Vegan Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes with Protein Powder

Have you ever tried to make pancakes with protein powder but ended up disappointed at the dense, chewy texture or gritty plain flavour? Don’t fear – these pancakes are just as delicious as fluffy diner-style buttermilk pancakes, but with added protein powder and chocolate chips!

I couldn’t believe how well these turned out. Soft, fluffy, and loaded with melty chocolate chips. I tried a bunch of batches (and yes, I taste‑tested every single one), and trust me: they’re just as dreamy as the pancakes you know and love, but with a little fun addition of protein powder.

It took a lot of batter to get here

I tested these enough times to know that with some key ingredients and hacks, the texture stays spot. The magic of the milk and vinegar combo that makes “vegan buttermilk” keeps them melt‑in‑your‑mouth tender. That’s thanks to science… I’m no scientist though so take me on my word and my experience making batch after batch instead!

Notes from my test kitchen

One of my favourite things to do is cook up a double batch of these pancakes for Sunday get-togethers, but they work just as great as a cozy winter breakfast option for two. We’ve been making one variation of these pancakes or another for years, and these are some of my main takeaways:

• These reheat well in the toaster or on a skillet, if you made too many for one sitting (can’t relate though)
• Letting the buttermilk sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the dry ingredients makes a difference. The pancakes puff up more, and the texture is lighter.
• Flip when the bubbles start to pop and the edges look set. Not a second sooner.

The pancake flip test, without the flop

While testing these, I got way too invested in the flip. I tried different pans, heat levels, even let the batter sit for a few minutes to see how it affected texture (spoiler: it helped). A few early flops taught me that the sweet spot is when bubbles pop and the edges look just firm enough to get a spatula underneath. By the last batch, I could tell they were ready just from the smell. Crispy-edged, golden, and totally worth the trial runs.

Remember, no one pancake is the same! Sometimes it takes me 2 or 3 pancakes into the batch to really dial in the perfect cooking temperature and golden brown exterior we all love! Just keep practicing and these beautiful fluffy pancakes will be well worth the very limited amount of effort.

If you’re ready for more pancakes but don’t want the chocolate chips, these Bourbon and banana buttermilk pancakes, paired with my favourite non-tofu vegan egg recipe will make your breakfasts out of this world!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Protein Powder

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Olivia Biermann
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 pancakes
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: stove-top
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Have you ever tried to make pancakes with protein powder but ended up disappointed at the dense, chewy texture or gritty plain flavour? Don’t fear – these pancakes are just as delicious as regular, fluffy, diner-style chocolate chip pancakes, but packed with protein!

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Ingredients

• 1–1/4 cups non-dairy milk + 1 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup vegan vanilla protein powder (I use this one)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Handful of dairy-free chocolate chips

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Instructions

1. Mix together the non-dairy milk and vinegar. Set aside.
2. Whisk together flour, protein powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until combined.
3. Add the milk mixture and oil to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined (it’s okay to have some lumps- see my batter in the video below).
4. Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the batter in pancake shapes. Add the chocolate chips if using. Allow the pancakes to cook a few minutes until the edges are cooked and some bubbles have risen to the surface and burst. Then, flip and cook another 30 seconds – 1 minute.
5. Serve with vegan butter and maple syrup.

Notes

Some protein powders are far better in taste and texture than others. If you try out this recipe and don’t like it, consider trying a different flavour and brand of protein powder!

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6 pancakes