Cocoa Collagen Protein Pancakes (Dairy and Gluten-Free, Paleo, 21DSD Approved)

I have been on a massive protein pancake kick while on this 21 Day Sugar Detox. Last week’s Pumpkin Spice Protein Pancake recipe did not include a green-tipped banana (which is approved on the program) and was rather made with a larger base of almond flour, but this girl is tryna get more carbs in her day while on this plan, so the mashed banana base worked perfectly! You may be thinking, “Wait, pause… Reed you’re trying to eat MORE carbs??” Yes, you read that right. We live in a society that has demonized the carbohydrate, but guess what… your body needs some carbs! Everyone’s body is different, so what works for me may not work for you and vice versa, but that’s the beauty of experimenting with nutrition – we can find the perfect plan for us! 

Ok, stepping off my soap box. Long story short, I started tracking my macros through MyFitnessPal after feeling my energy levels decrease while on this detox and realized I was averaging about 75 grams of carbs a day. My body much prefers 100-150 grams per day, so hello sweet potatoes! This plan allows 1 green-tipped banana or small green apple a day, so I’m making sure to fit those in along with lots of roasty toasty sweet potatoes… mmmmm delicious. 

The recipe below was the TASTIEST way to enjoy my daily green-tipped banana. I basically made chocolate banana bread into a protein pancake. Major win for my taste buds and my macros. Another major win was the fluffiness of this pancake… it was so thick and delicious. Naturally I drizzled it with some nut butter and if you’re not on a sugar detox, some honey on top of this would taste like a million bucks. Happy flapjack-making 🙂 

Cocoa Collagen Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 green-tipped banana 
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/8 cup almond flour
  • 1/8 cup collagen peptides (I used Bulletproof Collagen Peptides)
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:

  1. Mash the banana and combine with whisked egg whites. 
  2. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is thoroughly combined (should be moderately thick, not too runny).
  4. Pour pancake batter onto a heated skillet or pan – cook to golden brown over medium/high heat.