Protein Zucchini Pancakes

A few years ago, I woke up craving potato pancakes.

I used to get them all the time at Perkins when I was a teen, with sour cream and extra green onions. Absolute comfort food!

The problem was, I had just started out on a low carb diet, and potato pancakes were... not.

I’m not one to wallow in a craving, I just take it as an invitation to get creative! I’d made Basic Protein Powder Pancakes before that point, so I played around with the recipe a bit, using zucchini instead of potatoes, and protein powder instead of flour.

It took a couple tries to get it right. My first batches involved tossing the shredded zucchini with salt and letting it sit a bit, to leech more water out before using it.

Eventually, I changed the technique - blotting, rather than salting. The little bit of extra moisture made a huge difference!

These savoury protein pancakes are fantastic... especially with sour cream and green onions, of course.

But hey, feel free to top it with plain Greek yogurt, if that’s more your thing!

Anyway, let’s look at what you’ll need to have on hand, to make these zucchini protein pancakes.

Ingredients

You’ll only need a few basic ingredients to make these high protein zucchini pancakes ... and I only have a few short ingredient notes for you:

Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate

The only thing to note here is to make sure you’re using unsweetened, Unflavoured Whey Protein Isolate

This wouldn’t taste right with a sweet, vanilla flavoured protein!

Oil of Choice

There’s a small amount of oil in this recipe, for texture.

You can use whatever oil you like - I recommend going with something relatively neutral flavoured - or has a flavour you’d like with the rest of the ingredients.

When I’m trying to keep it healthy, I’ll use Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, MCT Oil, or Olive Oil.

When we’re feeling more indulgent - and have some on hand - bacon fat works REALLY well with the other ingredients!

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Fresh Zucchini
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Green Onion
Sour Cream (For serving)
Large Egg
Baking Powder
Pan Spray
Salt

... I just don’t have anything to add, as far as these last few ingredients go. Pretty basic ones!

How to Make High Protein Zucchini Pancakes

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is a pictorial walk through:

Measure shredded zucchini, blot with paper towels to absorb any surface moisture.

Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together everything but zucchini and egg until well blended.

Add egg, mix just until well distributed, then add zucchini and mix well.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, spray with nonstick spray.

Use a ⅓ cup measure to pour batter out into 3 pancakes. Allow to cook until the underside is nicely golden brown, and small bubbles are breaking at the surface.

Carefully flip each pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until golden brown on the second side, and JUST cooked through.

Note: Overcooking can lead to dry pancakes!

If needed, repeat the cooking process with any remaining batter.

Serve the zucchini protein pancakes with your favorite toppings - butter, Greek yogurt, sour cream, green onions, more cheese - or just plain.

Leftovers

These pancakes are best served fresh.

If you do end up with leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Gently reheat before serving.

More Protein Powder Pancake Recipes!

Looking for more protein packed pancake recipes? I’ve got you covered! (And hey, many are low carb, also!)

Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes
Camping Pancake Mix
Banana Protein Pancakes
Blackberry Protein Pancakes
Blueberry Protein Pancakes
Gingerbread Protein Pancake Mix
Pumpkin Protein Pancake Mix
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Raspberry Protein Pancakes
Strawberry Protein Pancakes