This roundup of 29 high-protein vegan breakfast recipes will get your morning started right. Many are easy, no-cook, make-ahead breakfast recipe options that also taste DELICIOUS! There’s a good mix of sweet and savoury options, so you’re sure to find something no matter what you’re craving.
Why is protein important at breakfast?
Protein is extremely satisfying, and helps to slow down blood sugar rise. As a registered dietitian, I place a lot of importance on including protein at every meal… and it can be transformative at breakfast! If you’re the type to scarf down a muffin or some cereal and a vanilla nonfat latte in the morning, perhaps you’ve experienced how hungry you can get (so soon!) after breakfast?
When you skimp on the protein – and particularly when you’ve got a lot of refined flours and sugars – your blood sugars soar and then crash just as quickly. It’s a myth that plant-based recipes are low in protein. Protein is not synonymous with meat! There are plenty of higher protein plant foods to keep you energized.
It’s a surefire path to carb cravings, unstable energy levels and maybe even overeating. Getting adequate protein helps you jump off the blood sugar roller coaster. This is super important for all of us because of the effects blood sugars have on cravings, energy levels, and inflammation. So, while breakfast is a great start, enjoying higher protein lunch and dinner meals is a good idea too.
Nuts, seeds, legumes and grains all have protein, but the trick is ensuring you eat enough. A tiny sprinkle of quinoa just won’t cut it, or keep you satiated. When you eat a whole foods, plant-based diet it can feel like you are eating a lot of food… and it’s because whole plant foods are nutrient-dense, not calorie-dense (except for seeds and nuts!).
So instead of eating an 800 calorie muffin, you can pack in a nice big breakfast bowl that will keep you going for way longer.
I love it, and recommend that you buy non-GMO or certified organic tofu. As long as you aren’t allergic to it, tofu is a healthy food that’s also a low FODMAP protein option for folks on a plant-based diet.
To shake up your breakfast routine, try these awesome high protein vegan breakfast recipes. And if you’re looking for more great recipes and breakfast inspiration, check out some of my favourite plant-based cookbooks!
Vegan Breakfast Smoothie and Smoothie Bowl Recipes
From The Spruce. Silken tofu will make this smoothie extra creamy…if you need a higher level of protein (over 20g) just boost it with hemp hearts or a bit of extra protein powder.
This vegan breakfast burrito recipe is the perfect way to start your day! Think black beans, sweet potatoes, spinach and more, for plenty of fibre and protein to set you up for success. A terrific plant-based breakfast, these breakfast burritos are made without tofu, and take just 30 minutes to make. Recipe yields 6 breakfast burritos, and they freeze wonderfully!
Start your day energized, feeling full and ready to go! These yummy high protein overnight oats combine rolled oats, hemp hearts and chia seeds, plant-based milk and natural peanut butter. They're made without protein powder yet pack in a whopping 27 grams of plant-based protein! This breakfast recipe is vegan, gluten free, and I've shared a low FODMAP option too!
Dessert for breakfast? Heck yes! These too-good-to-be-true tiramisu overnight oats contain a whopping 18 grams of protein when made with soy milk and hemp hearts.
Looking for an easy, 15 minute lunch to keep you energized? This Mediterranean Hummus Toast is packed with plant-based protein and fibre to keep you going for hours. It takes just ten minutes to make but it feels special. This serves 2 as a standalone meal, or 4 with a side dish
Roasted pumpkin hummus, richly flavoured with cumin and za’atar, is the perfect topping for sprouted grain bread to create an easy vegan snack or appetizer.
These might just be the most delicious oats you’ll ever make! This vegan apple pie oatmeal is topped with cinnamon and swirled with a five-ingredient tahini caramel sauce that is so delicious your head might explode. As written, the recipe has about 12 grams of protein per serving but you could easily boost that by doubling the hemp hearts.
By Well and Full. Love this recipe… but it’s not actually high protein on it’s own. It’s a common myth that quinoa has a lot of protein! So why is it on here? Because it looks super yummy, and if you stir in 1/4 of hemp hearts just before it’s done cooking, and divide it into two portions, you’ll get your 15+ grams of protein.
This vegan breakfast sandwich is packed with healthy, nourishing ingredients. Made with chickpea flour “eggs,” vegan cheese, spinach, sprouted grain bread, and more, this is an amazing savory plant-based breakfast. It’s quick and easy to make too — you just need 20 minutes!
Looking for a high protein vegan breakfast that will really satisfy? This quick and easy spinach + feta tofu scramble is vegan, gluten free, low FODMAP and only takes about 15 minutes to make.
This filling, fibre and protein-packed chickpea scramble takes less than ten minutes to make and will keep you energized all morning long. Brunch it up by serving with roasted potatoes, fresh fruit and all the fixings!
From Running on Real Food. Love this idea… I would substitute 100% whole grain wheat or rye flour (try a blend of brown rice and GF all purpose if you’re gluten free) and unsweetened almond mylk for the water.
By Oh She Glows. This is a great savoury pancake recipe that is easy to make. Boost the protein by adding 3 tbsp of hemp hearts to the batter…that will get you over 20g of protein!
The first time I made this high-protein vegan breakfast bowl recipe, I ate at 7 a.m., and I wasn’t hungry again until 2. I knew I’d made a rib-sticking, high-protein vegan breakfast.
By Minimalist Baker. This hash packs in greens, comforting and filling sweet potatoes and plenty of protein. If you need a higher protein breakfast, just boost with hemp hearts! 3 tbsp of hemp will get you to about 25g of protein total.
High Protein Vegan Breakfasts: Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie
1serving
Prep Time: 5 minutesmins
This roundup of 29 high-protein vegan breakfast recipes will get your morning started right! Many are easy, no-cook, make-ahead options just like this yummy strawberry pineapple smoothie. This sweet and creamy smoothie takes just 5 minutes to make. It's also low FODMAP so it's a great choice for whenever you're feeling a bit bloated, or if you're following a low FODMAP diet for IBS.
1bottlevegan liquid probiotic, I use Bio-K+ blueberry
Equipment
High Speed Blender
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender, with a couple of ice cubes if you want it extra frosty, and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
Notes
This smoothie has about 10 grams of protein from the hemp hearts.If you need more protein at breakfast, and you’re not worried about keeping it low FODMAP, make it with unsweetened organic soy milk instead of water for an extra 8-9 grams of protein! It will also make the smoothie extra creamy.Confused about protein? Find more sources of plant-based protein here.
