Protein Pancakes with Oats and Orange (2024)

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by Katie Webster
February 3, 2017 (updated 10/27/22) Jump To Recipe

5 from 3 reviews

I have been bursting to share these Protein Pancakes with Oats and Orange with you guys! I added them to the Best of Healthy Seasonal Recipes because I am so in love with them and I know you will be too. Not only are they naturally gluten-free but they have 9 grams of protein each. They’re made from kitchen staples like oats and eggs and one of my favorite seasonal ingredients for the winter: citrus!

Protein Pancakes with Oats and Orange (2)

Why We Love This Recipe For Protein Pancakes with Oats and Orange
Key Ingredients For This Recipe
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make These Protein Pancakes with Oats and Orange
FAQs and Expert Tips
Additional Healthy and Yummy Pancake Recipes To Try

Why We Love This Recipe For Protein Pancakes with Oats and Orange

I am so excited for you to try these protein pancakes because I know that you’ll fall in love!

I’ll admit that I have had limited experience with protein pancakes, and until now I was not really interested in having more experience with them because I wasn’t a fan. They were more like omelet pancakes or crepe pancakes than pancake pancakes. Well, folks, these protein pancakes are a game changer.

They are like pancakes. They ARE pancakes. Are you with me?

The oats make them leathery and chewy and not strange and eggy. Even though there is a lot of egg in them.

Cottage cheese is such a sneaky ingredient because it is really high in protein, but it has a neutral flavor, unlike Greek Yogurt which is sour. So you can’t tell it’s in the pancake batter.

Don’t worry, I bet you’re thinking about the texture of cottage cheese, and I know that it sounds gross to put cottage cheese in your pancakes. But good news: the cottage cheese and the oats are completely pureed in the blender so the texture works out great. In fact cooking these is just like working with regular pancake batter.

But really the super special thing about these is the fresh citrus!

What I did was I zested and juiced one of the oranges and blended that up with the eggs, oats and cottage cheese. Then I added in chunks of orange and just pulsed that in. The vanilla and the orange flavor together is sort of like a creamsicle. So fantastically delicious!!

I love making these pancakes as well as these Apple Protein Pancakes in the fall. They’re both healthy yet delicious and sweet breakfast recipes.

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

Orange

I’ve made this recipe using both oranges and tangerines. If they’re available I definitely recommend trying it with tangerines, otherwise oranges are just are good.

Gluten-free old-fashioned oats

Although regular oats are naturally gluten free, I recommend purchasing oats that clearly state that they’re gluten free if you’re really trying to stick with the gluten-free theme of this recipe. If it doesn’t really matter that much to you then regular oats are fine.

Low-fat cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is one of those sneaky protein super foods. It’s incredibly high in protein and (like I mentioned above) pretty flavorless which makes it great to add to most things. I used low-fat cottage cheese but you can use 2% or 4% if you’d like. The brand Good Culture is the BEST!

Egg whites

Egg whites is another sneaky protein food. Plus they’re super lower in calories. One egg white has almost 4 grams of protein and only 17 calories.

Additional Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
cooking spray, avocado oil or coconut oil

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make These Protein Pancakes with Oats and Orange

Step 1: Prep orange

Cut the skin and pith off one orange and cut the flesh into small chunks or segments. Set aside. Grate about half of the zest from the remaining orange, then squeeze the juice from it.

Step 2: Combine ingredients

Combine oats, cottage cheese, egg whites, eggs and the orange zest and juice in a blender and blend on high until completely creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the orange chunks, vanilla and baking soda and pulse to combine.

Step 3: Cook pancakes

Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Coat with cooking spray or brush lightly with avocado oil or coconut oil. Ladle ¼ cups-full of the batter onto hot griddle (it will spread out to 4-inch circles). Let cook, undisturbed until browned on the bottom and the edges are slightly dry, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip pancakes with a spatula and let cook on the other side until the center is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve them hot with maple syrup, if desired.

Protein Pancakes with Oats and Orange (4)

FAQs and Expert Tips

What to use instead of gluten-free old-fashioned oats:

Like mentioned above you can use regular non-gluten-free specific oats if you don’t have an allergy. You can also use rolled oats or if quick oats if that’s all you have.

How to make these lactose-free:

If you have lactose intolerance you can purchase lactose-free cottage cheese. Green Valley has a really awesome one.

How to store extra pancakes:

Although they are best eaten fresh, you can store any leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Make sure they’re completely cooled before storing.

How to tell when pancakes are ready to flip:

Additional Healthy and Yummy Pancake Recipes To Try

My Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes are a cozy fall treat.
If you doubt that paleo pancakes can be any good, think again!
These Lemon Almond Ricotta Pancakes are so moist and fluffy!
Don’t miss these Gingerbread Apple Pancakes next holiday season! They’re a big hit!
These Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes are also amazing.

Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Healthy Oatmeal Pancakes (Easy, Fluffy, Moist}

Apple Protein Pancakes {gluten-free}

Paleo Pancakes

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

Protein Pancakes with Oats and Orange

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

Author: Katie Webster
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 11 pancakes 1x

Print Recipe

Description

These gluten-free Orange Protein Pancakes have 9 grams of protein each! And they’re made from kitchen staple ingredients like oats and eggs with an added bright kick from the citrus for a perfect Winter breakfast!

Ingredients

UnitsScale

2 oranges (or tangerines)
2 cups gluten-free old-fashioned oats
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
4 egg whites
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
cooking spray, avocado oil or coconut oil

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Cut the skin and pith off one orange and cut the flesh into small chunks or segments. Set aside. Grate about half of the zest from the remaining orange, then squeeze the juice from it.
Combine oats, cottage cheese, egg whites, eggs, the zest and the juice in a blender and blend until completely creamy and smooth, about 1 minute on high. Add the orange chunks, vanilla and baking soda and pulse to combine.
Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Coat with cooking spray or brush lightly with avocado oil or coconut oil. Ladle ¼ cups-full of the batter onto hot griddle (it will spread out to 4-inch circles.) Let cook, undisturbed until browned on the bottom and the edges are slightly dry, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip pancakes with a spatula and let cook on the other side until the center is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

Cooking Tip:

You’ll know they’re ready to be flipped when you start to notice little bubbles forming on the surface. If the bottoms are browning too quickly before this happens just lower the heat a bit.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Category: breakfast
Method: Stove top
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 pancake
Calories: 109
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 216 g
Fat: 2 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 13 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 9 g

About the Author

Katie Webster

Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.

More About Katie »

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22 comments on “Protein Pancakes with Oats and Orange”

Nikki — November 24, 2019 @ 10:21 am Reply

Fantastic!! I was very curious when I saw this, and the hubby absolutely loved it. Great texture, and the tangerine taste is just lovely! I might try making it with orange juice and more zest next time to make it a bit more orange-y.
- Katie — November 25, 2019 @ 7:25 am Reply
  
  That sounds like a great idea. Thanks for coming back to rate! Have a great day Nikki!
Jackie — August 18, 2019 @ 9:01 am Reply

I have made these pancakes several times using regular oranges and seeing as I hardly ever have cottage cheese on hand I used natural yogurt and they are still delicious!! With bacon and maple syrup of course!
Charlene — February 11, 2019 @ 12:42 pm Reply

Made them this a.m. absolutely delicious and easy to make. Love the protein and no flour or sugar! I’m going to make these for my grandchildren and I’m sure they will love them and so healthy for them. Thank you very much for posting this recipe!
- Katie — February 19, 2019 @ 12:01 pm Reply
  
  Yay! I am so glad you love them too. Thanks for coming back to leave a review and rate. I appreciate it so much. Enjoy the rest of your week Charlene.
Jackie Hewitt — February 11, 2017 @ 9:48 am Reply

I halved the mixture and made these with a Honeybell orange from Florida, I used regular oats, Greek yogurt and three eggs – they were light and delicous!
- Katie — February 12, 2017 @ 7:20 pm Reply
  
  Fab! Glad to know that you tried Greek yogurt and it worked out. I am sure there are other readers wondering. Thank you so much for reporting back Jackie.
Kit Broihier — February 9, 2017 @ 11:55 am Reply

I made these and thought the texture was great, but I got no tangerine flavor coming through at all. My guess is that I simply didn’t get enough juice. Plus I used Cuties, which are smaller than tangerines. Nevertheless, I loved them and will try again. Just posting so folks know that using Cuties may not yield the flavor they are looking for. Thanks for this recipe!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest — February 4, 2017 @ 9:11 am Reply

It’s Saturday morning and this is exactly what I want for breakfast! Sending my husband to the store to get tangerines and cottage cheese (and bacon)!
- Katie — February 4, 2017 @ 9:26 am Reply
  
  You rock! Hope you enjoy them Lisa, and have a wonderful weekend!
Elizabeth — February 4, 2017 @ 9:03 am Reply

I’m a big fan of cottage cheese pancakes and I LOVE your version! What a gorgeous combination of flavours! The perfect breakfast 🙂
- Katie — February 4, 2017 @ 9:25 am Reply
  
  Thank you Elizabeth. The cottage cheese is such a great sneaky addition. I am glad you’re on board with that part. I know for some people the idea of the cottage cheese would be such a turn off. But once it is pureed you can’t tell that its there.
Christine — February 4, 2017 @ 8:54 am Reply

I love pancakes and these look delicious! And what a great idea to use tangerines.
- Katie — February 4, 2017 @ 9:24 am Reply
  
  Thank you so much for saying so Christine. Thanks for stopping by today.
Julia @ HappyFoods Tube — February 4, 2017 @ 8:23 am Reply

I love this recipe! Can’t wait to try them. I like the fact that there is no protein powder in them.Well done!
- Katie — February 4, 2017 @ 9:23 am Reply
  
  Hi Julia. Thank you so much!
Char — February 4, 2017 @ 7:22 am Reply

Wow, I’m always trying to get more protein into my diet, and as a pescetarian it’s something I think about a lot. I will definitely try these out Thanks for sharing!
- Katie — February 4, 2017 @ 9:23 am Reply
  
  I am always thinking about it too. Plus protein at breakfast is a must for me. Otherwise I am starving by 9:30. Hope you like them Char.
Deanna — February 4, 2017 @ 7:11 am Reply

I would never thought to use tangerine. I LOVE PANCAKES!!!!!!!!!!!! These looks amazing. Just a side note, I really like how you did your related posts, that is soooo cool
- Katie — February 4, 2017 @ 9:22 am Reply
  
  Thanks so much Deanna. The related post widget has a couple of settings, I use that setting (it’s called pineterest style-I think) because it fits with my theme and vertical photos best. I was too confused trying to figure out how to customize it the other ways. Ha ha. Glad to hear you like the way it looks. Have a great weekend Deanna.
Bethany @ athletic avocado — February 3, 2017 @ 5:39 pm Reply

I’m usually not a huge fan of protein pancakes, but you’ve got me convinced that these are LEGIT. They look so fluffy and flavorful!
- Katie — February 4, 2017 @ 9:20 am Reply
  
  They are totally different from the ones I’ve tried. Hope you like them too Bethany.