With a delicious savory spinach base and quinoa flour, you can create healthy, gluten-free, high protein pancakes. Top them with your choice of toppings for a light and healthy breakfast/brunch or a more filling, wholesome lunch!
When it comes to pancakes, we all know that I’m a little obsessed, whether it’s light and fluffy thick Japanese Pancakes, a tall pancake cake, mini pancake cereal, or these delicious savory spinach and quinoa flour protein pancakes – crepe style. I love the comforting nature of pancakes – but sometimes I want something a little bit healthy – and savory spinach pancakes are a true love of mine.
These spinach and quinoa pancakes are beautifully green and can be topped with tons of healthy topping for a healthy, high-protein, breakfast, brunch, or main meal. You’ll usually see me make mine ‘fully loaded’ with toppings like sauteed veg, fresh salad veg, avocado, and even a fried or poached egg if I’m feeling really hungry. However, the toppings you choose are up to you – making for a truly versatile meal that you can adapt to various flavor palettes.
Plus, the use of the high-protein quinoa flour makes these pancakes naturally gluten-free, too. AND prepping these spinach crepes takes just minutes – pop everything in a blender and voila!
While spinach pancakes can be served alongside sweet toppings, I prefer savory toppings for this particular recipe. Though, if you find yourself wanting to try out a spinach crepe with your favorite sweet toppings – go for it. Let me know what you think! Overall the actual flavor of the spinach is reasonably mild, so don’t let that put you off.
The Ingredients
- Spinach – I tend to use baby spinach, though you can use any spinach.
- Quinoa flour – Not only is this gluten-free, but quinoa flour pancakes are the key to a high-protein pancake dish. You could also try this with buckwheat flour.
- Salt – Just a dash, for flavor.
- Milk – For a dairy-free option, feel free to use your favorite plant-based milk of choice. I like to use almond milk or oat milk.
- Eggs – I used Clarence Court Burford Browns.
- Honey – Technically optional, but I like adding a tiny amount of sweet alongside the salt. Feel free to swap this out for your sweetener of choice, such as maple, agave, etc.
- Butter – or your favorite neutral oil, to cook the pancakes. I’ll often use Virgin Coconut Oil if I don’t want to use butter.
The Toppings:
What you use as your toppings is entirely up to you, depending on how light for ‘heavy’ you’d like the dish to be. I served mine fully-loaded with toppings including avocado, tomatoes (or sun-dried tomatoes), tender-stem broccoli, mushrooms, kale, and a poached egg. However, there are plenty of other toppings you could choose.
Other Veg: The sky is the limit – I love to swap out what I use depending on what I have available, what’s in the fridge, and what ‘leftovers’ I have. Seasonal options are always delicious!
Cheese: Spread over a layer of cream cheese, crumble over feta or goats cheese, or sprinkle with your favorite meltable cheese, etc. For a dairy-free version, you could use nutritional yeast or a cheese alternative such as this Simple Herby Vegan Feta Cheese or Smoky Vegan Cheddar Cheese.
Protein: For additional protein, feel free to add something like marinated tofu, or high-protein options including chickpeas, or a sprinkle of seeds/nuts or my 5-Seed DIY Vegan Protein Blend.
Spice: For a little heat, add chopped chilies o sprinkle with Chili Flakes or a little Chili Oil.
Sweet: If you want to go for it, you can always serve these protein crepes with sweet toppings like Greek yogurt with maple syrup and berries or ice-cream. If you’re going to give it a try, then you may like this Yogurt, Lavender, And Blackberry Ice Cream or Simple Vanilla Ice-cream In A Bag.
How To Make Protein Pancakes
One of the best things about pancakes (on top of their flavor and general awesomeness) is how simple they are to make. All that’s needed are just a few simple steps to make this protein pancake recipe.
Step 1. Add all the ingredients, except for the butter, into a blender/processor and process till silky smooth (alternatively, use a hand blender). You should have a smooth, thin batter.
Step 2. Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes for the best consistency.
Step 3. Heat an 8″ (20cm) pan over medium heat and add a little butter (alternatively, you could use a little bit of coconut oil) till it just begins to lightly bubble.
Step 4. Pour enough pancake batter in the pan to be able to swirl for a light coating. I use a ladle spoon and fill it 3/4 way but mostly do it by eye.
Step 5. Cook the crepes for 1-2 minutes on each side until cooked through. Add slightly more butter/oil to the pan between crepes if needed.
Once cooked, top with your favorite toppings of choice and enjoy!
How To Store
You can save any leftover batter in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days – ready for pancakes in minutes, whenever the mood strikes you.
If you have leftover cooked crepes, then allow them to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or within the freezer for up to 2 months.
To reheat, warm in the microwave in 10-15 second increments until warmed through.
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute the spinach for other greens such as kale, watercress, or rocket.
- Feel free to add herbs to the spinach, too – such as parsley, basil, etc. Or even use just herbs.
- You can use wheat flour for this recipe, though it will reduce the protein content a lot.
- If you’re not serving the pancakes immediately, then you can keep them warm in the oven at 90ºC/200ºF until serving. This will keep them warm without cooking them.
Related Recipes
If you’re looking for more breakfast inspiration on top of the pancake recipes mentioned at the top of this post, then look no further. Here is a list of breakfast dishes, including eggs that you may like (and a few that can remove the eggs for vegan versions!)
Other Egg Recipes
- How To Make A Veggie Omelette (with tips)
- How To Make Fluffy Cloud Eggs
- Matcha Protein Waffles
- Healthy Easy Shakshuka
- Breakfast Tacos
- Savory Kale Waffle Cones
- Rainbow Mixed Vegetable Savory Cupcakes
- Quick and Easy French Toast
If you give this spinach pancake recipe a go, then let me know your thoughts and any questions in the comments. Also, feel free to tag me in your recreations @AlphaFoodie.
Green Spinach and Quinoa Flour Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 Cup fresh spinach packed
- 1/4 Cup quinoa flour
- 1/2 Cup milk plant-based can be substituted
- 1 egg for a vegan option use vegan egg substitute
- 1/2 teaspoon honey or an alternative
- Pinch salt
- 1-2 tbsp butter to cook – or oil
- Toppings chose your personal favourites
Instructions
- Step 1. Add all the ingredients, except for the butter, into a blender/processor and process till silky smooth (Alternatively, use a hand blender). You should have a smooth, thin batter.
- Step 2. Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes for the best consistency.
- Step 3. Heat an 8″ (20cm) pan over medium heat and add a little butter (Alternatively, you could use a little bit of coconut oil) till it just begins to lightly bubble.
- Step 4. Pour enough pancake batter in the pan to be able to swirl for a light coating. I use a ladle spoon and fill it 3/4 way but mostly do it by eye.
- Step 5. Cook the crepes for 1-2 minutes on each side until cooked through. Add slightly more butter/oil to the pan between crepes if needed.
- Once cooked, top with your favorite toppings of choice and enjoy!
How To Store
- You can save any leftover batter in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days – ready for pancakes in minutes, whenever the mood strikes you.If you have leftover cooked crepes, then allow them to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or within the freezer for up to 3 months.To reheat, warm in the microwave in 10-15 second increments until warmed through.
Notes
- You can substitute the spinach for other greens such as kale, watercress, or rocket.
- Feel free to add herbs to the spinach, too – such as parsley, basil, etc. Or even use just herbs.
- You can use wheat flour for this recipe, though it will reduce the protein content a lot.
- If you’re not serving the pancakes immediately, then you can keep them warm in the oven at 200F until serving. This will keep them warm without cooking them.
Nutrition
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