By Made without any protein powder, these toddler-approved and parent loved pistachio protein pancakes are an elevated classic breakfast. Made with my favorite dark chocolate chunks plus a batter with cottage cheese and eggs, they are ultra fluffy (check the video if you don't believe me!) and ultra delicious! Served with some Greek yogurt, honey, and fresh raspberries - what could be better?!
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Picture this - you have a toddler rolling around on the floor and a dog barking while trying to get coffee made. That's what our mornings usually are. But as soon as pancakes come into the picture, everything is calm. I'm calm because they aren't just a sugary treat, they're one of our many varieties of high-protein pancakes.
While pistachios may seem more of an adult flavor, our toddler loves them because, well, they're chocolate chips! Just a heads up though, for toddlers, don't add the roughly chopped pistachios (choking hazard). Each serving packs 16 grams of protein (2 pancakes), and the whole process takes just 20 minutes, from start to finish. So let's get cooking!
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#1 tip: making pistachio powder
Don't skip the pistachio powder step! Grinding half of the pistachios into a flour helps create structure and adds a rich flavor to the batter. It also keeps the texture light and tender.
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All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives structure. A gluten-free 1:1 blend also works great here!
- Cottage cheese: Adds protein and moisture without the need for extra fat or powders. I like to use small curds because there's less liquid on top. If there is a lot of liquid, you might need to add a bit more flour or drain off the excess liquid.
- Baking powder + baking soda: These help the pancakes puff up and get fluffy.
- Vanilla and salt: Every recipe needs these!
- Honey: Adds natural sweetness and helps with browning. Agave or maple syrup work too.
- Raw pistachios: Half are ground into flour, and the other half are chopped for texture.
- Eggs: Provide structure and protein while keeping the batter rich.
- Chocolate chips: Optional, but so good! Dark or semi-sweet both work well.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
high protein ingredient spotlight: pistachios
Pistachios aren't just for snacking-they're also a sneaky-good source of protein, with about 6 grams of protein per ¼ cup! In this recipe, we grind half into a fine flour to add nutty richness and structure to the batter, while the other half gets chopped for a crunchy texture in every bite.
Pistachios pair perfectly with chocolate and vanilla, and they work great in both savory and sweet recipes. Try them in our pistachio protein bread or honey sriracha Brussels salad!
here's how to make pistachio pancakes
Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full pancake recipe!
- Heat a large skillet over low to medium heat with a bit of butter. I prefer butter over oil for pancakes.
- Using a coffee grinder, blend ⅓ cup pistachios into a powder. Roughly chop up the other ⅓ cup of pistachios.
- Blend ½ cup cottage cheese, eggs, and honey in a blender for 30 seconds.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, pistachio flour, and cottage cheese mixture in a large bowl. Then, fold in the chocolate chips and chopped pistachios.
- Pour about ⅓ cup of batter into the skillet. Cook for roughly 2 minutes on each side. You'll know it's time to flip when a handful of bubbles start to appear in the batter.
- Repeat with all the batter. You should make about 8 pancakes that are 5" in diameter. Enjoy with your favorite toppings!
quick recipe video
expert tips
- Keep the skillet at medium-low heat to avoid burning the outside before the inside is cooked.
- Let the batter sit for 5 minutes before cooking. This helps the flour hydrate and makes the pancakes fluffier.
- If you don't have a coffee grinder, a food processor will work. Otherwise, add the pistachios to the blender with the cottage cheese, eggs, and honey and blend for a minute.
troubleshooting & testing notes
Making the pistachio flour
We tried blending the ⅓ cup of raw pistachios, but the blades couldn't chop them all up, and we were left with a lot of chunks. A coffee grinder or food pulverizer works best!
Toddler serving tip
I like to use a cookie scoop to make mini protein pancakes for the toddler. He loves their handheld size this way! I also recommend leaving out the rough chopped pistachios because those can be a choking hazard.
how to store & meal prep it
If you want to make a big batch of these pancakes to save for later, check out how to store and reheat:
- Fridge: Store pancakes in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Stack with parchment between each pancake and freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Microwave for 30-60 seconds or reheat in a skillet over low heat until warmed through.
more power cakes
Recipe
Protein Pistachio Pancakes
Equipment
- 1 coffee grinder
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (1:1 gluten free works too)
- ½ cup cottage cheese (or plain Greek yogurt)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon honey
- ⅔ cup pistachios (raw, unsalted, no shells)
- 5 eggs
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (I love dark chocolate chunks)
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over low to medium heat with a bit of butter.
- Using a coffee grinder, blend ⅓ cup pistachios into a powder. Roughly chop up the other ⅓ cup of pistachios.
- Blend ½ cup cottage cheese, 5 eggs, 2 tablespoon honey in a blender for 30 seconds.
- In a large bowl, mix the ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, pistachio flour, and cottage cheese mixture. Then, fold in the ¼ cup chocolate chips and chopped pistachios.If serving these to toddlers, leave out the chopped pistachios as these can be a choking hazard.
- Pour about ⅓ cup of batter into the skillet. Cook for roughly 2 minutes on each side. You'll know it's time to flip when a handful of bubbles start to appear in the batter.
- Repeat with all the batter. You should make about 8 pancakes that are 5" in diameter. Enjoy with your favorite toppings!
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
Can I make this batter into waffles??
Yes, this recipe works great as waffle batter.
These are pretty great! I only had three eggs so not quite as high protein as the recipe. The high proportion of eggs make the pancakes brown really fast, so that was a bit tricky. Also, I think next time I will pulverize a greater proportion of the pistachios... felt like there were a bit too many of the chopped ones.
Thanks for the detailed review - glad you enjoyed them!