Protein Waffles Recipe – Over 45 Grams of Protein!

Looking for the ultimate protein waffles recipe that actually tastes amazing? This protein waffles recipe changed my breakfast game forever!

So it was Tuesday… wait no, definitely Wednesday last week when I woke up at my usual 6:17am. Anyway, I was STARVING but also didn’t want another boring egg white scramble that would leave me hungry again before my 10:30 client call.

That’s when it hit me – PROTEIN WAFFLES RECIPE TIME!!!! Not just any protein waffles recipe, but the one that legit changed my breakfast life after I turned 45 and my metabolism basically packed its bags and left without even a goodbye note. Rude.

Why This Protein Waffles Recipe Is My Morning Obsession

K so here’s the deal. These protein waffles are sooooo much better than those frozen cardboard things my son Ryan (who changed his major AGAIN last week – that’s 4 times in 19 months, but who’s counting?) brings home from college. They have over 45 grams of protein per batch, which is kinda insane but in the good way???

I’ve been making these at least 3 times a week since my doctor told me I should probably eat more protein for my “advancing age-related muscle maintenance” – thanks for that confidence boost, Dr. Miller. 🙄

The best part is they take like 17.5 minutes total from grabbing ingredients to shoving them in my face while standing over the kitchen sink (the true mom way of eating breakfast).

Whyyy these protein waffles are different than the 79 other recipes online

Ya know what drives me absolutely batty? Those perfect food blogger recipes that are like “my great-grandmother’s treasured recipe passed down through generations”… meanwhile I’m over here literally inventing these protein waffles while simultaneously trying to keep Charlie (our golden retriever who somehow KNOWS when I’m cooking and deliberately positions himself for maximum tripping hazard) from eating a sock.

These protein waffles are:

• Actually filling (not like those other protein waffles that leave you hungry 20 min later)
• Un-mess-up-able (I’ve made them while half asleep and on a conference call)
• Freezable for those mornings when you wake up and realize you forgot to buy coffee AGAIN and need to eat something before you murder someone (just me?)
• Customizable depending on what random protein powder you panic-bought during that 2am insomnia shopping spree

The magical stuff you need (ingredients, duh)

Ok so grab these things:

• 1/2 cup (about 39g) of whatever protein powder you have – I use vanilla but chocolate works too if you’re feeling wild
• 1 large egg (or 2 if they’re those weird small ones my neighbor’s chickens lay)
• 3 tablespoons (like 60g) of Greek yogurt (I use 4% because life’s too short for fat-free anything)
• 1 teaspoon (approx 4g) baking powder (NOT soda – learned that the hard way when I made what can only be described as protein frisbees)
• 1/4 cup oats – the regular kind, not the steel-cut ones that take 84 years to cook

Sometimes I add cinnamon if I’m feeling fancy, which is basically never before 9am. Who has the ENERGY for that??

How to actually make these things

1. Dump everything in a bowl. Not even kidding. Just throw it all in there.
2. Mix it till it looks like waffle batter. You know what waffle batter looks like, right? If not, google it, I’m not your mom. Wait, if you’re Emma or Ryan reading this, I AM your mom, and yes I did eat the last of the peanut butter, sorry not sorry.
3. Heat your waffle iron until that little light changes color. Mine is from 2013 and makes this concerning clicking noise but still works.
4. Spray the waffle iron with that non-stick stuff because NOTHING is worse than having to chip dried waffle concrete out of the grooves with a butter knife while crying.
5. Pour in enough batter to make however many waffles your iron makes. Mine makes 2 small ones which is perfect because then I can pretend I’m being portion-controlled.
6. Cook until they look done-ish, usually about 3-5 minutes but honestly I just check obsessively every 30 seconds after the 2-minute mark because I have ZERO patience.

That one time I tried to make these without eggs

Sooo Emma went through this vegan phase last year (which lasted approximately 17 days until she remembered that cheese exists) but during that brief window I tried making these protein waffles with no eggs.

Instead of eggs, I used:

• 2 tablespoons of applesauce OR
• 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water

They were… different. Not bad, just had this weird texture that was kinda like what I imagine eating a dampened kitchen sponge would be like?? But Emma ate them and didn’t die, so there’s that.

The protein count drops a bit without the egg – you get about 14g per serving instead. But they still kept me full through my morning where I had to deal with Charlie destroying ANOTHER couch cushion (that’s $1200 in dog destruction this year alone).

The Premier Protein hack that saved my Tuesday

Last Tuesday was a DAY, lemme tell ya. I woke up at 5:47am because Charlie was barking at literally nothing, couldn’t fall back asleep, and realized we were out of Greek yogurt because SOMEONE (looking at you, James) ate the last container as a “midnight snack.”

But then I remembered I had those Premier Protein shakes that were on sale at Costco (bought a case even though I’ve only ever finished like 3 of them because they’re kinda chalky but the price was too good to pass up).

So I substituted:

• 1/4 cup Premier Protein shake instead of Greek yogurt
• Added 1 extra tablespoon of oats to thicken it up
• Used a pinch more baking powder

And honestly??? They turned out amazing. Each mini waffle had like 7g of protein which isn’t too shabby. They weren’t as fluffy as my regular recipe but when you’re running on 4 hours of sleep and your first Zoom call is in 37 minutes, you take what you can get.

My weird but delish gluten-free version

James’s sister visited last month and she’s got that gluten thing where she gives you a 45-minute lecture about cross-contamination if you so much as look at a bread crumb. So I made these for her:

• 1 1/4 cups blanched almond flour (the expensive kind because heaven forbid we use the cheaper stuff)
• 1/2 cup oat flour (which is literally just oats I blended in my ancient food processor)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (she insists regular salt has “toxins” and honestly I was too tired to argue)
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

They were actually pretty good! Kinda grainy but in that “I’m eating healthy” way that makes you feel virtuous. Each serving had like 522 calories tho so maybe not an everyday thing unless you’re training for the Olympics or something.

Toppings that make these protein waffles actually exciting

Let’s be real, protein waffles on their own are about as exciting as watching paint dry. The magic happens with TOPPINGS. Here’s what I’ve tried:

• Berries – all of ’em. Strawberries, blueberries, those weird expensive ones that cost like $7 for 6 berries.
• Banana slices when they’re at that perfect ripeness (which is a 17-minute window between “too green” and “should’ve made banana bread yesterday”)
• Nut butters – I’m obsessed with this almond butter from Trader Joe’s that costs more than my first car payment
• Pure maple syrup – but like, a responsible adult amount, not the swimming pool quantity I WANT to use
• This berry chia jam I make when I’m pretending to have my life together (literally just smoosh berries with chia seeds and let it sit)

The other day I was in a rush and just slapped some peanut butter and jelly on these like a regular waffle and it was LIFE CHANGING. Sometimes the fancy stuff isn’t better, ya know?

How I meal prep these for my chaotic mornings

OK, real talk. There are days when I can barely remember to brush my teeth, let alone make a proper breakfast. That’s when my meal prepped waffles save the day.

Here’s what I do when I’m feeling like a responsible adult (happens about once a month, usually coincides with me cleaning out the fridge after discovering something that’s grown fur):

1. Make a double batch of these protein waffles on Sunday
2. Let them cool COMPLETELY (learned that the hard way when I stacked them hot and created a waffle monolith)
3. Put little pieces of parchment paper between them
4. Throw them in a freezer bag and toss in freezer
5. Forget they’re there until I’m desperately hungry one morning
6. Remember they exist and feel like I’ve discovered buried treasure
7. Pop them in the toaster to reheat

They last about 3 months in the freezer, but honestly they’ve never made it past 2 weeks in my house because midnight snacking is a real problem when you’re going through perimenopause and wake up at 2am drenched in sweat. FUN TIMES.

The real talk nutritional breakdown

For people who care about numbers (I do, ever since my doctor gave me that look at my last physical), here’s what you’re getting in each serving of these protein waffles:

• Protein: approximately 22-23g per waffle (so a serving of 2 = 45ish grams)
• Calories: about 200 per waffle (400 for a serving)
• Carbs: roughly 5g per waffle (10g per serving)
• Fat: around 8g per waffle (16g per serving)

But like, these numbers change depending on what protein powder you use and if you accidentally dump in extra Greek yogurt because you were distracted by your husband asking where his keys are (THEY’RE WHERE YOU LEFT THEM, JAMES).

The time I tried to make protein waffles for 17 people

Last Christmas I had this BRILLIANT idea to make protein waffles for my entire extended family. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT attempt this unless you:

1. Have multiple waffle irons
2. Enjoy sweating profusely while people ask “are they ready yet?”
3. Want to spend your holiday morning making 34 individual waffles

I ended up with waffle batter splattered on the ceiling (still there, actually, I’ve named the spot “Waffle Wilson”) and a newfound appreciation for restaurant cooks.

The trick was to make a massive batch with:

• 3 cups protein powder
• 12 eggs (yes, a full dozen)
• 2 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
• 7 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups oats

Did they turn out perfect? Absolutely not. Were they edible? Mostly. Did my family still talk about “that time Lisa tried to cook” at Easter? Unfortunately yes.

Why I’m weirdly obsessed with these protein waffles

Look, I’ve tried ALL the protein breakfasts. Those egg white things you microwave? Rubber. Protein shakes? Leaves me hungry in 45 minutes. Protein bars? Tastes like sweetened chalk.

These protein waffles keep me full until lunch, which is basically a miracle on par with finding a parking spot at Target on a Saturday.

Plus, they help with this whole “maintaining muscle mass” thing my doctor keeps harping on about. Apparently after 40, your muscles start plotting their escape unless you actively convince them to stay with protein and resistance training.

I’ve also noticed my nails are stronger since eating more protein, which is nice because now I can open La Croix cans without breaking a nail and cursing loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

The bottom line on these magical protein waffles

If you’re looking for a breakfast that:

• Takes less than 20 minutes to make
• Has enough protein to keep you full for hours
• Doesn’t taste like you’re eating healthy (the MOST important part)
• Can be customized based on whatever random ingredients you have
• Makes you feel slightly superior to people eating regular waffles

Then honestly, make these protein waffles. Your muscles, hunger levels, and family members who don’t have to deal with your hangry attitude will thank you.

Oh! And if you loved this recipe (or even if you hated it but enjoyed my descent into breakfast madness), check out some of my other breakfast creations:

• These egg white bites that I make when I’m pretending to be a fancy coffee shop
• My banana oatmeal pancakes that my son Ryan actually requests when he’s home from college
• Apple pancakes for when you bought too many apples because they were on sale
• Chicken and waffles for when you’re feeling fancy but also want protein

If you’re really into protein but tired of breakfast recipes, check out The Protein Chef’s waffle recipe too – different from mine but still pretty good (not as good as mine tho, just saying).

Anyway, gotta run – Charlie is giving me that look that means he’s about 30 seconds away from eating something expensive. Lemme know if you try these waffles and if they change your breakfast life like they did mine!

~ Lisa

FAQ

What are protein waffles?

Protein waffles are basically regular waffles but with protein powder mixed in. They have way more protein than regular waffles, which makes them actually filling instead of leaving you hungry 20 minutes later. They come in different flavors depending on what protein powder you use – vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, whatever floats your boat.

How can I make protein waffles without eggs?

Use about 2 tablespoons of applesauce or 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water to replace each egg. The texture’s a bit different – kinda spongier – but they still taste good. Great option if you’re vegan or just realized you forgot to buy eggs (again).

What are the key ingredients needed for high-protein waffles?

The must-haves are protein powder, some kind of flour (regular or gluten-free), a liquid (milk or water), a binding agent (eggs or substitutes), and baking powder to make them fluffy. Greek yogurt or cottage cheese adds extra protein and makes them moist. You can customize based on your dietary needs.

Can I use Premier Protein powder in my waffle recipe?

Absolutely! Premier Protein powder works great in waffle recipes. You can use the powder directly in the batter, or substitute some of the liquid with a Premier Protein shake. Each mini waffle made with Premier Protein has about 7 grams of protein, which is pretty decent for a small waffle.

Are there gluten-free options for protein waffles?

Yes! Use almond flour, oat flour (make sure it’s certified gluten-free), or a gluten-free flour blend. The texture might be slightly different – usually a bit denser – but they’re still delicious. Just make sure your protein powder is also gluten-free (most are, but always check).

What are some creative toppings for protein waffles?

Fresh berries, sliced bananas, nut butters, Greek yogurt, pure maple syrup, homemade chia jam, chopped nuts, low-sugar chocolate chips, cinnamon, or even a dollop of whipped cream for special occasions. The possibilities are endless – whatever you’d put on regular waffles works here too.

How can I store leftover protein waffles?

Let them cool completely first (important!). For short-term storage, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, place parchment paper between each waffle, put them in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a toaster for best results.

What are the health benefits of protein waffles?

They help with muscle recovery after workouts, keep you fuller longer than carb-heavy breakfasts, provide steady energy without crashes, and can help maintain muscle mass (especially important as we age). Plus, they’re a way to eat waffles without the guilt of regular waffles. Win-win!