Blueberry Almond Protein Pancakes

With brown sugar cinnamon almond butter drizzled on top

Because I try to maintain a mostly plant-based diet while working out regularly, I am always on the lookout for ways to incorporate additional protein into my meals. I usually start my day out with a protein shake, a simple combination of soy milk (which has more protein than oat or almond), frozen fruit, and protein powder. I then need to eat two more servings of vegan protein - usually tofu, seitan, or tempeh - for lunch and dinner, in addition to a post-workout protein shake, to meet my daily goal of 150 g of protein.

But when I want a special treat, I’ll make myself a batch of these protein pancakes. This time of year, I like to fill them with fresh summer blueberries and top them with almond butter for additional protein. Almonds and blueberries are a fantastic duo. I’ve included a recipe for super simple homemade almond butter below, which is ground up with brown sugar and cinnamon for a sweet and spicy twist.

The pancakes cook up tender and fluffy, with crisp edges, and a luxurious, well-rounded vanilla flavor. A far cry from dense, dry protein pancakes, you really would never be able to tell that these pack 25 g of protein per stack of 6, or that they are vegan! They are really that good, and they come together in no time: it’s just wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fry away.

So whether you’re looking to add more protein to your diet, gearing up for a big workout day, or just want to serve up some delicious, crowd-pleasing pancakes, this post is for you. The almond butter recipe is available for all subscribers, while the full pancake recipe is available for paid subscribers. If you’d like access to that recipe, as well as my full archive, upgrade to a paid subscription below.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Almond Butter

Makes about 1.5 cups

15 mins active time, 45 mins total time

Ingredients

454 g (3 cups) almonds, raw

31 g (2 tbsp) raw (turbinado) sugar

1.25 g (1/2 tsp) cinnamon

1.5 g (1/2 tsp) sea salt (e.g. Maldon or fleur de sel)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F

2. Spread out the almonds evenly on a sheet tray and roast them until fragrant and light brown inside, about 10 mins

3. Allow the almonds to cool to room temperature, about 15 mins

4. Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade

5. Add the raw sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt

6. Process the almonds; first they will resemble flour, then they will form a ball of thick paste, then finally they will slacken into a shiny, smooth butter; it will take about 10 mins

7. Spread on toast, use as a dip for fresh fruit, or drizzle this on my blueberry almond protein pancakes - recipe below!

8. Almond butter keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks in an airtight container

Things I Used

As an Amazon Affiliate and Food52 Curator, I earn a small commission on anything purchased through these links

Ingredients

Raw almonds

Ground cinnamon

Maldon flaky sea salt

Equipment

Textured sheet pans

Cuisinart 14-cup food processor

The recipe for my blueberry almond protein pancakes is available for paid subscribers below!