Low carb keto pancakes with almond flour are so easy to make! Fluffy, light and totally delicious, these almond cream cheese pancakes are gluten free and require only 5 ingredients. They are the most popular breakfast recipe on Sugar Free Londoner.
We all like pancakes in this house, and these gluten free wonders are my all-time favourite. Whilst my husband and I are on the keto diet, my kids aren't. I'm so happy that we ALL love this recipe. It's our weekend treat!
Table of contents
A simple keto pancake recipe with almond flour
There are many delicious variations of keto cream cheese pancakes out there. Some recipes contain only eggs and cream cheese, which works well, but tastes a little on the eggy side.
Other low carb recipes add in almond milk, cream or even mayonnaise. The flours range from coconut flour to almond flour (or a mix of both) to more unusual flours such as lupin, sesame or flax.
I've probably tried ALL low carb pancake versions known to man. And I can honestly say.... this one is the best!
WHY almond flour?
Fine almond flour is a great alternative to wheat flour. It means your pancakes are nutrient dense and filling and still have the texture of "real" pancakes.
Research shows that low carb pancakes made with almond flour will provide you with a steady supply of energy and won't send you blood sugar sky-high. Read more about the benefits of almond flour here.
The almond flour I used is extra-fine and fat-reduced. It makes the pancakes light and fluffy. I thought they tasted just like wheat pancakes! Even so, regular almond flour that is not de-fatted will also work well.
These fluffy keto pancakes are not only delicious. They're also super quick to put together. You can almost do it while you're waiting for the kettle to boil. And then enjoy a leisurely keto breakfast!
How to make cream cheese keto pancakes
1.) Mix all ingredients in a blender. If you don't have a blender, just use a balloon whisk.
2.) Fry the pancakes in melted butter or coconut oil. Use a non-stick pan and stick to medium heat. I made two pancakes per pan.
3.) Flip the pancakes over once the centre begins to bubble. That’s it!
Toppings for almond cream cheese pancakes
This is an important decision: what do you want to top your keot pancakes with? Berries, nuts, sugar free syrup, a dollop of butter - or even chocolate chips? Here are a few ideas:.
- Eat with yoghurt/ sour cream / whipped cream and berries.
- Sugar free maple syrup! Lakanto makes a great keto maple syrup.
- Drizzle with my 2 ingredient sugar free caramel sauce.
- Add a dollop of sugar free blueberry jam.
- Spoon over this sugar free strawberry jam or my no-cook raspberry jam.
- Top them with bacon! (sweet and salty – yes please!)
- Make them savoury by omitting the sweetener and adding chives or chopped spinach and grated cheese.
Expert top tips
I recommend to keep the pancakes on the small side to avoid them falling apart. Why? Almond flour pancakes are more fragile than regular pancakes. This is because they don't contain gluten. 10-12 cm diameter is best.
Medium heat works best. If you heat the pan too much low carb pancakes will burn. You can use butter to fry, alternatively coconut or avocado oil will work too. Wait until the centre of the pancake begins to bubble, then flip them.
Also, it's worth-while to invest in a quality non-stick pan when you're cooking low carb, so your pancakes are easy to flip and cook without sticking. And, use a wide spatula so you can lift them easily.
I love adding cinnamon to this recipe for a warm flavour. But 1 tsp of vanilla extract would also work a treat.
How do you make Keto pancakes extra fluffy?
I think this recipe makes perfectly light pancakes and personally prefer them without additional baking powder. However, if you want to give them an extra lift you can add ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
Some readers also like to add ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum to further improve the texture. If you use xanthan gum, you can make larger pancakes. It works as a binder and gives a stronger structure.
How to make this keto pancake recipe in the oven
You could use a whoopie pie pan. Or fill the batter into a large muffin pan and bake the pancakes into perfect mini-circles. 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit and around 7-8 minutes will do the trick.
Can the pancake batter be used in a waffle maker?
Absolutely! My kids alternate between loving pancakes and loving waffles. I've used this batter for both with great success.
Substituting almond flour with coconut flour
I don't recommend it. Coconut flour absorbs more liquid than almond flour, so you only need to use about ⅓ the amount. Check out my coconut flour pancakes instead - see the link below!
Can you freeze them?
Absolutely! To avoid the pancakes sticking together, stack them by placing pieces of parchment paper between each pancake. You can defrost them on the kitchen counter, in the microwave or even stick them in your toaster. See? This is where their smaller size really comes in handy 🙂
More keto pancake recipes
- Coconut Flour Pancakes
- 3 Ingredient Low Carb Crepes
- Fluffy Coconut Pancakes
- Low Carb Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
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Almond Cream Cheese Keto Pancakes
Note: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 1 tbsp almond flour (60g)
- ½ cup full fat cream cheese (125g)
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp granulated sweetener
- ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
- butter for frying
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a blender.
- Fry pancakes in melted butter in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Turn over once the centre begins to bubble. The pancakes should be smallish, ca 10-12 cm in diameter. About the right size to fit them in the toaster the next day should you be so lucky to have any leftovers.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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First published January 2017. Updated with more details in February 2021.
Vicki G says
Wow, best keto pancakes ever! I used 2 egg whites and 2 large eggs and added the baking powder. Topped with a third of a sliced banana, a few walnuts, and homemade keto caramel sauce. Phenomenal.
Goranka Novarlic says
Delicious! I got 12 pieces
Annie says
can you use Flax eggs ?
Katrin Nürnberger says
No, I don't think you would get a result that's similar to these pancakes. You would end up with a tortilla. I have an egg free recipe for tortillas using flax, water and almond flour in my Keto Bread cookbook - that's how I know!
Debbie says
Just made these and they are wonderful!
Sara Abrams says
These were absolutely amazing. I was looking for something to fill the void for Fat Tuesday. These pancakes more than fit the bill. A million thanks!
Michelle Dean says
These were quick and easy to make, but I went wrong somewhere as my mixture was very thick and not pourable. I managed to cook them and they tasted good, but I'd like to know where I went wrong for next time . . .. I used mascarpone. I've given 4 stars only because mine didn't come out as they should have.
Thank you,
Michelle
Katrin Nürnberger says
I think it may have been the mascarpone, which is firmer than cream cheese.
Patricia says
These were wonderful!!
Peggy dicillo says
Do you think I could substitute half egg whites and half whole egg in place of four eggs. Like 1/4 cup of egg white.?
Thanks peggy
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, I think that would work.
Angela Callick says
Could Psyllium husk be used instead of Xanthum gum?
Katrin Nürnberger says
You don't need the xanthan gum if you're making smaller pancakes. You could add psyllium husk if you wanted - this would add more fibre (always a good thing) and help bind things as well.
Maryanne says
Made these this morning. Just used 3 eggs and a dash of coconut milk. The nicest pancakes I’ve ever eaten. Thank you for the recipe
Costina says
A little more work,I make balls and use my tortilla press then I cut the flats into triangles.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Love it!
Miriana Loricchio says
Can I substitute Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi, yes I think that should work 🙂
jo says
These were EXACTLY what I needed to find. My partner loves starting weekend mornings with a cinnamon bun, and though I have found a pretty decent keto cinnamon bun recipe, they are a lot of work on lazy Sunday mornings. These pancakes, topped with a mix of cinnamon and natvia, were a perfect, easy, quick substitute. Thanks!
Luci Sosnowski says
I made the pancakes a few days ago and had a little batter left over so I stuck in the fridge and forgot about it. They were fabulous with a splash of bourbon vanilla extract and maple extract and just butter on top.
I pulled out the leftover batter today and added a dollop of heavy cream to thin it out a little. I also had fresh broccoli and the idea of tempura came into my head. I used about a half inch of olive oil. Really yummy! I might leave out the sweetener, vanilla and maple if only using for tempura, maybe adding garlic powder and other savory spices, but satisfied a need for something still keto but a mimic to one of my favorite things from a sports bar menu!
This recipe is a go-to two-fer!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Amazing! That's such a creative idea - love it 🙂
Colleen says
Katrin, you have absolutely nailed it.....these are without a doubt, the closest to a non low carb pancake that I have ever tasted! Just brilliant, and that goes for your Banana Loaf as well....soft, fluffy and so tasty and that was using just flavouring (being Keto, I had no bananas )Thank you so much for your fabulous recipes, we really enjoy them.
Jan says
I made these today very good will be making again thanks
Jacqueline Wong says
These are really great! Took me a little to get used to the loose batter (my pancakes were such a weird shape) but by the end of the batch I was a pro! Thank you!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Always takes a bit of practise with the first couple of pancakes!
Toni says
These are truly amazing. You don't have to miss pancakes on keto thanks to your recipe. Delicious! I add some vanilla extract and plenty of cinnamon! Thank you.
Wendy Mackinnon says
I'm making these just now ...wow amazing am I only allowed 2 ?. I'm literally eating them as they are cooked
Katrin Nürnberger says
Sounds like you need to double up 😉
Kathryn says
Wow! These have to be the best pancakes I've ever tasted! Thank you so much for the recipe. Brilliant,
Tammy Eubanks says
I made these this morning. They were great. I added 1/2 teaspoon of maple extract and a couple dashes of cinnamon. Topped with sugar free maple syrup. Yum!!! I will make these again and will try other flavors. Thank you for the recipe!
Chris says
This is a great recipe - one of those keto recipes that's as satisfying as the "real thing"!
Claire says
Hi Katrin,
So Lovely. I added the xanthan gum and topped with fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cream. It was a very delicious dessert.
Thank you for another winner.
Love Claire xo
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Claire, that sounds delicious!!
Christy says
Read. The. Comments. It will save you so much time and heartache.
I followed the direction that pointed out that eggs in the US tend to be larger than the comparable size in the UK, so I cut the eggs back to 3. The pancakes turned out perfectly. I also used the 1/2 tsp of baking powder for fluffier pancakes. They were still a little more flat than traditional pancakes, but delicious nonetheless.
HIGHLY recommend this recipe.
Jane says
Just made this pancakes, they are so delicious they even made me forget that I'm in Lockdown, Will make a batch for my daughters to collect after Lockdown. Had the pancakes with home made strawberry jam with 2 tablespoon xyliton , t tbsp. water and 1 cup strawberries, delicious. Thanks for the recipe. Highly appreciated.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Aaaah, that's so good to hear! I also cherish those moments when I forget the lockdown....and life just seems normal!
Laura says
Just made these..... well firstly I was a little sceptical as the first taste I got was egg...then realised it wasn’t so bad, but once I’d squeezed lemon, added sugar (natvia) and topped with mascarpone, they were seriously delicious. I followed recipe exactly, I used mascarpone in the batter and did add the optional baking powder. Next time I might add a little more almond flour just to see how that is. Thanks very much for the recipe.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Glad you liked the recipe Laura!
Jill Hotelling says
Easy and oh so good!
Shannon says
Just made these for a weekend brekkie and they are a winner!! Super easy, great fluffy texture and not eggy at all. Non-keto partner loved them with maple syrup and i had topped with greek yoghurt and raspberries... these will be a new regular!! 🙂
Jenn says
This is my go-to recipe for pancakes, period. They’re delicious and easy to make!
Stephanie M says
I just made these however I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla and used plant butter with olive oil to cook in. They were amazing! I topped some with sugar free whipped topping and some with the plant butter and sugar free maple syrup. They were so good. I have tried other recipes and these were by far the best.
Dawn says
My hubby and I are doing keto and trying different things so we don’t get bored, like we did after 2-1/2 weeks of eggs for breakfast. Made these for the 1st time with cashew flour, 4 packets of Stevia In the raw, because I doubled the batch making 11- 9” cakes. I used a griddle melting fresh butter on the griddle in between cakes and they turned out fabulous! They didn’t need to bubble as much as I expected in the middle in order to turn. just check before turning. They Do take a bit longer to cook, but worth it! They smell amazing, like a snickerdoodle! My skeptical husband said they were really good and that he was impressed! He had his w/ sugar free syrup. Me, sugar free raspberry jam and I whipped up some whipping cream w/ 1 packet stevia. It was my piece of “heaven” for today! Thanks for the recipe!
Katrin Nürnberger says
This is ingenious! Love your creativity. And now I want to try cashew flour 🙂
Elizabeth says
I love this recipe! I modified the ingredients because I ran short on cream cheese and substituted it gram for gram with butter. Still perfect. I also added a pinch of vanilla, some salt, lakanto golden monkfruit, and a tablespoon of collogen. Instead of cinnamon, I added some home made pumpkin spice for a fall treat. I love that this doesn't make little sand dollars, these are decently sized pancakes and the texture is very familiar with out any off aftertastes.