Keto Ricotta Pancakes

Name: Keto Ricotta Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 large eggs; 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese; 1/4 cup whole milk; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from a large lemon); 1 teaspoon stevia glycerite ((equals 1/3 cup sugar)); 6 tablespoons coconut flour ((42 grams)); ½ teaspoon baking soda*; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided, for the griddle)

Last updated: May 7, 2023 · Recipes developed by Vered DeLeeuw and nutritionally reviewed by Rachel Benight MS, RD · This website generates income via ads and uses cookies.

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These tasty and fluffy ricotta pancakes are made with coconut flour and are pleasantly flavored with vanilla and lemon zest.

Ready in about 30 minutes, they make the perfect low-carb weekend breakfast!

Keto ricotta pancakes served on a plate and topped with butter.

These pancakes are amazing. They are very tasty and wonderfully fluffy. The ricotta cheese adds wonderful creaminess and greatly enhances their texture.

Coconut flour is not always easy to work with because it's so absorbent. However, once you get the ratios right, it produces wonderful baked goods (these lemon poppy seed muffins are another good example).

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Ingredients
Instructions
Expert tip
Frequently asked questions
Serving suggestions
Storing leftovers
Related recipes
Recipe Card

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make these keto ricotta pancakes. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

Eggs: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, this one included.

Ricotta cheese: Definitely use whole-milk ricotta in this recipe. Low-fat ricotta is not very good, in my opinion, in terms of texture and flavor.

Whole milk: You can use heavy cream if you'd like. I haven't experimented with nondairy milk alternatives, so I don't know if those would work.

Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing - pure vanilla extract - and not the artificially flavored stuff.

Lemon zest: A must in this recipe. I'm all for adapting recipes to your own needs (while accepting that results may or may not be disastrous). But the lemon zest really is an integral part of this recipe. It should also help activate the baking soda.

Sweetener: I like to use stevia. You can probably use a granulated sweetener instead.

Coconut flour: Try to measure it by weight and not by volume. It's extremely absorbent, so every extra gram makes a difference.

Baking soda: If you'd like to try using gluten-free baking powder (though I haven't tested it in this recipe), remember that ¼ teaspoon of baking soda is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Unsalted butter: I use it for frying the pancakes. You can use ghee instead if you wish.

Instructions

Making these keto ricotta pancakes is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

Your first step is to simply place everything except for the butter in the food processor and process until smooth.

You can also whisk the ingredients by hand, in the order listed, as I do in the video below.

Now, cook the pancakes in butter on a nonstick griddle, for about 3 minutes per side over medium heat.

A photo collage showing the steps for making keto ricotta pancakes.

Expert tip

Make the pancakes small - 2 tablespoons each - so that they'll be easier to flip. If you make them bigger, you might run into trouble when it's time to flip them.

Frequently asked questions

What flour should I use for keto pancakes?

I typically use either almond flour or coconut flour. Sometimes I don't use flour at all - see these protein pancakes that are made with protein powder and no flour.

Almond flour is easier to work with but it's more calorie-dense. Coconut flour can be a bit of a challenge to work with as it requires extra liquids and eggs, but once you get the ratios right, it works really well.

Can I use low-fat ricotta cheese?

Please don't. In terms of both flavor and texture, it's important to use whole-milk cheese in this recipe.

Can I use a sweetener other than stevia?

Yes. You can use a granulated sweetener to equal ⅓ cup of sugar, possibly adding 1-2 tablespoons of water to the mixture if needed.

Serving suggestions

The classic topping for these pancakes would be a sugar-free syrup. You can also top them with unsalted butter and sprinkle them with a powdered sweetener. Or go all out and top them with keto whipped cream and berries!

Storing leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Separate them with wax paper squares so that they don't stick to each other. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.

You can also freeze these pancakes in freezer bags. Again, make sure you separate them with wax paper. They can be thawed in the microwave, using the "defrost" setting.