Blueberry Protein Breakfast Pastries
These good-for-you pastries are light on calories and sugar, filled with protein and bursting with antioxidant-rich berries.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup nonfat Greek vanilla-flavored yogurt*
- 1 cup Kodiak pancake mix, or another favorite pancake mix**
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen; mixed berries work too—just ensure they’re small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for easy cleanup. Mist parchment paper with nonstick oil spray.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the Greek yogurt and whisk until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients: Sprinkle the pancake flour evenly over the wet mixture. Add the baking powder and kosher salt on top of the flour, then lightly mix them into the dry flour before stirring everything together until just combined.
- Gently fold in the blueberries, being careful not to overmix.
- Spray a ⅓ cup measuring scoop with nonstick spray to prevent sticking. Use it to drop equal portions of batter onto the prepared baking sheet. For a pretty finish, press a few extra blueberries on top of each pastry.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown and the centers are just slightly jiggly.
- Remove from the oven and allow the pastries to cool completely on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes. This step is important to ensure they firm up to the perfect texture and they are less likely to stick.
Notes
To Prevent Sticking
I recommend misting the parchment paper with nonstick oil spray to ensure the pastries don’t stick and are easy to remove once they’re done cooking and have slightly cooled on the counter. I haven't had any problems with sticking, but some people have written in to say they've had an issue so it's worth misting the parchment paper to be extra cautious. Swaps for the Pancake Mix
I tested this recipe using lots of different substitutions for the protein pancake mix. Any of the following variations will work well—use the same one cup amount, unless otherwise specified. All of the straight flours (non-pancake mix varieties) will require an extra 1 teaspoon of baking powder, for a total of 3 teaspoons (or 1 Tablespoon).
• Make sure your yogurt is very thick, and drain off any liquid from the top before mixing in with your eggs. I recommend vanilla or berry-flavored Greek yogurt without any added sugar. Two brands I like using include Oikos Triple Zero and Chobani 20g. • I’ve also tested this recipe using plain, unflavored, nonfat Greek yogurt. If you decide to give this a try, you’ll need to add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 2 Tbsp of a sweetener. For the sweetener, I recommend maple syrup, but you could also use regular sugar, coconut sugar, or honey (although if you use honey, your breakfast pastries will have a honey-forward flavor, so be sure you love honey!). Since the vanilla and maple syrup will add extra liquid to your batter, add a few tablespoons of additional flour or pancake mix to thicken it back up. Fresh vs Frozen Blueberries
You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe. No need to thaw the frozen ones first—just add them straight from the freezer. If your frozen berries are stuck together in clusters, break them apart before adding. Also, give them a quick shake to remove any ice crystals, which can add unwanted moisture to the batter. NOTE: Frozen berries may cause a little extra color bleed (you might notice purple streaks throughout your batter and finished pastries, which is perfectly normal and doesn’t affect flavor). To help minimize this, gently fold the frozen berries into the batter at the very end and avoid over-mixing. Substitutes For Eggs
A few people have asked about a substitute for the eggs, and so I tested this recipe using both a “chia egg” and a “flax egg”. Either one will work! There’s not really much of a difference in the texture or flavor of the final product—maybe I detected a slightly chewier texture when using ground flaxseed over the chia seed. Here’s how to make this substitute for the two eggs in this recipe:
• Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold, or reheat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to restore their fresh-baked feel.
• Freezer: Freeze pastries in a single layer, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. To reheat, microwave for 20-30 seconds or warm in a toaster oven. Tasty Variations
• Flavor boost: Add ½ tsp of vanilla or almond extract to the batter for an extra flavor punch.
• Berry swaps: Replace blueberries with raspberries, diced strawberries, or chopped peaches for a twist. Just be sure the fruit pieces are all small
• Add a glaze: Make these even more special with a drizzle of glaze made from light cream cheese mixed with a touch of maple syrup or powdered sugar.
I recommend misting the parchment paper with nonstick oil spray to ensure the pastries don’t stick and are easy to remove once they’re done cooking and have slightly cooled on the counter. I haven't had any problems with sticking, but some people have written in to say they've had an issue so it's worth misting the parchment paper to be extra cautious. Swaps for the Pancake Mix
I tested this recipe using lots of different substitutions for the protein pancake mix. Any of the following variations will work well—use the same one cup amount, unless otherwise specified. All of the straight flours (non-pancake mix varieties) will require an extra 1 teaspoon of baking powder, for a total of 3 teaspoons (or 1 Tablespoon).
- Standard pancake mix (not a protein type)
- Standard gluten-free pancake mix (I used King Arthur, so I’m not sure if other brands will work as well)
- All-purpose flour + 1 extra teaspoon baking powder (for a total of 3 tsp)
- Bread flour+ 1 extra teaspoon baking powder (for a total of 3 tsp)
- White-whole wheat flour+ 1 extra teaspoon baking powder (for a total of 3 tsp)
- Whole wheat pastry flour + 1 extra teaspoon baking powder (for a total of 3 tsp)
- Whole wheat flour + 1 extra teaspoon baking powder (for a total of 3 tsp)
- Whole wheat flour (3/4 cup) + vanilla or berry-flavored protein powder (1/4 cup)+ 1 extra teaspoon baking powder (for a total of 3 tsp)
• Make sure your yogurt is very thick, and drain off any liquid from the top before mixing in with your eggs. I recommend vanilla or berry-flavored Greek yogurt without any added sugar. Two brands I like using include Oikos Triple Zero and Chobani 20g. • I’ve also tested this recipe using plain, unflavored, nonfat Greek yogurt. If you decide to give this a try, you’ll need to add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 2 Tbsp of a sweetener. For the sweetener, I recommend maple syrup, but you could also use regular sugar, coconut sugar, or honey (although if you use honey, your breakfast pastries will have a honey-forward flavor, so be sure you love honey!). Since the vanilla and maple syrup will add extra liquid to your batter, add a few tablespoons of additional flour or pancake mix to thicken it back up. Fresh vs Frozen Blueberries
You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe. No need to thaw the frozen ones first—just add them straight from the freezer. If your frozen berries are stuck together in clusters, break them apart before adding. Also, give them a quick shake to remove any ice crystals, which can add unwanted moisture to the batter. NOTE: Frozen berries may cause a little extra color bleed (you might notice purple streaks throughout your batter and finished pastries, which is perfectly normal and doesn’t affect flavor). To help minimize this, gently fold the frozen berries into the batter at the very end and avoid over-mixing. Substitutes For Eggs
A few people have asked about a substitute for the eggs, and so I tested this recipe using both a “chia egg” and a “flax egg”. Either one will work! There’s not really much of a difference in the texture or flavor of the final product—maybe I detected a slightly chewier texture when using ground flaxseed over the chia seed. Here’s how to make this substitute for the two eggs in this recipe:
- Combine 2 Tbsp of either chia seeds or ground flaxseed with 5 Tbsp water. (Both chia seeds and ground flax work for this recipe, but ground flax is preferred.)
- Mix and let sit for at least 10 minutes to slightly firm into a gel.
• Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold, or reheat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to restore their fresh-baked feel.
• Freezer: Freeze pastries in a single layer, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. To reheat, microwave for 20-30 seconds or warm in a toaster oven. Tasty Variations
• Flavor boost: Add ½ tsp of vanilla or almond extract to the batter for an extra flavor punch.
• Berry swaps: Replace blueberries with raspberries, diced strawberries, or chopped peaches for a twist. Just be sure the fruit pieces are all small
• Add a glaze: Make these even more special with a drizzle of glaze made from light cream cheese mixed with a touch of maple syrup or powdered sugar.
Nutrition Information per serving
Serving Size: 1 pastryCalories: 100Carbohydrates: 15gProtein: 7gTotal Fat: 2g— Unsaturated Fat: 2g— Saturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 260mgPotassium: 184mgFiber: 2gTotal Sugar: 6g— Natural Sugar: 4g— Added Sugar: 2g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.