plus, this whipped cream isn't that bad since it has very little sugar, and the Greek yogurt pumps up the protein while cutting back on the fat.
[click_to_tweet tweet="Berries n cream protein pancakes are festive + delicious. Great for a healthy #summer #breakfast!" quote="Berries n cream protein pancakes are festive + delicious. Great for a healthy #summer #breakfast!"]
How to make healthier whipped cream
Fun facts on whipped cream: it's best to use a chilled bowl and really cold whipping cream, so don't take the whipping cream out of the fridge until just before whipping. I forgot to chill the bowl before and it still turns out well but it is helpful.
You can use a whisk, an electric mixer or a stand mixer to beat your whipping cream. I went old school and used one of those hand crank egg beaters, which takes a little extra time {read: my arm felt like it was going to fall off after beating to the right consistency} but it works just the same.
Also, be mindful that whipping cream will turn into butter if you whip it for too long, so keep a watch on it.
For this recipe, you whip the whipping cream first then transfer to a bowl.
Then add the Greek yogurt to the bowl and whip for a few minutes with the vanilla extract and sweetener. Then fold the Greek yogurt mixture into the whipped cream. If it deflates or becomes runny, just whisk back together until it fluffs up.
You can't really mess this up - it tastes good no matter what.
The ingredient amounts for the cream make about 3 cups of whipped cream. You likely will not use all of that for the pancakes so just refrigerate it and keep it for later. I promise it won't last long because it's really tasty and delicious. Just put it in a bowl and serve some fresh fruit with it, and it'll be gone in minutes. Or make a fruit flag with it!
If you're not into whipped cream, just skip it and top with a dollop of plain or vanilla yogurt to go with the berries to make it red white and blue.
Or just skip it all together and serve with whatever pancake topping makes you happy.
I made these for my family and had my incredibly adorable helper/nephew with my pancake photo shoot. And he even enjoyed a few pancakes after {which made me super excited!}
Patriotic Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
for the pancakes:
- 2 cups oats old fashioned or quick
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 8 eggs
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract optional
for the berries and cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 TBSP sugar powdered sugar, maple syrup, or honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 2 cups berries
Instructions
For the pancakes:
- Add all the pancake ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium/medium-high heat.
- Add pancake batter to skillet or griddle {the recipe makes about 16 pancakes}. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until tiny bubbles form on the top of the pancake.
- Flip and cook another 2-4 minutes until done.
For the whipped cream:
- Meanwhile, pour the cold whipping cream into a bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Transfer to another bowl and put in the refrigerator.
- Put the Greek yogurt into the bowl and add sugar and vanilla extract. Whip for about 2 minutes until fluffy. Fold mixture into the whipped cream {whisk or beat if needed to fluff up again}. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Assemble:
- When everything is ready, serve 2 pancakes with 3 tablespoons whipped cream and 1/4 cup berries
Notes
*I used low-fat greek yogurt but any greek yogurt will work
What to use in this recipe:
Meme
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rachel @ athletic avocado says
So festive! Perfect 4th of July breakfast!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
These look so tasty, fun and festive! I bet your nephew finished off that whole stack right after you took the photo 🙂
Meme says
Thanks, Sonali!! Haha he was harding a hard time not eating all the whip cream 😉