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Home » Recipes » Cinnamon Swirl Protein Cake

Christel OerumBy Christel Oerum on July 11, 2018, Updated April 20, 2020
Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

Cinnamon Swirl Protein Cake

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Cinnamon swirl protein cake
Cinnamon swirl protein cake
Cinnamon Swirl Protein Cake is a must-try! It’s a high-protein breakfast that’s sugar-free and tastes amazing. If you’ve been looking for a great protein powder recipe, you’ve found one!

With this Cinnamon Swirl Protein Cake, you can have cake for breakfast! It’s a tasty, high-protein treat that will make you excited to get out of bed in the morning.

Cinnamon swirl protein cake in glass pan

I don’t know about you, but I love a breakfast that reminds me of dessert!

There is something so fun about crawling out of bed in the morning and starting my day with a sweet treat. I guess that’s why people love to wake up and have a big breakfast of waffles or pancakes drowning in syrup, right?

However, as someone living with diabetes, eating sugary pancakes smothered in sugary syrup is not a good breakfast option. In fact, it’s not exactly a good breakfast option for anyone (even if it tastes great going down!)

I like to eat breakfasts that are high in protein and have a moderate amount of low-glycemic carbs and healthy fats. That’s why I created this nutritious (and very delicious) cinnamon swirl protein cake. Yes, cake for breakfast!

How to make cinnamon swirl protein cake

This delicious, breakfast-approved cake is very simple to make and only requires 6 ingredients (and one of them is water!)

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C).

Step 2: Blend the oats, egg white, and water until the consistency is smooth (I use a Nutribullet).

Step 3: Pour the mixture into a bowl. Whisk it together with the protein powder and 1 tsp. Stevia. The mixture should be like a thick pancake batter.

Step 4: Pour half of the batter into a small (about 4.5 inches across) nonstick pan and sprinkle with two-thirds of the cinnamon plus 1 tsp. Stevia. Pour the remaining batter and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon.

Step 5: Pull a knife through the batter a few times to slightly mix in the cinnamon and Stevia.

Step 6: Bake for 25 minutes and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

I love to make this cinnamon swirl protein cake in a small loaf pan because I can slice it up and eat one slice at a time, but you can make it in any oven-safe dish you want. As you can see in the photos, it also bakes great in a small round glass baking dish!

Cinnamon swirl cake in a paper loaf pan

Nutrition and macros

As you might expect with the name, this recipe has a ton of protein (34 grams). It also has a moderate amount of carbs (18 grams) and fat (2 grams).

There are only 217 calories in the entire protein cake recipe, which makes it a healthy, low-calorie breakfast option.

Who knew eating cake for breakfast could be so good for you?

Making ahead of time

One thing I really love about this recipe is that it stores so well in the fridge.

If you’re rushing around most mornings like I am, you probably appreciate a breakfast that you can make the night before and just pop in the microwave the next morning.

This recipe is perfect for that! If you store it in the fridge, you can warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds. It tastes good and it’s convenient. Talk about a win-win!

But just because this cinnamon swirl cake makes a great breakfast, that shouldn’t hold you back from eating it as a snack or dessert as well. With the high protein content (thanks mostly to the vanilla protein powder), it’s a great way to increase your protein consumption at any time of the day.

If you want to get a little decadent for dessert, you could spread a thin layer of almond butter on a slice. Yum!

Sliced cinnamon swirl cake on a wooden cutting board

Tip and tricks for this recipe

I have two important tips when it comes to this recipe.

First, although you might be tempted, don’t try to increase the ingredients and make a “giant loaf” for a bunch of meals. If you do that, it doesn’t get cooked all the way through… and the last thing you want is a mushy protein cake!

Second, make sure you’re using the right protein powder. You want a protein powder that is suitable for baking and has a strong vanilla flavor. I use Met-RX Vanilla Protein but other brands should work as well.

If you try this recipe and it doesn’t come out right, try changing your protein powder.

Storage

This delicious cake keeps very well in the fridge, so it’s a great recipe to make ahead of time to have for breakfast or a snack!

You can store this dish in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

More high protein recipes

I love incorporating protein powder into my baked goods. If you want to try a few more of these recipes, check out a few of my favorites that I know you’ll love!

  • Protein Pancakes
  • Protein Berry Crumble
  • Low Carb Protein Cheesecake

For even more healthy high-protein recipes, take a look at my roundups of the best low-carb breakfast ideas for diabetics and diabetic desserts.

When you’ve tried this dish, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!

Recipe Card

Cinnamon Swirl Protein Cake

With this Cinnamon Swirl Protein Cake, you can have cake for breakfast! It's a tasty, high-protein treat that will make you excited to get out of bed in the morning.
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Author:Christel Oerum
Servings:1
Cinnamon Swirl Protein Cake is a must-try! It’s a high-protein breakfast that’s sugar-free and tastes amazing. If you’ve been looking for a great protein powder recipe, you’ve found one!
4.6 from 210 votes
Review Print

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup oats
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 2 tsp. Stevia
  • ½ tbsp. cinnamon
  • ⅓ Cup water
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C)
  • Blend the oats, egg white, and water until the consistency is smooth (I use a Nutribullet)
  • Pour the mixture into a bowl. Whisk it together with the protein powder and 1 tsp. Stevia. The mixture should be like thick pancake batter.
  • Pour half of the batter into a small (about 4.5 inches across) nonstick pan and sprinkle with two-thirds of the cinnamon plus 1 tsp. Stevia. Pour the remaining batter and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon. 
  • Pull a knife through the batter a few times to slightly mix in the cinnamon and Stevia.
  • Bake for 25 minutes and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

This recipe is for one serving of cinnamon swirl cake.
This dish keeps very well in the fridge. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To reheat, place in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Make sure you’re using a protein powder with a strong vanilla flavor that holds up well to baking. If the recipe doesn’t come out right, consider changing the protein powder.

Nutrition Info Per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Cinnamon Swirl Protein Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 217 Calories from Fat 17
% Daily Value*
Fat 1.9g3%
Saturated Fat 0.5g3%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.4g
Cholesterol 12.5mg4%
Sodium 145.9mg6%
Potassium 247.8mg7%
Carbohydrates 17.9g6%
Fiber 4.2g17%
Sugar 1.1g1%
Protein 31.5g63%
Calcium 511mg51%
Iron 1.2mg7%
Net carbs 13.7g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: protein baking, protein cake, protein powder cake
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Categories: Recipes Tags: Gluten Free, 30 min or less, Desserts & Snacks

Christel Oerum

About Christel Oerum

Christel is the founder of Diabetes Strong. She is a Certified Personal Trainer specializing in diabetes. As someone living with type 1 diabetes, Christel is particularly passionate about helping others with diabetes live active healthy lives. She’s a diabetes advocate, public speaker, and author of the popular diabetes book Fit With Diabetes.

View all posts by Christel Oerum

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarKat says

    November 23, 2020 at 5:57 pm

    My concoction is in the oven right now but it’s such a small amount that I don’t think it’ll take 25 minutes to cook. It barely filled the bottom of the small loaf pan that I’m using. I was hoping this would be enough for me to eat throughout the week. Was I supposed to double/triple the recipe to yield more than one serving?

    Reply
    • Christel OerumChristel Oerum says

      November 24, 2020 at 1:23 pm

      This recipe is only for one serving. If you want enough for a few days you’d have to double or triple the batch

      Reply
      • AvatarNatalie Stevens says

        December 20, 2020 at 7:30 am

        What size pan do you use for one serving?

        Reply
        • Christel OerumChristel Oerum says

          December 22, 2020 at 12:29 am

          A 4.5 inches across nonstick pan

    • AvatarDiana says

      January 14, 2021 at 10:54 am

      Hello,
      I am in Canada and can’t seem to get that specific protein powder. Can you recommend on that’s available on Amazon.ca with a strong vanilla flavour?

      Reply
      • Christel OerumChristel Oerum says

        January 14, 2021 at 5:14 pm

        I found the Met-RX vanilla protein powder on the Canadian Amazon (searched: met-rx protein powder). If you’d rather go with something different you can also try the Quest protein powder brand

        Reply
  2. Avatarpedro says

    November 5, 2020 at 5:02 pm

    How many grams of whey did you use and can i use Xylitol instead of stevia?

    Reply
    • Christel OerumChristel Oerum says

      November 6, 2020 at 1:41 pm

      One scoop of the brand I use is about 1 oz. / 28.5 grams. And one scoop has 20 grams of protein.
      A different sweetener than Stevia should work

      Reply
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