Save I stumbled onto this recipe one rushed Tuesday morning when I'd overslept and needed breakfast that felt more substantial than usual. My blender was sitting empty, my Greek yogurt was about to expire, and I had this nagging craving for something cake-like but actually nourishing. What emerged was somewhere between a pancake and a breakfast cake—fluffy, protein-packed, and ready in under an hour. It became the thing I make when I want to feel genuinely good about what I'm eating.
I made this for my roommate the morning after she'd complained about always being hungry by 10 AM, and watching her eyes light up when she realized it was basically healthy cake was worth every minute. She started requesting it specifically on mornings before her gym sessions, and that's when I knew it had crossed from my experiment into something worth perfecting.
Ingredients
- Rolled oats (1 cup): These become your flour when blended, giving structure and heartiness that regular flour never quite achieves.
- Baking powder (1 tsp): The secret to that fluffy, cake-like texture that makes people surprised it's made from oats.
- Salt (pinch): Just enough to make the sweetness pop without tasting salty.
- Ground cinnamon (1 tsp, optional): I always add it because it makes the whole kitchen smell like comfort.
- Eggs (2 large): These bind everything and add their own protein boost.
- Milk (3/4 cup): Any kind works—I've used dairy, oat milk, and almond milk with equally good results.
- Greek yogurt (1/2 cup): This is what keeps it moist and adds creaminess that regular milk can't do alone.
- Maple syrup or honey (2 tbsp): Just sweet enough to feel indulgent without being over the top.
- Vanilla extract (1 tsp): A small amount that somehow makes everything taste more like itself.
- Protein powder (1 scoop, about 30 g): Use vanilla or unflavored—it's the whole point of this recipe's staying power.
- Optional add-ins (1/2 cup): Blueberries give little pops of tartness, chocolate chips melt into sweet surprises, or nuts add crunch and fat for satiety.
Instructions
- Heat your oven and prep the dish:
- Get your oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8-inch baking dish thoroughly—this prevents sticking and frustration later. I use butter and run my fingers around the corners to be sure.
- Make oat flour:
- Toss those rolled oats into your blender and let it run until they look like fine flour with tiny specks. This step transforms whole oats into something that bakes up tender and delicate.
- Combine dry ingredients:
- Give the blender a quick pulse with the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon to distribute them evenly through the oat flour. This keeps your batter from having strange pockets of baking powder that taste bitter.
- Build the wet mixture:
- Add your eggs, milk, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla, and protein powder to the blender and blend on high until the whole thing is smooth and creamy—no lumps, no grit. Listen for when the sound changes slightly, which means everything's fully incorporated.
- Pour and fold:
- Transfer the batter into your prepared dish and gently fold in any blueberries, chocolate chips, or nuts you're using so they're distributed rather than sinking to the bottom. Be gentle here to keep all those air bubbles from collapsing.
- Bake until set:
- Slide it into the oven for 22 to 25 minutes, watching for the top to turn lightly golden and the center to feel just barely firm when you jiggle the dish. The middle should set while staying slightly tender—not dry, never dry.
- Cool and serve:
- Let it sit for a few minutes before you slice it so everything can set up and not fall apart. Serve it warm with whatever toppings make you happy—fresh berries, extra yogurt, a drizzle of syrup, or nothing at all.
Save The moment someone realized this was high-protein and still delicious felt like I'd cracked some kind of code. It's become my favorite thing to make when I want breakfast to feel less like an obligation and more like the best part of waking up.
Why This Beats Regular Pancakes
Regular pancakes are a commitment—you're standing at the stove flipping individual cakes, fighting the urge to make them all the same size, and by the end you're too tired to actually enjoy eating them. This bakes as one thing, which means you can set a timer and walk away, and it comes out with this naturally fluffy, cake-like texture that doesn't require any skill to achieve. Plus, you get actual protein without the weird chalky aftertaste that protein pancakes sometimes have.
Flavor Combinations That Work
The vanilla base is neutral enough to play with in so many directions. I've made chocolate versions by stirring in cocoa powder, berry versions with frozen blueberries folded in, and even a maple-pecan version that tasted like fall in a baking dish. The Greek yogurt keeps it moist no matter what you add, which gives you freedom to experiment without worrying about drying things out.
Make It Your Own
The beauty of this recipe is how forgiving it is—you can swap milk types, add different flavors, or skip add-ins entirely and it always works. It's become my template for thinking about breakfast differently, less as something that has to be done a certain way and more as something I actually get to choose how to make.
- Vegan version: Use flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water per egg), plant-based yogurt, and plant-based milk for the exact same results.
- Gluten-free: Confirm your oats and protein powder are certified gluten-free, since some facilities process them alongside gluten.
- Make it chocolate: Add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and consider using chocolate protein powder for double the richness.
Save This recipe turned a rushed Tuesday morning into something I actually look forward to now, and that small shift in how I approach breakfast has rippled into the rest of my mornings. Make it once and it'll probably become your go-to too.
Recipe FAQs
- → Can I substitute the protein powder?
Yes, you can use vanilla or unflavored protein powder. Make sure to choose a variety that suits your dietary preferences.
- → How to make this dish vegan?
Replace the eggs with flax eggs and use plant-based milk and yogurt alternatives to keep the texture and flavor balanced.
- → What are good optional add-ins?
Blueberries, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts add flavor and texture, enhancing the overall experience.
- → Can this be made gluten-free?
Using certified gluten-free oats and protein powder ensures the dish remains gluten-free and safe for sensitive diets.
- → What is the best way to serve it?
Serve warm with fresh fruit, additional yogurt, or a drizzle of syrup for a delicious and satisfying meal.