Keto Pancakes With Coconut Flour
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If you’ve given up on making keto pancakes that taste like regular pancakes, this recipe is for you. Get ready for fluffy, low carb pancakes that are gluten-free, made with coconut flour, and delicious.
I’m going to say up front that those two-ingredient egg and cream cheese “pancakes” people swear by just aren’t for me. If you love them, then bless your healthy cream cheese-y egg loving heart…but if I’m going to make pancakes, well then I want pancakes.
If you’re in a hurry, feel free to hit that Jump To Recipe button at the top of this post. But as always, I’m sharing loads of advice to help you improve your low carb baking that you won’t want to miss. I’m also answering some of the most commonly asked reader questions. There’s a good chance you might be wondering the same things!
How To Make Coconut Flour Pancakes That Taste Like Regular Pancakes:
So how do we take keto ingredients and make fluffy pancakes that are delicious and (to be perfectly honest) taste like they’re made with gluten?
First, we’re going to add a little whey protein powder and whole psyllium husk to get the perfect amount of structure and texture without making the pancake batter gummy. As an added bonus, the psyllium husk also adds fiber.
Next, we’re going to resist the urge to use a huge number of eggs. DON’T DO IT. You see, it’s sort of a myth that coconut flour requires a zillion eggs. True, coconut flour alone can’t create structure and texture like gluten can… but if we try to lean entirely on eggs to fill that role, we’ll end up with super eggy pancakes. In some baked goods, it works but in this case, it’s not what we’re going for.
Another key to this recipe is a perfectly balanced amount of baking soda and baking powder. The baking soda in this pancake recipe reacts with the apple cider vinegar to balance the acid (in our homemade half-and-half “buttermilk”) but it also helps increase the Maillard reaction. As a result, we get beautiful golden brown pancakes with the perfect hint of crustiness. No pale limp pancakes here! Woo hoo!
The baking powder, on the other hand, is double-acting. That second lift is activated by heat when our pancakes are in the pan, giving our pancakes an extra boost of fluffiness.
HOWEVER, it’s important not to go overboard and add too much baking powder based on coconut flour’s heavy and cakey reputation! Excess baking powder will result in an underlying bitter, metallic taste. Not only that, the rise will actually be too powerful for our gluten-free batter to support. This means baked goods end up collapsing back on themselves instead of coagulating at that light and airy peak we want. So sad!
More Tips To Make The Best Keto Fluffy Pancakes
- I always like to cook pancakes over medium-low heat. Ideally, you want the top of the batter to just set at the same time the bottom reaches the perfect shade of golden brown. If the heat is too high, the pancake bottom will be brown long before the top can set, and flipping the pancakes will be messy and difficult.
- Ghee is my absolute favorite fat to cook pancakes in. If you try to use whole butter instead, you’ll find that the milk solids tend to go beyond the point of brown butter and burn in the pan. Since ghee removes those milk solids, you get the buttery flavor without the burned specks. Coconut oil and avocado oil also work well, I just like that extra buttery flavor that ghee provides.
- Making pancakes involves a lot of standing around waiting while they cook, so I usually multitask and whip up a batch while I’m already in the kitchen making dinner.
- This recipe doubles very well and the leftovers hold up beautifully in the freezer (or you could refrigerate for up to a week). If you’re using a Vitamix blender like I do, a double batch fits perfectly in a 48 oz Vitamix blender pitcher (and will definitely fit in the larger pitchers as well).
- For the best texture, reheat leftovers in the oven, toaster oven, or even a pop-up toaster. This will help refresh the delicious crust. The microwave tends to make baked goods softer, so I try to avoid using it to reheat pancakes.
What To Put On Low Carb Pancakes
Once you’ve made fluffy low carb pancakes, you won’t want to put sugar-filled maple syrup on them. What are your options for toppings? Here are a few ideas:
1. Keto Maple Flavored Syrup
There are several truly keto brands on the market, including:
- KNOW Foods KNOW Better Maple Syrup – This syrup is thinner and sweeter than others (and closer to real maple syrup). It’s also sweetened using allulose, which I love. Click here to find it on Amazon
- Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup – Lakanto’s syrup is fruitier, with less of a maple flavor. Sweetened with monk fruit extract and erythritol. Click here to find it on Amazon
- Walden Farms Pancake Syrup – This keto syrup is thicker. If the faux-maple flavor and texture of Aunt Jemima was your childhood jam, this one’s for you! Sweetened with sucralose. Click here to find it on Amazon
- Avoid common supermarket sugar-free syrups that contain sorbitol and maltitol, as these sugar alcohols have an effect on blood sugar.
2. Peanut Butter (no sugar added)
3. Homemade Whipped Cream (sweetened with a keto-friendly sweetener like allulose, Swerve, or stevia)
4. Homemade Keto-Friendly Pumpkin Butter (Click here for my recipe)
Is Coconut Flour Keto Friendly?
Is coconut flour high in carbs? You can eat coconut flour on a keto diet, in fact, it’s my #1 choice for keto and low carb baking. Coconut flour is extremely absorbent and high fiber, so most recipes require a whole lot less of it than regular all-purpose flour or higher calorie almond flour.
I only use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flour. Different brands of coconut flour vary in their absorbency, so it’s always best to use the brand the recipe was created with. I’ve always gotten the best results with Bob’s Red Mill. It also happens to be the brand of coconut flour most commonly used by recipe bloggers, so it’s likely to give you the most consistent outcomes across the board.
Is Coconut or Almond Flour Better For Pancakes?
In my opinion, it’s easier to get a more authentic pancake texture with coconut flour than with almond flour. That’s because even the finest super fine almond flour is more coarse than coconut flour.
What Does Coconut Flour Taste Like?
The only ingredient in coconut flour is…coconut! So as you might expect, it has a slight coconut flavor in the same way that most coconut oils do. Because the flavor is so light, other ingredients with stronger flavors (think vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, etc) often help mask it.
According to Bob’s Red Mill, “ Coconut flour is a soft, flour-like product made from the pulp of a coconut.” In fact, it’s the solids that are leftover from the coconut milk making process. Those solids are then dried out and milled. Voila, coconut flour!
Can you substitute almond flour for coconut flour?
Almond flour and coconut flour can’t be used interchangeably. Since coconut flour is so much more absorbent, substituting 1:1 doesn’t work. It’s often said that you can use about ¼ the amount of coconut flour compared with almond flour but to be completely honest, the conversion is never that straightforward.
Where Can You Buy Coconut Flour?
Coconut flour is available in almost any grocery store these days. If yours has a separate organic section, that’s usually where you’ll find it.
Buying individual bags of coconut flour at the grocery store can be expensive however, so unless I’m in a pinch, I usually order a bulk pack on Amazon. Click here to find the same bulk pack on Amazon.
Keto Friendly Pancakes With Coconut Flour
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Flour (Bob's Red Mill)
- 1/4 Cup Plain Whey Protein Powder (unsweetened)
- 2 Tbsp Whole Psyllium Husk (not powder)
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 Cup Half and Half
- 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 2 Tbsp Butter, melted
- 2 tsp Allulose
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the coconut flour, whey protein powder, whole psyllium husk, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- To the pitcher of a blender, add the half and half and apple cider vinegar and stir just to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes (we're creating our own DIY buttermilk substitute here!).
- To the half and half mixture, add the eggs, cream cheese, butter, allulose, and vanilla. Blend until smooth (about 10-20 seconds at high speed in a Vitamix).
- To the half and half mixture, add the dry ingredients, and blend until smooth (about 20 seconds at high speed in a Vitamix).
- Add about a teaspoon of ghee to a skillet and heat over medium-low heat (a griddle will work too). When the pan comes up to temp, swirl the ghee to spread it evenly, adding a little more if necessary. You want the bottom of the pan to be coated with a nice thin layer.
- Use a portion scoop or measuring cup to evenly form 3-4" pancakes, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook the pancakes just until the top of the batter is set and the bottom is golden brown. Flip the pancakes using a spatula and brown the second side. Transfer to a plate and continue cooking the remaining pancakes.
Notes
Nutrition facts have been calculated using Cronometer, with the carbs from all erythritol and allulose sweeteners subtracted because I do not personally have to bolus insulin for Swerve, erythritol, or allulose as a Type 1 (autoimmune) Diabetic. All Bake It Keto recipes have been tried and used successfully, but results may vary from person to person. All information provided regarding nutrition on the Website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. I am not a nutritionist. Consult your medical professional before using any recipe if you have concerns about how you may individually react to the use of any particular recipe or ingredient. By voluntarily creating and using any recipe provided here, you assume the risk of any potential injury that may result. Please see my full disclosures at https://www.bakeitketo.com/disclosures-privacy-policy/.
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More Keto Breakfast Recipes To Try:
Best Ever Bakery Style Keto Friendly Blueberry Muffins
Keto Pumpkin Spice Latte Cinnamon Rolls
Keto Apple Cider Donuts
Easy Low Carb Gluten Free Trail Mix
