Chocolate Protein Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce

Enjoy a stack of Chocolate Protein Pancakes for an absolutely delicious protein-rich breakfast! This easy pancake recipe will keep you full until lunch time thanks to the protein!

Don't skip the 5-minute oh-so-tasty chocolate sauce that is absolutely amazing for pouring on these pancakes.

Chocolate protein pancakes

I am so excited to partner with Earth Echo Foods to bring you this Chocolate Protein Pancakes recipe! I used their Cacao Bliss Cacao Powder to give these chocolate pancakes a rich chocolate flavor and to make these chocolate pancakes an even better breakfast choice than regular pancakes!

If there is anything we LOVE in this house, it's PANCAKES! We have pancakes every weekend, and we are always switching up the flavor and mix-ins. So it was time for me to share my favorite chocolate pancake recipe.

I add a little protein to these pancakes to keep us full and satisfied for a long time so we can enjoy our weekend adventures without getting hangry soon after breakfast!

Looking for more chocolaty protein treats? Try this protein mug brownie!

Cacao Bliss Cacao Powder

Cacao Bliss from Earth Echo is what gives these chocolate pancakes such a wonderful, chocolatey flavor and gorgeous chocolate color. It is a blend of raw cacao, turmeric, lucuma, and MCT oil, as well as cinnamon, a few other superfood ingredients. 

Needless to say, the combination of cacao and a subtle cinnamon flavor is amazing for pancakes (and pretty much all baked goods and recipes!).

But in addition to the wonderful warm chocolatey flavor, this cacao blend is LOADED with antioxidants. Raw cacao itself is one of the most powerful antioxidants, which helps keep the skin looking healthier and increases energy levels. Turmeric is also a strong antioxidant and may help with inflammation. MCT oil supports brain health and boosts mental and physical energy, and lucuma is a fruit with Andean origins which helps support blood sugar levels. 

I love adding cacao powder to things like pancakes and crepes, but also blending it into a coffee smoothie or in place of cocoa for mocha whipped coffee. Basically, you can substitute Cacao Bliss anywhere you would use regular cocoa powder!

Related recipe: Eggnog Pancakes

Looking for more chocolate breakfast recipes? Make this Chocolate Cream of Wheat!

Antioxidant-rich breakfast

I am a huge fan of sneaking in antioxidants anywhere I can into my recipes. This can be as simple as adding the Cacao Bliss cacao powder blend to your favorite pancake recipe and serving pancakes with fresh berries. Making a chocolate sauce to pour over the pancakes instead of using maple syrup (or worse - artificially flavored maple syrup) is also a great way to add an antioxidant boost to your breakfast!

Related recipe: Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

Ingredients

For the chocolate protein pancakes:

• 1.5 cups gluten-free flour mix (or all-purpose flour)
• 3-4 tablespoons coconut sugar, to taste (or regular sugar)
• 4 scoops Cacao Bliss cacao powder
• 3 tablespoons collagen peptides (see notes below)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups oat milk (or your favorite milk)
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil) + extra for cooking
• ¼ - ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

For the chocolate syrup:

• ½ cups oat milk (or other milk, see notes)
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup
• 2 tablespoons Cacao Bliss cacao powder
• ¼ cup chocolate chips (see notes)

Or try serving these pancakes with homemade cherry syrup - sooo good!!

Related recipe: Gluten-free Protein Pancakes for One

Ingredient notes:

→ Use dark chocolate chips if you prefer dark chocolate flavors, or use milk chocolate for a lighter chocolate flavor.

→ Collagen peptides: If using a sweetened or flavored protein powder, consider reducing the sugar amount in the pancakes. I love using collagen peptide powder because it is absolutely flavorless and dissolves easily into the batter.

→ Optional add-ins: Try adding a teaspoon of ground cinnamon for extra flavor and antioxidants, or a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Related recipe: Instant Pot Chocolate Cherry Steel Cut Oats

Instructions

Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the pancakes (flour, sugar, cacao powder, protein powder, baking powder, salt) and whisk together.

Step 2: In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted coconut oil.

Step 3: Quickly add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, before the coconut milk solidifies, and whisk together until almost no clumps remain.

Step 4: Add the chocolate chips, if using, and whisk together until mostly smooth. Do not overmix! A few small flour clumps is OK.

Step 5: Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle, and brush with coconut oil. Spoon ¼ cup of the chocolate pancake batter into the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, or until small bubbles form at the surface. Flip carefully, and cook for another 30 seconds - 1 minute, or until the pancake rises a little and the pancake is fully cooked. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Repeat until all the pancakes are cooked.

Step 6: Make the chocolate sauce: In a small saucepan, heat the milk, sugar, agave, and cacao powder, whisking constantly to dissolve the sugar and remove any clumps. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until they melt and the sauce is smooth. Pour over warm pancakes to serve.

Related recipe: Greek Yogurt Oat Blueberry Pancakes

Chocolate pancake sauce

The chocolate sauce recipe I included is amaaaazing. It has a true rich chocolate flavor without any artificial flavors or ingredients, like you would find in store-bought chocolate sauces.

If you like dark chocolate, then making the sauce as-is with dark chocolate chips will give it a really rich dark chocolate flavor.

If you're more of a milk chocolate person, use whole milk, full-fat coconut milk, or half and half instead of oat milk, and use milk chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate chips.

To store leftover chocolate sauce: The chocolate sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze it and store for up to 3 months. It will thicken in the fridge, so give it time to come to room temperature before serving, or place it in a shallow bowl with hot water to warm it up faster to get to a saucy consistency. The leftover sauce is amazing with churro pancakes, or for drizzling on buttermilk crepes.

Related recipe: Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cottage Cheese

What kind of protein powder to use for protein pancakes

I love using collagen peptides in my pancakes and baking recipes because it is completely flavorless and dissolves completely without any vigorous shaking or stirring. This means that I can simply add a few scoops of collagen peptides to my favorite pancake recipe and not have to change anything about the recipe! You can see that I did just that in my pumpkin protein pancakes recipe!

Of course, if you want to keep your pancakes vegetarian or simply have another type of protein powder in your pantry, you can use that. Just keep in mind that if your protein powder is already sweetened, you might want to reduce the sugar in this recipe by about half. If you are using chocolate protein powder for pancakes, you might want to reduce the amount of cocoa powder you add to your pancake batter.

Related recipe: Zucchini Brownies

What to serve with chocolate pancakes

I absolutely love these pancakes with the chocolate sauce that I include in the recipe and fresh berries. Sliced bananas and whipped cream are some other ideas for serving with pancakes.

A dollop of Greek yogurt on top is also pretty good! And of course, you can just use traditional maple syrup for these pancakes. 

Related recipe: Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

Storing and freezing leftover pancakes

These pancakes will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer. To freeze pancakes, place a piece of parchment paper in between each pancakes to prevent them from sticking to each other.

To reheat pancakes, place them in a toaster oven and bake at 325F for 5-10 minutes, depending on whether they're refrigerated or frozen. Or place them into a regular pop-up toasted and toast until heated through.

More breakfast and pancake recipes to try:

• Whole wheat carrot cake pancakes
• Red velvet pancakes
• Vegan buttermilk pancakes
• Sheet pan pancakes
• Whipped pumpkin spice coffee
• Whipped cottage cheese bowls
• Savory oatmeal
• Savory French toast

More high-protein breakfast ideas:

• Bell pepper egg rings
• No-bake frittata for two
• Mini quiche cups

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!