The freezer bag that ends the 8:20 meltdown
Make a double batch of pancake batter on a Sunday, stir in a scoop of vanilla protein powder, and cook them the size of a drink coaster. You will get about thirty.
Sandwich two around a teaspoon of almond butter, stack them with parchment squares between, and freeze the whole stack in a zip bag.
Forty seconds in the microwave and it goes into a napkin in a kid's hand. It tastes like breakfast, which is why a wiped-out eleven-year-old will actually eat it.
Ingredients
The batch makes 8 mini sandwiches. Plan on about 25 minutes, then freeze.
- 1 cup pancake mix
- 1 scoop (about 30g) vanilla protein powder
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cream cheese or nut butter, for filling
- 2 tablespoons jam or sliced banana, for filling
- Butter or oil for the pan
How to Make It
- Whisk the pancake mix, protein powder, milk, and egg into a smooth batter, then let it rest 5 minutes.
- Heat a lightly greased pan over medium and pour 2-inch silver-dollar pancakes.
- Cook until bubbles form on top, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook 1 minute more.
- Let the pancakes cool, then sandwich two together with cream cheese or nut butter and a little jam or banana.
Make It Work for Picky Kids
A kid who only eats plain pancakes can have them as singles, no filling needed.
- Set aside a few plain pancakes before you fill the rest
- Let the kid pick one filling instead of mixing jam and banana
- Make the sandwich open-faced if the closed one looks like too much
Pack or Store
These are built for the freezer, so make a double batch on a Sunday.
- Freeze the plain pancakes flat on a tray, then bag them once solid
- Reheat frozen pancakes 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave before filling
- Pack filled sandwiches with an ice pack and eat within a few hours
- Serve with: a glass of milk, berries
Parent Tip
Keep the pancakes small and even so they stack into a neat sandwich a kid can hold.
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Peanut butter banana
Add two banana coins inside the sandwich for a heavier bite after a long swim practice.
Cinnamon yogurt
Thick Greek yogurt mixed with cinnamon makes a lighter filling that does not freeze rock hard.
Chocolate chip batter
Mini chips stirred into the batter mean nobody asks what the protein powder is doing in there.
Blueberry batch
Frozen blueberries dropped onto each pancake as it cooks keep the batter from turning purple.
Egg and cheese
Leave the powder out and fill with folded egg and cheddar for a savory version before a morning tournament.
Oat flour
Blended oats in place of half the flour make these hold a kid noticeably longer.
Plan the next step
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