Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes

Breakfast
Written By Julia Jackson-Brown

Why You'll Love This Recipe

These aren't traditional thick, heavy pancakes. They’re lighter and thinner, with a soft, fluffy texture and beautifully browned edges. Sweet potato adds natural sweetness and nutrition, while cottage cheese and eggs boost the protein without making the pancakes taste like “health food.”

Even better, you can use freshly cooked sweet potato or keep things especially simple with single-ingredient canned sweet potato puree.

RECIPE AT A GLANCE:

Servings: 2
Yield: About 10 pancakes
Serving Size: 5 pancakes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Pancake Cook Time: 10–15 minutes
Sweet Potato Baking Time: About 60 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 20 minutes using fresh sweet potato
Quick Option: About 15–20 minutes using canned sweet potato puree

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:

  • ½ cup cooked, mashed sweet potato or single-ingredient canned sweet potato puree

  • ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese

  • 2 large eggs

  • ½ cup liquid egg whites

  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Pinch of salt

  • Cooking spray

For serving (optional):

  • Sugar-free maple-style syrup

  • Cinnamon

EQUIPMENT

  • Baking sheet and foil, if using fresh sweet potato

  • Blender

  • ¼-cup measuring cup

  • Nonstick skillet or griddle

  • Spatula

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare the sweet potato.
If using fresh sweet potato, preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise and place cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake for approximately 60 minutes, or until very soft.

Turn the sweet potato cut-side up and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and measure ½ cup.

Shortcut: Using canned sweet potato? Simply measure ½ cup single-ingredient sweet potato puree and skip the baking and cooling step.

2. Make the batter.
While the baked sweet potato is cooling, gather the remaining ingredients. Add ½ cup sweet potato, cottage cheese, eggs, egg whites, protein powder, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla, and salt to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.

The batter will be relatively thin. That’s exactly what you want.

3. Preheat the pan.
Lightly coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and allow it to heat thoroughly over medium heat before adding the batter. A properly heated pan helps these delicate pancakes set and makes them much easier to flip.

4. Portion the pancakes.
Use a ¼-cup measuring cup to portion the batter onto the hot pan.

5. Wait for the bubbles.
Allow the pancakes to cook until bubbles begin to appear on the surface and the edges look set. Be patient—flipping too early can cause the pancakes to break apart.

6. Flip and finish cooking.
Carefully flip each pancake and cook the second side until golden brown and cooked through.

7. Repeat and serve.
Continue with the remaining batter, lightly spraying the pan again as needed. The recipe should yield approximately 10 pancakes. Divide between two plates and serve warm with your favorite toppings.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

Serving Size: 5 pancakes

Calories: ~275
Protein: ~33 g
Carbohydrates: ~20 g
Fat: ~7 g
Fiber: ~2–3 g

Nutrition information is approximate and may vary slightly depending on the specific ingredients and brands

MAKE IT A MEAL 🥗

These pancakes make a great breakfast base. Pair them with an additional lean protein and, if desired, fresh fruit for a more substantial meal.

Coach Julia’s Plate – (as pictured)
5 Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes + sugar-free syrup + 3 chicken breakfast sausage links

Use this as inspiration and mix and match your sides based on what you have on hand.

Coach Julia’s Tips
🔥 Heat the pan first.
Give your skillet time to get thoroughly hot before adding the first pancake. This makes a surprisingly big difference in how easily they flip.

🥞 Wait for the bubbles.
Patience pays off. Let the surface bubble and the edges set before reaching for your spatula.

🥄 Use a ¼-cup measure.
It gives you consistently sized pancakes and makes dividing the batch into two servings easy.

🍠 Take the shortcut.
For an especially quick breakfast, use single-ingredient canned sweet potato puree. Avoid sweetened canned yams or sweet potato pie filling.

❄️ Save the extra.
If using canned puree, portion the remainder into ½-cup servings and freeze for future batches.

🥞 Expect a thinner pancake.
The batter is more fluid than traditional pancake batter. The finished pancakes will be light, tender and relatively thin rather than thick, diner-style pancakes.

🧊 Meal-prep verdict: TBD.
These were delicious straight from the skillet, but we haven’t tested how well they reheat yet. Until they pass that test, fresh is the way to go!

Julia Jackson-Brown
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