• Written by Rich McNabb • Proofread & Edited by Claude AI
After a morning surf I'm starving, and most cafe breakfasts are off the menu thanks to my allergies. This banana protein pancake recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, solving both with one swap, ready before hunger catches up.
Coming back from a morning surf, I’m starving and already thinking about breakfast. American diners have the right idea, a photo next to every dish so you know exactly what you’re signing up for, and the portions are oversized enough to set you up for the entire day.
That’s the mindset by the last hour of a surf too. I’m already taking stock of what’s in the fruit bowl and what needs picking up on the way home, especially once the watch tallies up just how much I’ve burned. My last session came in at 1,779 kcal over two hours and forty-nine minutes, pretty much a full day’s calories gone before I’ve even towelled off.
Most places in New Zealand don’t do this, so it turns into a game of scanning the menu for icons and searching for acronyms instead. GF, DF, a bit of a decoder ring exercise when you’re allergic to tomatoes among a few other things, before the coffee’s even ordered. Failing that, I hand it over to Ali. She used to work in a restaurant, and the waitstaff have a much easier time with her accent than mine.
These pancakes sidestep all of that. They’re built from a CityFitness protein pancake recipe, adapted with one swap so they’re gluten-free and dairy-free too.
Only needs three ingredients: banana, egg and protein powder.
Per serving:
Double the batch, they’re a great way to refuel after a workout or surf. Gluten-free and dairy-free can end up tasting like plain tofu if not done right, since cutting the standard protein powder loses some of what makes it taste good too. Going with a chocolate flavour helps fight that on its own. Fresh fruit, a drizzle of honey, a good filtered coffee on the side, small additions that make up the difference.
Step 1: Mash the banana
Mash the banana in a medium mixing bowl until smooth.
Step 2: Mix
Add the egg and protein powder, then stir until fully combined.
Step 3: Cook
Pour the batter onto a greased frying pan using a quarter cup measure.
Step 4: Flip
Flip each pancake once bubbles start forming on the surface.
Step 5: Finish
Remove from the pan once golden brown.
Step 6: Serve
Top with whatever’s in the fruit bowl and in season.
Most protein powders are whey based, and whey’s a dairy product by nature, made from what’s left over after cheese making. That rules out dairy-free before gluten even comes into it. Whey itself doesn’t naturally contain gluten, though flavoured blends and shared manufacturing lines often introduce it anyway.
Pea protein sidesteps both problems from the start, no dairy to begin with, and nothing wheat based anywhere near the process.
There’s a specific kind of hunger that shows up after a surf, and these pancakes are built for exactly that moment. Workout finished, breakfast sorted, nothing left to negotiate with a menu.
Blueberries, kiwifruit and banana all work well as toppings, the same banana and kiwifruit I once used designing a travel mobile app for New Zealand’s biosecurity border checks.
This is the first of a few gluten and dairy swaps I’ve been working through. A waffle version’s next, with a bit more story behind it. This is the first of a few gluten and dairy swaps I’ve been working through. A waffle recipe is next, with a bit more story behind it.