6 High Protein Vegan Breakfast Recipes To Give You Energy For the Day

It's not called the most important meal of the day for no reason. If you're vegan or have dietary limitations, it's critical that you obtain enough protein in your diet to get you through the day. We'll make sure you're ready to accomplish just that with these six high-protein vegan breakfast ideas.

A Quick Note on Sustainability

Before we begin, a quick note about the ingredients used in several of the high protein vegan breakfasts below: they are often imported from nations other than the United States. Whenever possible, you should choose locally sourced, in-season ingredients that have been certified organic and/or Fairtrade. Make an effort to lower your carbon footprint and support decent wages and working conditions by purchasing Fairtrade products like fruits, sugar, chocolate, and nuts.

Eating in an environmentally responsible manner is only one way to lessen your household’s impact on the environment.

We’ve done our best to showcase the huge variety of excellent plant-based protein sources available, that are perfect for every taste and every day of the week. So, without further ado, here are six high-protein vegan breakfasts that are simple to make and highly nutritious to help you get your day off to the perfect start.

1. Overnight Oats

If you’re a recurring reader, you may be aware that we’ve sung the praises of overnights oats before. Recipes for overnight oats are a quick and easy way to get more protein into your morning routine if you’re put off by the thought of plain porridge or oatmeal. The combination of oats and seeds is also a great source of protein.

They may be made quickly and with a wide variety of ingredients, giving you a new breakfast experience every day. Try one of the overnight oats recipes below if you’re short on time in the mornings but still want a healthy high protein vegan breakfast to get your day started off right.

Estimated Cooking Time: 5 minutes preparation (left 12 hours overnight)

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of oats
• 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon
• 2-3 tsp of seeds (hemp or chia seeds work great)
• 1/2 cup of oat milk (other plant-based milk work fine too)
• 4 tbsp of (vegan) yogurt
• 1 handful of berries

Instructions:

1. Add your dry ingredients to a mason jar or bowl.
2. Pour in the wet ingredients (plant milk and yogurt). 
3. Stir thoroughly (making sure seeds don’t clump together) and refrigerate overnight.
4. In the morning, add your berries and any other toppings you can think of.
5. Enjoy!

2. Tofu Scrambled Eggs

When cooked properly, soft tofu is a great source of protein and can take on the texture of scrambled eggs. Depending on personal preference, this can be done in an infinite variety of ways, using a wide range of tofu varieties, seasonings, and additions.

Estimated Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups of firm tofu, drained
• 2 tbsp of oil (rapeseed/olive/sunflower are all ok – for greasing the pan)
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped and deseeded
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chipped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp of chili powder
• 1 tbsp water
• fresh coriander, chopped (optional garnish)
• lemon juice, to squeeze (optional garnish)

Instructions

1. First things first, drain your firm tofu to remove excess liquid. It shouldn’t be too soft and crumbly.
2. Coat your pan thoroughly with some oil and turn the pan on medium-low heat.
3. Slice and deseed your bell pepper. Then your tomato and onion and add to the skillet. Allow all three ingredients to sauté for about three minutes until their soft.
4. Next, crumble your tofu into the pan and stir thoroughly.
5. Afterward, toss in all of your spices (to the mixture and add 1 tbsp of to help everything marinate smoother, and to prevent the pan from sticking. Season with salt according to taste.
6. Keep stirring well enough so that your tofu resembles the texture of scrambled eggs.
7. You can add a squeeze of chopped coriander or lemon juice if you fancy some extra flavor.
8. Keep letting all the flavors marinate and simmer for a further five minutes.
9. Serve and enjoy!

Tip: We’ve discussed tofu’s impacts on individual health and the environment before. Most soybeans cultivated are used to make animal products, not necessarily tofu or soy milk. As one of the world’s biggest producers of soybeans, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding American-grown tofu.

To ensure you consume tofu that is healthy for you and the environment, make sure to only buy US-produced, organic tofu from your local grocery or health shop and make sure it’s from the US to prevent long transit routes that contribute to pollution.

3. Vegan Oatmeal Banana Pancakes

Although bananas themselves contain relatively little protein, the inclusion of oatmeal and flaxseed eggs in this recipe helps make these delicious plant-based pancakes a high-protein vegan breakfast that is perfect for all occasions.

Estimated Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 overripe bananas
• 1 cup of sweetened plant-based milk (oat or almond)
• 3 tbsp of maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 flax eggs
• 1/4 cup of oats
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp of baking powder
• 2 tsp of oil/vegan butter (for greasing the pan)
• Chopped bananas (optional -for a topping)

Instructions:

1. To a large bowl, mash your ripened bananas until smooth and creamy.
2. Next, add your wet ingredients (plant milk, syrup, vanilla extract, flax eggs, a touch of water,) and stir thoroughly.
3. Add your dry ingredients (oats, cinnamon, flour, baking powder) and keep stirring until you have a relatively smooth mixture in the same bowl.
4. Using a good non-stick pan, add a dollop of oil to grease your pan. Next, use a ladle and scoop roughly a 1/4 of your new batter onto the warm pan.
5. Allow it to brown on one side before flipping, take care not to let one side stick to the pan.
6. Once thoroughly browned on both sides, remove your pancakes and add to a side plate. ]
7. Repeat until you run out of batter. This recipe should make approximately 10 pancakes.
8. Once you’re finished cooking your pancakes, serve them on a plate and top them off with some chopped bananas and maple syrup.
9. Enjoy!

Tip: You should try to find organic, Fairtrade bananas and other ingredients whenever possible because they have been treated with fewer pesticides. Particularly problematic are bananas, which are prone to contamination and may originate from plantations where employees are mistreated and forced to endure appalling conditions.

4. Chickpea Wraps (with Vegan Sour Cream Dip)

We’re happy to share our recipe for some delicious chickpea wraps, a wonderful high-protein and vegan breakfast recipe that is very quick and easy to make — yet still satisfies our morning hunger cravings. This is perfect for readers who want to cut out meat in their diets and who want to eat more healthily. If you like, feel free to experiment with the various vegan components.

For this recipe, we decided to complement our wraps with a delicious, super simple vegan sour cream dip that adds even more protein to your breakfast due to it being made from silken tofu.

Chickpea Wraps

Estimated Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2 – 3

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups (or 1 can) of cooked chickpeas
• 1 tbsp of oil (rapeseed, sunflower, or olive oil is fine)
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp of paprika (smoked if you can handle it)
• 1 small red onion
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of vinegar (malt works *great)
• 1 cup of vegan sour cream* {optional}
• 4 wholegrain corn tortilla wraps
• Fresh basil, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

1. Drain your chickpeas and add to a bowl for mixing.
2. Add your olive oil and paprika, salt and pepper and mix well.
3. Put this chickpea mixture on a clean baking tray and let it roast for 15-20 minutes. Halfway through this process, give the chickpeas a quick stir to make sure they cook thoroughly.
4. While the chickpeas are in the oven, thinly slice the red onion and wash and cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Put in a small bowl with vinegar and lemon juice and let it all marinate. Feel free to add more salt and pepper
5. While your chickpeas are cooking, you can make your vegan sour cream dip*in five minutes.
6. If you have space, you can also heat the tortillas in the oven for a minute or two until warm.
7. The chickpeas should also be done by now. Take them out and mix everything in the same bowl.
8. Create your wraps! Why not spread your vegan sour cream on the wrap first.
9. Put the rest of the ingredients in a line down the middle, then fold. First the bottom, then the sides. 
10. If you like, sprinkle a little fresh basil for extra flavor over your chickpea wrap before you fold it up.
11. Enjoy!

Vegan Sour Cream (for dipping)

Estimated Prep Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cup of silken tofu
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 salt

Instructions

1. Put everything in a blender or food processor and blend on low until the tofu is smooth and creamy. Season to taste, adding more salt and lemon juice as necessary.
2. Serve as a dip for vegetables or use as a topping for tacos.

5. Vegan Breakfast Potatoes

This high-protein vegan breakfast is also loaded with fiber. All in all, keeping you full for hours and setting the tone for a productive day. We’ve already touched on the fact that tofu is a great vegan protein source, but it’s worth emphasizing again. Not only is it relatively inexpensive to make but it is also rich in healthy unsaturated fats. Like any other good thing, consuming soy in moderation is important.

Estimated Cooking Time: 25 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 3 medium potatoes, cubed
• 2 medium onions (white or yellow is fine), thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp oil (rapeseed/olive oil is fine)
• 7 oz of firm tofu
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
• Salt and ground black pepper  (season to taste)

Instructions:

1. Make sure the potatoes are clean and chop them into cubes roughly with the width of an inch. Prepare the onion by peeling and halving the onions. Afterward, cut the onion into thin slices.
2. Pour your oil of choice into a pan and set on a low to medium heat.
3. Put some olive oil in a pan and cook it over low to medium. Add your potatoes and allow them to sweat for five minutes, while stirring occasionally. As soon as they begin to sweat, toss in the onions.
4. Break the firm tofu into crumbs and add it to the bowl with the spices (garlic, cumin, oregano), salt, and pepper. Stir everything together, then cover with a lid (if possible) for around 15 minutes. Allow this mixture to simmer and add extra salt, seasoning and oil as needed. If you want to save calories, you can substitute the extra oil with water.
5. Next, chop your cherry tomatoes in half and sauté for about five minutes. Again, if you don’t want to use extra oil to keep the pan from sticking, you can alternatively use a few droplets of boiling water to fry. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. As soon as the potatoes are tender all the way through, mix everything together thoroughly. Your vegan breakfast potatoes are ready to serve.
7. Enjoy!

6. Vegan French Toast

For vegans, traditional French toast is off-limits due to the use of eggs. As an alternative, we’d like to present a high-protein vegan breakfast variation that is at least as good as, if not better than, the traditional egg version that requires very little effort to prepare and serve. Instead of eggs, our vegan French Toast is made with tofu.

We recommend using slightly older, crusty white bread and cutting it into thick slices for the best results when making vegan French Toast. When combined with liquids, the bread may get mushy or fall apart if it is too thin and soft.

Estimated Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 6-8 thick slices of crusty white bread
• 1 cup of a plant-based milk substitute (preferably unsweetened) 
• 1/2 cup of firm tofu
• 1 tbsp of a vegan butter substitute, plus some extra for greasing the pan.
• 2 tbsp of organ, unrefined white sugar
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/3 tsp of cinnamon
• A pinch of salt (use sparingly)
• Blueberries (optional)

Instruction:

1. Make a smooth spread by blending all ingredients (except the bread) in a blender.
2. Pour your blended wet ingredient mixture into a bowl. Use it as a platform for dunking your bread in before you add it to the pan.
3. Using a good non-stick pan, spread some vegan butter and let it melt on medium to low heat. If you don’t have vegan butter, a little dab of oil can work.
4. Once you’ve covered each side in the mixture (don’t let it get too wet), add your bread (one slice at a time) to the pan. Make sure not to leave the bread too long on the pan, five minutes for each side is perfect. After you’ve toasted one side, flip it over and repeat.
5. Once both sides are deeply browned, take the slice of bread out of the pan and add another. Repeat until all slices are sufficiently toasted.
6. Once you’re ready to serve, you can make your plate of vegan French toast look pretty with a small handle of blueberries on top.
7. Enjoy!

Read more:

• Vegan Yogurt Recipe for a Plant-Based Breakfast
• Granola Bars Recipe: How to Make Them Quickly and Sustainably
• Best Morning Routine: 10 Tips for Healthy Morning Rituals That Will Kick-Start Your Day
• How to Use Cinnamon Sticks in 6 Unexpected Ways

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Tags: Breakfast Guide Recipes Vegan