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.

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!

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!

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!