"Delicious and Nutritious: Lemon Blueberry Pancake Bake that's high in protein and packed with flavor!"

I've been experimenting with high-protein baking, and this Lemon Blueberry Pancake bake is hands down my favorite so far. Over 30% of the calories come from protein, without the protein aftertaste.

The origin of this recipe comes from Clean Simple Eats on their Vanilla Pancake & Waffle mix; the product is linked in the recipe. I made several modifications to the recipe to increase the protein and decrease the total fat. The lemon icing is an easy recipe I came up with that I thought would go well with the pancake bake, and I wasn't wrong. You can use another high-protein pancake and waffle mix brand, such as Kodiak Cakes. However, the final product may be denser or have a different texture. This recipe worked well with the Clean Simple Eats GF Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle mix. Swap the regular pancake mix for the GF mix in the same ratio for a delicious GF treat.

In addition to the high-protein pancake and waffle mix, you'll need a whey protein isolate powder. I use a lemon cake-flavored whey protein isolate from True Nutrition, which is linked to the recipe. A blueberry, Cake Batter or vanilla flavored Whey Protein Isolate would work well, too. A serving of whey isolate powder typically weighs around 30-35 grams and adds 24-30 grams of protein to the entire recipe, or 3-4 grams per serving. Do not add more than 1 serving of whey isolate to the mix. Whey Protein Isolate does not bake very well and will result in a dense, dry product.

Using lemon extract is optional, but I've never used it when adding a lemon-flavored whey isolate, if you're using another flavor protein, consider adding the lemon extract. I highly encourage using fresh lemons for the juice and zest over lemon peel and refrigerated lemon juice for the best flavor.

Finally, I use Premier Protein Vanilla protein drink when baking to add even more protein. Any brand of ready-to-drink protein shake, like Pure Protein or Fairlife, should work. I use the Premier Protein, which has 160 calories and 30 grams of protein per 11-ounce serving. The calories and protein will change if a protein drink with more carbs or fat and less protein is used.