My favorite post workout meal is the delicious chocolate and PB2 peanut putter protein pancake. I make one just about every day before I go to the gym. I love feeling like I am eating something naughty, rather than just drinking a protein powder shake after my workouts. They are also great for on the go, as I usually am, because you can just stick them in a bag and eat them while you are out and about. I have made several different variations of the pancake using sweet potato, pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce and have even tried baby food. I love getting creative with them, so on occasion I will add delicious blueberries, nuts and other fun fruits to the batter.

The triple threat!!!!

Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Pancake - 1 serving:

• 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder - works best with Whey or Egg Protein - be sure to check the allergy info on the label when choosing your protein powder
• 2 tbsp egg white
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree (not the pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• Cinnamon to taste - I used about a 1/2 tsp
• Stevia to taste 
• Dash of baking powder - about 1/8 tsp
• A splash of water if the batter is too dry

Optional topping:

• PB2 powdered peanut butter or 1 Tbsp organic peanut butter

Nutritional info for pancake:

• Fat: 3
• Calories: 207
• Carb: 24
• Protein: 30.5

*The nutritional breakdown is an estimate based on the specific ingredients that I use in my recipes. The breakdown for your recipe may vary slightly depending on the ingredients that are used.

Nutrition info for PB2:

• Fat: 1.5
• Calories: 45
• Carb: 5
• Protein: 5

Mix all the ingredients together except for the PB2. Set your stove to medium to medium-low heat, preheat frying pan. Heat will vary depending on the type of stove you are working with. I have a gas stove, so my stove top gets very hot and cooks my food very quick. Once the pan is hot, spray it lightly with cooking spray, I use my Misto olive oil sprayer to coat the pan. Pour the batter into the pan, it will either make one large pancake or you can choose to break them up into two or three cakes. In the picture above I made three small pancakes. Cook pancakes for a couple minutes on both sides until brown, flipping once.

After the pancakes are done, set them aside to cool slightly. Mix the PB2 peanut butter to your desired consistency. I like to switch it up, sometimes I will add extra water to make the peanut butter more fluffy and sometimes I make it very thick like the normal peanut butter consistency. I then layer each pancake with the peanut butter. I don't usually add anything extra besides the peanut butter, but it is great with sugar free pancake syrup or agave nectar. If I make one large pancake, I will slice it down the middle and then spread the peanut butter in the middle.

One large pancake split with PB2 filling

Pancake topped with agave, PB2 and blueberries