Keto Pancakes

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5 from 1923 votes
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These keto pancakes use only 5 simple ingredients and come out pillowy light, thick, and fluffy. They’re only 3 grams net carbs per serving!

Looking for more keto breakfast recipes? Try my keto waffles, keto breakfast casserole, keto oatmeal, and keto smoothie next. 

keto pancakes.

This keto pancake recipe is inspired by my coconut flour pancakes but with one important distinction–I used almond flour. This gives the pancakes a subtly nutty, sweet flavor and airy texture, all while keeping the carbs low, low, low. 

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Ingredients needed
  3. How to make keto pancakes
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Storing instructions
  6. More recipes for low-carb keto pancakes
  7. Keto Pancakes (5 Ingredients) (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

  • 5 key ingredients. And they’re all pantry staples you probably have on hand at this very moment. 
  • Naturally gluten-free. Because they’re made without grains.
  • As easy as traditional pancakes. Aside from the almond flour and sweetener, there’s really no difference. They have the same pillowy texture, sweet taste, and golden brown color. 
  • As fun to customize, too! Add any low-carb mix-ins you desire, or keep them simple with sugar free syrup and melted butter!

★★★★★ REVIEW

“Truly the best keto pancake recipe ever. My non-keto family love it too.”Margo

Ingredients needed

  • Almond flour. You must use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. The blanched variety yields a fluffier center and light crumb. 
  • Salt. Just a pinch to balance out the flavors.
  • Eggs. Room temperature.
  • Water. I tested these pancakes with milk and found that water actually yielded fluffier pancakes!
  • Coconut oil. Or any oil of choice to cook the pancakes.
  • Maple syrup. A spoonful of keto maple syrup adds a little sweetness and keeps the middle of the pancakes soft.

How to make keto pancakes

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Make the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until a smooth batter remains.

Step 2- Cook. Grease a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, pour ¼ cup of batter into the pan and cover with the lid. Cook the pancakes for 3-4 minutes or until bubbles form around the edges. Remove the lid, flip, and cook for 1-2 minutes with the lid on. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter.

low carb pancakes.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Keep the lid on! This is my secret weapon for guaranteeing light and fluffy pancakes. Covering the pan helps them puff up evenly and cook, doubling their size. 
  • Keep the pancakes small. Almond flour pancakes can be fragile, so I suggest keeping them small so they don’t fall apart. 
  • Stick with medium-low heat. Any hotter, and the pancakes’ exterior will burn before the inside is cooked. 
  • Grease your skillet. Even if you use a non-stick pan, you want the pancakes to be easily flippable. 

Variations

  • Make more decadent pancakes. Swirl through some softened cream cheese or Greek yogurt. 
  • Enhance the batter. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract for more flavor. 
  • Add mix-ins. Isn’t that what pancakes are for? Try sugar-free chocolate chips, fresh berries, almond butter, or nuts. 

Storing instructions

To store: Pancakes should be stored in the refrigerator, covered. They will keep well for up to 1 week.

To freeze: Place leftover pancakes in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Reheating: Either microwave the pancakes for 30 seconds or reheat in a non-stick pan until warm. 

keto pancake recipe.

More recipes for low-carb keto pancakes

keto pancakes

Keto Pancakes (5 Ingredients)

5 from 1923 votes
These keto pancakes are thick, fluffy, and need just 5 ingredients! No sugar and no grains, they are quick and easy to make! Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen.
Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 7 minutes
Total: 9 minutes

Video

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, salt, eggs, keto maple syrup, and water until a smooth batter remains.
  • Grease a large non-stick pan or skillet and place it over medium heat. Once hot, drop large spoonfuls of the batter onto the pan and immediately cover it. Cook the pancakes for 3-4 minutes, or until the edges begin to bubble. Remove the lid, carefully flip the pancakes, and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, covered. Repeat the process until all the batter has been cooked.
  • Serve the pancakes immediately.

Notes

TO STORE: Pancakes should be stored in the refrigerator, covered. They will keep well for up to 1 week.
TO FREEZE: Place leftover pancakes in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
REHEATING: Either microwave the pancakes for 30 seconds or reheat in a non-stick pan until warm. 
Ingredients were very slightly adapted in June 2024 to make this recipe even better and easier. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 9gFat: 16gSodium: 109mgPotassium: 35mgFiber: 3gVitamin A: 135IUCalcium: 121mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 3g
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Originally published June 2021, updated and republished June 2024

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Yummm! So easy to make and tastes delicious. I top the pancakes with peanut butter, banana, and maple syrup – gone in just 4 bites! It’s keto-friendly, too, so no need to buy expensive keto pancake mixes anymore, saving money!

  2. 5 stars
    I made these pancakes for breakfast today for my hubby who is diabetic. I didn’t have time to make the keto syrup ingredient so I used powdered Stevia instead. I was a little disappointed that the pancakes weren’t thicker, but my hubby said they were delicious! And so easy to make!

  3. 5 stars
    Being aware they’d add to the provided nutritional values, could berries be added to this batter as it is or would other changes need to be made as well? Thanks!

  4. 5 stars
    I was NOT expecting these to be good. But they were actually shockingly good. They really satisfied my pancake craving. The only changes I made – I added a small amount of baking powder because I thought they would be too heavy ( not needed), I added a touch of vanilla to boost the flavor, and I cooked then a cast iron skillet with a lid. Thanks for a great and easy recipe.

  5. 5 stars
    Why did this recipe change? I have made it several times and now all of a sudden it is a
    Different recipe on here. What happened to the coconut oil and almond milk in the recipe?
    I see comments mentioning and asking questions about those but the recipe now doesn’t include those ingredients.

  6. 5 stars
    It really is keto recipe for pancakes, I was sceptical! I would just change the recipe and use coconut flour i stead of almond flour. You think they will turn out okay?

  7. 5 stars
    I separated the eggs, whipped the whites and set aside. Make the batter and fold in, turned out great. Thanks for the recipes

  8. 5 stars
    My dear husband made these pancakes for me, and they were so delicious. We got 6 uniformly sized cakes, and 2 (with 2 poached eggs) were perfect for me. I know that I ate more than one serving; I am perfectly fine with doing the math.
    Thank you so much!
    *All of my favorite keto recipes come from Bigmansworld.com! I am so grateful.

  9. 5 stars
    My son loves pancakes and I wasn’t impressing him as I tried various non white flour recipes.Until today that is,made these wonderful pancakes thumbs up from both of us.Really made a difference as you suggested covering while cooking .Fluffy golden pancakes.Many thanks.

  10. Keto pancakes sounds wonderful. Will they raise a little without covering them. My husband just got a flat top grill and made pancakes last week. I would like to try your keto version on the grill but not cover them will they come out alright. Thanks for your keto recipes they seem easy to follow. Have a great day. Julie

  11. 5 stars
    I’ve been searching for lower carb recipes. This recipe hit the spot! Forgive me. I’m not very good at reading the labels. I’m working on familiarizing myself. When you say one serving is that for one pancake? I know it says it makes four to eight medium size. Thank you!

  12. 5 stars
    I have been keto then low carb for 6 years….. these are the BEST pancakes – waffles
    Ever…. I used fairlife milk. I also used 1/2 heavy whipping cream and 1/2 water. The options are endless. Choc chips, blueberries, strawberries and anything you want to add.

  13. 5 stars
    This is by far the best low carb pancake recipe I have tried. My only comment is that the recipe really should call for salt, the first time I made it it was a little bland and felt like something was missing. Of course for any recipe even a pinch of salt brings out the flavors, but especially for a cake type recipes. I am surprised at how many recipes I see that do not call for any salt. Other than that, the pancakes do turn out fluffy and taste quite good!

  14. 5 stars
    First recipe that actually tasted like a pancake and fluffed up like pancakes should!! So disappointed with other recipes but this one rocks. I too needed twice the amount of milk and mine needed a much lower heat to stay brown, but so fluffy and worked great with blueberries added. Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe. This was so much better than any mix I tried and wasted a lot of money on!

  15. 5 stars
    Hi Arman, These are my husbands favorire pancakes now. I do add more almond milk 1/2 cup since he likes them thinner. Then add 2 eggs over easy with a side of avocado. A perfect breakfast.

  16. 5 stars
    Ich habe die Pfannkuchen ausprobiert, sehr lecker. Noch besser fand ich sie als Waffeln im Waffeleisen gebacken. Danke!

  17. 5 stars
    Forgive me if you have previously answered this question: Have you tried adding Whey Protein Powder? If so how much. Thanks in advance,

  18. 5 stars
    I’ve had these pancakes a number of times and they always come out perfectly. Left over batter only needs a bit of milk and a stir and just as good the next day. I’ve tried a number of pancake recipes and these are the best. Thank you.

    1. 5 stars
      I will be trying this recipe. Love pancakes.
      In the Nutrients. It says serving. How many pancakes are in a serving. I know it depelnds on size.. Thanks for sharing and thank you in advanse.

  19. 5 stars
    This is very delicious! I love cinnamon so I added some, also changed the granulated sweetener to sweetener syrup and worked fine! It’s not dry, lovely soft pancakes 🙂

  20. 5 stars
    Hi Arman, this is my first time making a keto pancake. I used the organic stevia and used 1/2 cup of almond milk and added blueberries. I also used some butter in the pan before the batter, so they wouldn’t stick to the pan. My husband Frank liked them, eventhough he’s always loved my Dutch buttermilk pancakes. I will definitely make them again with more ore almond milk. I did use a lid. Thank you!

  21. 5 stars
    I just made these and I’ve only tried a few recipes for pancakes before but so far these are the closest to actual pancakes. They have great taste. I think I’m going to keep this recipe around.

  22. 5 stars
    Very good. I added about 1/8 tsp of salt and 2 tsps of sugar free syrup. Also, I whipped the egg whites separately and folded them in.

  23. 5 stars
    I cooked it on too high heat at first and ruined the first one, but hey live and learn.
    These are also quite the blank canvas as far as taste is concerned; I like sweet pancakes, so I added 1tbs of keto sugar to the dry ingredients, and used some keto syrup and cinnamon sugar on top.
    Delicious!
    I’m new to keto, so the texture of the almond flour is definitely something to get used to.
    I’m going to try adding some butter to the wet mixture to see if I can get a smoother, richer finish on the taste.
    It makes a generous breakfast for 1 on its own. You can definitely make a batch, freeze 3 and use the 4th as part of a varied breakfast. It will make a nice base for a breakfast stack – I am also going to try it unsweetened with a beef patty and an egg.

  24. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe! The rise like a regular pancake and are just delicious! this is my new fav! ♥

  25. 5 stars
    I followed recipe for one serving, I felt the batter was a little thick. I used 1/4 cup to pour the batter and I came out with exactly 4 pancakes 4″ in size. They were fluffy and tasty. I used half the sugar, since I like the Keto syrup. I only ate 2 for breakfast with an egg, so yummy. For next time I will increase the milk to possibly have more servings. Otherwise, this has been the best Keto pancakes I have made.

  26. 5 stars
    These pancakes were so good! We added some fresh blueberries. I will definitely make again😊

  27. 5 stars
    Pretty good. Better than most keto pancakes I’ve made. It’s nice that it is simple and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients.

  28. 5 stars
    They a really amazing. I had to add about an extra cup of milk because it turned into a dough, not a batter. I also added some cinnamon and homemade vanilla. Yum.

  29. 5 stars
    These were so delicious. Thank you for the recipe! I added a dash of almond extract, some lemon zest, and dropped some blueberries into each pancake before covering them with the lid. They were perfect. I will definitely be making these again!

  30. 5 stars
    I’m going to be honest and say I wasn’t sure about these at first, but they were delicious! It was interesting that you cooked them with the lid on, but seemed to make them tender and fluffier. Note: I did add a touch of salt to the second batch.

  31. 5 stars
    I made these and they were big and fluffy as promised! I added some sugar free semi sweet chocolate chips to the batter and a dash of vanilla. I had Walmart Great Value brand almond flour on hand, and the “brown sugar” version of monkfruit sweetener. They turned out lovely and satisfied my craving for pancakes! Thanks! Love the simplicity of this recipe.

  32. I love all the nutritional info broken down by serving but how many pancakes = 1 serving? Am I just missing that somewhere in the recipe?

  33. 5 stars
    These are some of the best keto pancakes I have made. I used a little butter and added a teaspoon of vanilla, instead of coconut oil. And blended it all in my blender. They taste good and the texture is moister than other recipes I have used. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

  34. 5 stars
    I am so happy I found you!! I am newly on a keto diet after my husband lost 30 pounds in about four weeks. I know it will be more difficult for me, but I think with your recipes I will live!!!

  35. 5 stars
    I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the dry ingredients but followed the recipe. It was delicious and I will make these again

  36. 5 stars
    Okay, so I’ve been on the carnivore diet for 3 months. Lost the 20lbs I wanted to lose so now switching to low carb to maintain. Was just dying to have a waffle 😉 something other than meat, egg, and cheese! Ha! This recipe came so highly rated that I had to try it. Instead of milk, I keep heavy cream on hand, so I just diluted it to fit this recipe. I have a little mini waffle iron, and it made 8 wonderful waffles. For the ones that I don’t eat now, I’ll just vacuum seal them and keep them in the freeze, for either a quick breakfast when I’m rushing out or for a healthy little snack. Thank you for posting such an outstanding recipe.

  37. These were great! Using the lid is definitely a key to fluffy pancakes!! I topped with some keto granola and raspberries!

  38. 5 stars
    These were so good. They aren’t like normal wheat flour pancakes. They have more texture and flavor. My only complaint is they were a little dry.

  39. 5 stars
    I made 2 big pancakes out of this and ate 1 and saved 1. Fluffy pancake experience made me very happy; I had missed them!🙂.

  40. 5 stars
    Of all the Keto-friendly pancakes I’ve tried, this is by far my favorite. I LOVE the texture and flavor, so this is now my go-to pancake recipe. THANK YOU!

  41. 5 stars
    Yummy.. taste almost like the real deal. Although i do add on bit more milk as suggested by other reviews ❤️

  42. 5 stars
    I have tried many different keto pancake recipes and this is definitely the best one! I actually love all your keto recipes. Thank you for making my low carb lifestyle so delicious ! 👍😀

  43. 5 stars
    Great!! I loved the texture of these pancakes, more like the whole wheat pancakes I grew up on. Thanks for your awesome site!

  44. 5 stars
    These were delicious. I got a new to me electric grill and I am trying out new recipes. I had to replace 1/2 the almond flour with 1/1 gluten free baking flour because I didn’t have enough almond flour. I used dairy milk. I put fresh blueberries on the top before covering them. I ate them with butter and sugar free syrup. I only was able to make 3 pancakes lol, guess I used too much batter per pancake. Anyway I cooked them the max time you suggested and they turned out perfect.

  45. This recipe is so delicious! The taste is so close to pancakes and they are so fluffy! Really great recipe! Thank you so much for sharing!

    I substituted olive oil for the coconut oil and I added one teaspoon of sugar. I also used unsweetened oat milk.

    So easy and delicious!

  46. 5 stars
    LOVED these pancakes. Followed the recipe and did not use or need the 1 tsp. of sweetener. Cooked on the griddle and covered with a pan lid. Not a tight fit but found a tight fit was not needed! This is a 5 star recipe for low carb/sugar diet!

  47. 5 stars
    I have tried soooo many disappointing low carb pancake recipes over the years. These are AMAZING! SERIOUSLY. Also incredibly filling and fast. This is the third recipe of yours I’ve tried this week. Thank you for sharing healthy recipes that actually deliver on taste (and texture!)!

  48. 5 stars
    Really good actually! I added a pinch of stevia, and ate with ghee and sugar free preserves. Will make again, and often!

  49. 5 stars
    These pancakes are fantastic! Especially when covered in butter, strawberries and whipped cream. YUMMY!!! And so easy to make, even a man can do it!

  50. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I’m new to gluten-free, keto cooking and I was skeptical about gluten-free pancakes. But what a great surprise. While the texture is a different from gluten based pancakes, I don’t mind at all. I skipped the sweetener and added a pinch of sea salt to the batter after sampling the first pancake. It was a little bland, but the addition of the sea salt plus a small serving of maple syrup and butter made these pancakes amazing. And best of all, no carb hangover. I’m definitely keeping this recipe.

  51. I just made this. It’s good as base pancakes but I can’t get fully behind the almond flour feel/taste. I don’t know if it’s the type of almond flour I used (extra fine) but I feel like you always have to add something to make it more enjoyable. I topped mine with melted butter and a bit of homemade keto strawberry preserves. I love the slight coconut taste from the coconut milk though. I wonder if using coconut flour would work instead? To make it full on coconut pancakes.

  52. 5 stars
    Amazing!! So excited to try these! Are they gluten free? And also what is the serving size? If it makes 4-8 large/med pancakes, how many is considered one serving? Thanks so much!

  53. 5 stars
    Who doesn’t like pancakes and waffles! I’m new to keto, just trying out some recipes as I’m a bit of a fussy eater so I want to make a little recipe book of my own of recipes I find and like and this recipe I like very much so this is definitely going to be jotted down in my notebook. They did stick a little but that’s due to my pan being old and worn so first thing I need is a new pan and I’ll be making a whole bunch and freezing them. I’ll make my colleagues very happy campers making these for breakfast too as I’m always on the look out for new things to cook for us at work. Thank you for sharing.

  54. 5 stars
    Delicious! I just made pancakes for dinner and they turned out great! I put a tiny bit of vanilla in. I used cream and upped the amount to make them easier to pour on the griddle.
    I will definitely be making these pancakes again! Thank you for the recipe!

  55. 5 stars
    Best recipe yet for pancakes – keto wise I used grapeseed oil and half-n-half cream – no sweetener at all. Vey good!!! My new favorite. Tks!!

  56. 5 stars
    These were the best pancakes ever! I used goat butter instead of coconut oil (Very allergic to it), but I got the best tasting pancakes ever! These keto recipes are really the best for gluten free baking for us Celiac’s. Oh and the baking powder I make my own since I can’t have corn or potato. I use 1/4 tsp Psyllium husk plus 1/2 tsp cream of tar tar for 1 tsp baking powder. Psyllium husk makes things very poofy and doesn’t have that weird taste baking soda has. This recipe doubles very nicely as well.

    1. 5 stars
      My first try with almond flour. As much as I love pancakes, I felt there was too much almond flavor for my liking. They came out great though.

  57. 5 stars
    I usually use coconut flour so this is the first almond flour recipe I’ve tried. These were delicious! I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk and subbed olive oil in for the coconut oil (I didn’t have any), and added one pack of stevia. They fluffed up and tasted great. Def adding this to my favorites list!

  58. i used ~7 tbsp of JUST Egg as a replacement, and they browned super quick — a minute, flip, another minute, done. they were thin and not very pancakey, but i’ve tried everything to make vegan keto pancakes that don’t require a million fancy ingredients and i’m just happy they stayed together.

    1. Typically a great egg substitute is aquafaba (the juice from a can of chick peas) they have slightly more carbs than 2 eggs, but basically nothing

    2. 5 stars
      My experience is that you can mix ground flax seed with water for an excellent egg substitute. It even takes on the slimy consistency. Flax is very healthy as well.

    3. Try flax eggs. 1T flaxseed meal, 2.5T water. Mix and let rest for 5 minutes. Equivalent to 1 egg for most recipes.

  59. 5 stars
    I used a 1/4 measuring cup to distribute the batter to the pan and only got 5 pancakes. I just plit the last pancake into fourths so I could have the right serving size. I used almond milk this time but will use coconut next time. They were still amazing! Thanks for giving me hope to having pancakes on this keto lifestyle change! Much respect Much love to you you

  60. I did these and for my feel I’d add more milk since a bit dry. Doubled baking powder since on griddle so couldn’t cover. But will do again.

  61. 5 stars
    Covering the pancakes while they cooked was the game changer, thank you for that tip.
    This recipe was way better than a coconut flour recipe I tried.
    I made two tweaks to this. I used melted butter instead of coconut oil, and I used homemade buttermilk. I also did not add any sweetener. Thank you so much for this recipe, the pancakes were yummy, fluffy goodness.

  62. 5 stars
    Not exactly like normal pancakes, but pretty tasty otherwise. They do actually puff up quite high if covered, and made a great “bread” for my sausage sandwich. My only complaint is that The are a bit dry on their own.

    1. 5 stars
      First Keto pancakes I really enjoyed. Just like he said it came out fluffy and light. I am in love. I was so skeptical since other receipes online claimed the same thing. But this one actually worked. I love it 💖💖💖💖💖

      1. 5 stars
        Used recipe first time this morning. Although I follow the Keto diet, I used 2% milk (< 2 carbs in 1/4 cup) as it was what I had on hand. Otherwise used the recipe verbatim. Pancakes came out great; simply, easy and quit recipe. Used 1/4 measuring cup to pour. Made 4 nice size pancakes which filled my 12" pan with enough batter to make one more, but discarded as the 4 filled me up.

    1. 5 stars
      Absolutely delicious!!
      I used heavy whipping cream, and I was so thrilled with the flavor!
      They’re not eggy, and they taste so real! I think the baking powder gives it that familiar flavor of the regular flour-based pancakes.
      They truly are fluffy!
      This recipe is a keeper for sure! It just replaced all my other Leto pancake recipes.
      Follow the directions and you’ll love the perfect result!!