Protein-Packed Waffles and Pancakes are the Perfect Way to Start the Day

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it can also be the biggest pain in the ass. Maybe you didn’t sleep well, or maybe it’s just one of those days (or maybe you’re hungover as hell). No matter the reasoning, the thought of making something that will fill you up and give you energy (and not clog your arteries) just seems an insurmountable mountain. You could drag yourself to a fast food place, but then you’ll just feel like crap the rest of the day.

That’s where Kodiak Cakes, a company based in Park City, Utah comes in. With a variety of protein- and energy-packed waffles and pancake mixes, they’ve taken the hard work out of making a healthy and delicious breakfast.

Kodiak Cakes started in 1995 with company owner Joel Clark’s great-grandfather’s hot cakes recipe, which his mother recreated in the early 1980s to sell to friends and family. Once the mix was made, Clark would literally take a red wagon door-to-door to make sales. If that isn’t the story of the American Dream, we don’t know what is, especially when you consider they were on Shark Tank and were ballsy enough to turn down the offers. It worked out for them, though, as Kodiak Cakes has become one of the largest waffle and pancake mix companies in the country (they’ve gotten into every nook and cranny of the market, you might say).

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The reason they were able to do that, obviously, comes down to damn delicious products. Take their Buttermilk Power Cakes, for example. In each serving, you’ll get non-GMO ingredients and no artificial preservatives plus 14 grams of protein per serving (which is derived from a blend of wheat protein isolate, whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate, egg whites). That’s 12 grams more of protein per serving than your typical mix.

For those looking for a little bit of sweet for their morning meal, Kodiak Cakes also makes a variety of protein-packed flavors, including Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and our personal favorite, Cinnamon Oat. (The cinnamon oat served with some apples and real maple syrup are pretty much the perfect breakfast.)

Perhaps the best part about these mixes is their ease. All you have to do is add water (or milk), stir, and voila. You’ve got your pancakes or waffles ready to go. It’s pretty much idiot-proof (especially if you’ve got a waffle iron on hand to do the cooking part).

If you don’t feel like doing the hard work of adding water, stirring, and making the pancakes or waffles yourself — and let’s be honest, we’ve all been in the place where even that is a bit out of our wheelhouse at the time — you’re in luck. Kodiak Cakes also offers up pre-made frozen waffles. (While “Leggo My Kodiak” doesn’t have quite the same ring, we’re more than fine with it—they’re too damn tasty.)

Our favorite way to really do it up with the frozen waffles? Take two of the Dark Chocolate Power Waffles and spread some peanut butter between them.

Next time you’re on the hunt for a healthy breakfast option, we suggest hunting down Kodiak Cakes … or you can just order any of the mixes online here and not have to worry about going to the store — our preferred method of getting groceries. Kodiak Cakes also offers microwavable, granola, oatmeal, and “Minute Muffins,” as well as mixes for brownies, cookies, and muffins.