High Protein Orange Pancakes
Made with no protein powder, these orange pancakes are fluffy, bright, and packed with 18 grams of protein per serving — all from Greek yogurt, eggs, and chia seeds. One bowl, 25 minutes, and the juiciest citrus flavor. You're going to want these on repeat! 🍊
Servings: 4
Calories: 304kcal
Ingredients
- Zest and juice from 1 orange zest first, then juice
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt any fat level, see dairy free options below
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey, agave, or sugar
- 1.25 –1.5 cups oat flour* start with 1.25 cups; add more if batter is too thin
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoon soy milk or any milk
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds optional but recommended
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Zest your orange directly into a large bowl, then juice it into the same bowl.
- Add the 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoon soy milk, and 1 tablespoon maple syrupWhisk until smooth and well combined.
- Add 1.25 –1.5 cups oat flour* (starting with 1.25 cups), 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, Pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoon chia seeds if using. Stir until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Don't overmix.The batter should be thick but scoopable. If it's too thin, add the remaining oat flour a tablespoon at a time. If it's too thick, add a splash more milk.
- Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and lightly grease with butter or cooking spray.While it heats up, let the batter rest for 2–3 minutes while you heat your pan. This lets the chia seeds absorb the liquid for a fluffier pancake.
- Scoop about ¼ cup of batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles break the surface and edges look set, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook another 1–2 minutes until cooked through.This recipe makes 10-12 pancakes (3 per serving).
- Serve immediately with maple syrup, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and extra orange zest on top — or keep warm in a 200°F oven while you finish the batch.
Video
Notes
*To make your own oat flour: blend rolled oats in a blender until finely ground. You can also swap for all purpose flour.
For dairy-free: Swap the Greek yogurt for plain coconut yogurt or a thick dairy-free yogurt. The batter texture may be slightly looser, so add an extra tablespoon of oat flour if needed.
For high-protein dairy-free: Use blended silken tofu (1:1 swap for Greek yogurt) — this is actually my favorite dairy-free version. It blends smooth, has a neutral flavor, and keeps the protein count nearly identical to the Greek yogurt version.
For vegan: Swap the eggs for flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoon water per egg, let sit 5 minutes). The pancakes will be slightly less fluffy and a little more dense, but still delicious. Combined with blended tofu for the yogurt, you still get a genuinely high-protein vegan orange pancake — no powder needed.
Flour amount: Start with 1.25 cups — a very juicy orange adds a lot of liquid and may need the full 1.5 cups. Add flour gradually until the batter is thick but scoopable.
Storage:
Fridge: Cooked pancakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a toaster or microwave.
Freezer: Stack with parchment paper between each pancake and freeze up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a toaster or 300°F oven for 10 minutes.
Batter: Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Stir in a splash of milk before cooking if it's thickened overnight.
Orange variety: Sumo oranges are the sweetest and juiciest in season (Dec–March). Cara Caras and navel oranges are great year-round alternatives.
Nutrition
Serving: 3pancakes | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 10g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g