These protein oven baked pancakes are made without cottage cheese and use naturally sweet bananas and honey instead of sugar. It's an easy pancake casserole which you can customise with your own toppings and add ins for a breakfast meal prep recipe you can slice into portions and store for the week. Unlike traditional pancakes, you're not stuck at the stove flipping batches for like 20 minutes.
I've made a lot of pancakes over the years from my spinach banana pancakes to my pumpkin pancakes and caramalised banana pancakes, but somehow never made a pancake bake. This sits somewhere between those and my baked oats recipes.
It's lighter and fluffier than baked oats, which I know some people don't love texture-wise, but still gives you that same convenience as a breakfast meal prep.
When I was researching this recipe, I noticed a lot have really niche ingredients like oat flour or cottage cheese (ya'll know how I feel about this one), so I wanted to develop an option that's made with the classic pancake ingredients with protein powder as an optional add-on.
TL;DR
- Servings: 4-8 slices
- Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes
- Meal prep: Great for versatility with different topping options. Stores and reheats well without drying out.
- Fridge storage: 5 days (airtight container).
- Freezer storage: 3-6 months (freeze in portions).
- Reheating: microwave / oven / air fryer
- Customise: Add toppings, adjust sweetness, include or remove protein powder.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Low effort. Everything is mixed and poured into one dish with no flipping required, unlike traditional pancakes that need constant attention.
Versatile. You can mix and match toppings, use as a traditional pancake recipe on the stove or turn it into waffles using banana honey waffles.
Naturally sweet. The banana and honey add sweetness without needing loads of sugar, similar to my baked oats variations including my choc chip blueberry baked oats and matcha baked oats.
Meal prep friendly. Slice and store for the week as a snack on their own or pair with yogurt and fruit for a breakfast prep.
Ingredients
Milk. I've used both dairy and soy milk and they both work well, but avoid almond milk unless you adjust with extra flour as it can thin the batter.
Although, it's not a huge deal if the batter is a little bit thinner because it's baked in a baking dish - you just might need to adjust the cooking time.
Banana. Use a very ripe banana (I'm talking almost black) for natural sweetness and moisture.
Flour. Regular flour keeps this accessible and gives structure, unlike oat flour which can make it denser.
Protein powder. This is optional. If you do use protein powder, I recommend plant-based as it holds up better when baking compared to whey or casein which may leave a bit of an "off" taste when heated/.
Baking powder. Controls the rise and gives the fluffy texture, which is more consistent than relying on self-raising flour.
Honey. Adds sweetness and helps with browning, but also contributes to the darker colour once baked.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
What toppings can I use for pancake bake?
- Berries (I used fresh raspberries and blueberries, but you could use other varieties or even frozen berries - just note they may change the colour of the batter slightly)
- Chocolate chips
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Maple syrup
- Apple slices
- Sliced banana
- Nuts
- Cinnamon sugar
You can also split the batter into sections and add different toppings to each, so you get multiple flavours in one pancake bake.
You can also add in some optional extras after baking like some yogurt and fresh berries, or even some homemade raspberry chia jam.
Substitutions and variations
Protein. Replace with extra flour if not using protein powder to maintain the structure otherwise you might find the batter is slightly runny.
Banana. Swap with an egg or apple sauce, but if using an egg you may want to increase sweetness slightly by adding some more honey or other sweetener.
Honey. Replace with maple syrup or white sugar, noting that white sugar may require a little extra liquid.
How to make protein oven baked pancakes
Step 1: In a large bowl, mash the banana until smooth.
Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth and a thick batter forms.
Note - depending on the humidity and type of protein, you might need to add a little more liquid to create a thick pudding texture.
Step 3: Add toppings if using, pressing lightly into the batter.
Step 4: Bake for 30-45 minutes (depending on how big your casserole is) or until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.
Note - I recommend putting it on a lower rack in your oven to prevent the top from overcooking too quickly.
Allow to cool slightly before slicing to help it set and hold shape.
Lauren's Top Tips
Don't over mix. Over mixing can make the pancake bake dense instead of fluffy.
Adjust thickness. Add a splash of milk if you prefer a slightly softer texture.
Let it rest. Cooling slightly helps it firm up and improves texture for slicing.
Recommended Equipment
I recommend using a casserole dish instead of a flat baking tray or cookie sheet because this pancake bake rises and spreads, and a deeper dish helps keep that thick, fluffy texture without spilling over.
You could also use individual meal prep containers and then add different toppings into each one. This way you can just close up the container (once cooled) and store and eat all in one decreasing the clean-up time even more.
Meal prepping protein oven baked pancakes
This baked protein pancakes recipe is a great meal prep option because it balances carbohydrates from flour, natural sugars from banana and honey, and optional protein powder for satiety. It also holds its texture well, making it ideal for storing and reheating throughout the week.
I personally like to pair mine with yoghurt and fresh fruit for a more filling breakfast, or you can just grab a slice on its own as a quick snack.
Storing
Store slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If stacking, place baking paper between layers to prevent sticking.
If you've added fruit toppings to the baking, the surrounding pancake may soften slightly over time and look a little bit wrinkly. This is completely okay!
If storing with other add-ons like yogurt and fresh fruit, I do recommend keeping these separate to ensure the pancakes don't go soggy.
Reheating
You can eat these cold, but for reheating:
- Microwave: 30-60 seconds
- Oven: 160°C for 5-10 minutes
- Airfryer: 160°C/320°F
Freezing
Freeze slices individually by wrapping each portion in foil, or you can freeze in a single layer like the waffles pictured.
If you do want to layer in a ziplock bag, I recommend adding a layer of baking paper between them to prevent them from sticking to each other.
They'll freeze for up to 3-6 months (depending on your method) and you can reheat straight from frozen or letting them thaw overnight.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
Yes, but the baking powder may lose effectiveness overnight, so expect slightly less rise.
This usually comes down to protein powder - I find whey can dry things out a bit more as they hold onto more of the liquid - or over baking, so reduce cook time slightly or add more liquid.
Yes, it just won't rise as much. I haven't tried it myself, but you could possibly do this in your cookie sheet because it won't have the same rise so might be okay.
Other easy breakfast meal prep recipes you'll like
Or, you can have a browse through my make ahead breakfasts for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Protein Oven Baked Pancakes
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Equipment
- Casserole, approx. 20cm x 20cm / 8in x 8in (note - varying sizes may need adjustment on cooking times)
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup milk, see note 1
- 1 small ripe banana
- 240 g (2 cups) flour
- 60 g (½ cup) vegan protein powder, optional, can replace with equal amounts flavour, see note 2
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon honey, subs note 3
- Optional toppings, see note 4
Instructions
Preparing
- Preheat oven to 160°C and lightly grease a casserole dish to prevent sticking.
- In a large bowl, mash 1 small ripe banana until smooth with minimal lumps (this helps distribute sweetness evenly).
- Add 1 ¾ cup milk and 2 tablespoon honey, mixing until fully combined.
- Stir in 240 g (2 cups) flour, 60 g (½ cup) vegan protein powder and 2 teaspoon baking powder until a thick batter forms. Avoid over mixing to keep the bake fluffy.
- Pour the batter into the prepared casserole dish and spread evenly into the corners.
- Add Optional toppings if using, pressing them lightly into the surface so they don't burn during baking.
Cooking
- Place the dish on a lower rack in the oven to prevent the top from browning too quickly.
- Bake at 160°C for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size and depth of your casserole dish. The pancake bake is ready when the top is golden, the centre is set, and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Allow to cool slightly in the dish before slicing. This helps it firm up and hold its shape for clean portions.
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