These keto-friendly cottage cheese pancakes are the perfect healthy and delicious breakfast. They are packed with healthy fats - from almond flour and eggs - and proteins - from cottage cheese. These pancakes are low in carbs and gluten-free.
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No refined sugar, gluten-free…..pancakes. What a dream!
I admit, lately I’ve been thinking a lot about jumping on the Keto diet bandwagon, but I can’t say goodbye to my pasta and pizza yet. So, I decided that I will try to implement some keto-friendly meals into my diet little by little and see how it goes. Pancakes were the first thing on my keto list that I wanted to nail; I think I did quite well after a couple of failures.
Ingredients and substitutes
Blanched almond flour - Keto cottage cheese pancakes made with almond flour always turn out moist and soft.
Cottage cheese - Make sure that you use full-fat cottage cheese.
Eggs - We need eggs (at room temperature) to combine and hold all our ingredients together.
Butter - Use unsalted, melted butter.
Sweetener - Any granulated sweetener will work in this recipe. I prefer to use a stevia and erythritol blend from Sukrin (I find it has little to no aftertaste), but you can use Swerve, monk fruit, or allulose.
Baking powder – There are many, many complaints out there about keto pancakes not being fluffy at all. Even though I find these keto-friendly cottage cheese pancakes very fluffy, let’s double-down and make sure.
Step by step directions
Super easy! First, you need to place all ingredients into a bowl and blend everything together using an immersion blender, or a hand blender if you will. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a countertop blender or food pressor instead!
Preheat your skillet over medium-low heat and grease it with a little bit of butter. Measure out ¼ cup of pancake batter and pour it into the skillet. Spread it gently using a teaspoon or a spatula.
Cook the pancakes for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Top our fluffy pancakes with fresh berries like blueberries and strawberries, pour keto-friendly syrup of your choice (you can also try my KETO CARAMEL SAUCE or KETO NUTELLA CHOCOLATE SPREAD), and serve.
Is almond flour low in carbs
First, we need to understand what almond flour is. Well, it’s simply finely-ground almonds - and almonds are naturally high in fats, protein, and fiber, but low in carbs. 100g of almond flour contains only 8-9g of carbs compared to 70g in all-purpose flour. That’s a huge difference!
How many carbs in cottage cheese pancakes
It depends on what size pancakes you prefer to make. If you make 6 pancakes out of this recipe, you’ll get 2g net carbs per pancake.
FAQ
As long as you use cottage cheese that doesn’t contain any added sugars, it’s keto-friendly! The cottage cheese that I used in this recipe is KESO 4% fat and has just 1.7g of carbs per 100g.
Technically, you can! However, the texture and taste will be completely different. Also, you’ll need much less coconut flour, as it has much higher water absorption than almond flour.
You can use full-fat cream cheese instead. However, you might need to adjust the amount, as the fat content in cream cheese is different from cottage cheese.
More low carb recipes
GLUTEN-FREE KETO PUMPKIN PANCAKES
Recipe
Keto-friendly cottage cheese pancakes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup 80g almond flour finely ground
- ½ cup 100g Cottage cheese full fat
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon melted butter unsalted
- 1 tablespoon granulated sweetener I use Sukrin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Cooking oil for frying
Instructions
- Preheat a non-skillet over medium-low heat.
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and blend together using an immersion blender. If you don’t have one, you can use a countertop blender or even a food processor instead.
- Grease the preheated skillet with oil.
- Measure out ¼ cup of batter and pour it into the skillet. Spread it gently using a teaspoon or a spatula.
- Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles start to form on the surface. Flip and cook the other side for 2 more minutes or until your pancake turns golden brown.
- Repeat the process with the remaining butter.
- Serve with toppings of your choice.
Recipe video
Notes
This website, https://heretocook.com, offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is a product of online calculators such as Cronometer.com and MyFitnesPal.com
Martin
Very tasty! There is no need for sugar, the maple syrup makes it sweet.
Anna
Oh, I'm so glad to hear that!
Stephanie
Eating two now ! So good!
Anna
Enjoy!
Carol Beckwith
I tried these pancakes this morning and OMG, they were delicious, just like regular ones. I must say that I was skeptical, I have been doing keto off and on for 2 yrs. and have experimented with multiple recipes, all claiming to be the best, after reading many of the reviews I decided to give yours a try and it did not disappoint. I mixed monk fruit sweetener with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries with whipped cream on top and I was in keto cottage cheese pancake heaven. Thanks so much for this delicious recipe, I pinned it and will be using from now on.👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Anna
Thank you so much for your comment, Carol! I'm happy that you like these pancakes 🙂
Jay L
these pancakes are tasty but impossible to turn over without falling apart or tletting them cook a long time without burning.. need to tweak to figure this out.
Anna
Hi Jay! You should cook them over medium low or even low heat with the lid on to give them time to set before flipping. I hope you will find the right temperature to cook them on your stove.
Diane
These are delicious.
Denise Tolliver
Excellent recipe.. this is my second time making them. The first time I made half the batch as pancakes and half as waffles using the Dash Mini Waffle maker. This time, I made a whole batch of blueberry waffles with the recipe and topped with Walden's Farms suffer sugar free syrup. Just what I needed! Thanks so much for posting.
Anna
I should try to make waffles too! Thank you!
Dawny
Has anyone tried freezing the pancakes ?
Deb Burk
They are very good frozen. I freeze them individually. It is very handy to them available whenever you want them.
Anna
Thank you for sharing this info with us!
Leah
Absolutely LOVE this recipe.
Have made numerous times and they’re flawless. Light, fluffy and tasty.
I often leave out the sweetener and convert to savoury pancakes. Sprinkling some cheese in the pan before I add the batter and once cooked topping with my fave ingredients. Tomato, avocado, mushroom etc.
Thank you, and YUM!
Anna
Thank you, Leah!
JoAnn Tobey
My husband is allergic to almonds (coconut flour is out, too) so no almond flour for him. Can you suggest an alternative? I have seen sesame flour suggested in other recipes. Do you think it would work?
Anna
Yes, sesame flour can be an alternative. However, I haven't tried to make these pancakes with it, so I can't be 100% sure if it will work.
DLH
TIgernut flour is a great substitute for almond flour. It can be hard to find, though. iHerb has it mail order.
Jay Lee
these pancakes are tasty but impossible to turn over without falling apart or tletting them cook a long time without burning.. need to tweak to figure this out.
Laura
I put a frying pan lid over mine and reduced the heat. They turned beautifully and came out great!
Bonnie Harrison
what does your gram measurements convert to cups?
Anna
Hi Bonnie! 80g of almond flour = 1 cup minus 1 tbsp and 100g of cottage cheese = 1/2 cup.
Dee
A M A Z I N G !!!!! easy recipe, easy to cook. I've been making flourless cottage pancakes for a while now, sans recipe and mine can be tough to flip - these showed the same cooking signs as regular pancakes and were even easier to flip! Absolutely wonderful!!
Amarie
Are you supposed to add the butter to the batter or not? My directions say put all ingredients in the bowl then later says use the butter for the pan. Thanks
Anna
Hi Amarie! Yes, you need to add the butter to the batter. I fixed the recipe card.
Dee
Forgot to leave rating - sorry! 5 out of 5 !!!
Anna
Yay! I'm so happy you liked them!
Maria
Love it. I added one tablespoon of psyllium and 1/4 cup water for more fiber. Pancakes were fluffy and looked just like a regular pancake.... and taste even better. Thank you.
Anna
You're welcome, Maria! I'm so happy to hear that you liked my recipe!
Monica
Hi Maria. Thank you very much for the tip to add psyllium husk. It gave them an incredible fluff! I doubled the recipe and added two table spoons of psyllium husk and added 4 tablespoons of liquid (coconut milk). Even my non keto/low carb husband was amazed on how these pancakes turned out. Thanks again for the tip 😉
Ponch
Awesome👍 Im glad I found your recipe for pancake using cottage cheese. I was wondering if I can use the recipe to make waffles too.
Anna
Thank you for your comment, Ponch! I'm glad that you enjoyed my recipe. I haven't try to use this batter for waffles but I think they will be way too soft. If it's not a problem for you, I would say go for it. There are also a couple of tricks that you can try to make this batter work for waffles. 1. Add an extra 1-2 tbsp of melted butter. 2. Separate the eggs and beat the whites to stiff peaks, then fold them into the batter immediately prior to putting the batter in the waffle iron. If you try to make it work, please let me know how it went!
Cheri
These are sooo yummy I don’t even put any syrup on them!!!
Anna
Awesome!!!
Penny
Can I use coconut flour instead of almond?
Anna
Coconut flour is highly absorbent, much more so than almond flour. It requires a significant amount of liquid to create a proper texture. If you were to replace almond flour with an equal amount of coconut flour in a recipe without adjusting the liquid content, the result would likely be too dry and crumbly.
Karen B
I measured batter to 1/4 cup each. This recipe only made 5 pancakes. What did I do wrong?
Anna
I'm sorry, but I don't know what you did wrong. If you measure all ingredients correctly, you should end up with 10 or at least 9 pancakes. Maybe converting almond flour and cottage cheese to cups will help you; 80g of almond flour = 1 cup minus 1 tbsp and 100g of cottage cheese = 1/2 cup. I hope you'll succeed next time you try my recipe!
Neal
Delicious! I put some raspberries in the microwave and made a delicious coulis. I omitted the syrup and they were a fantastic Keto meal.
Anna
Thank you, Neal! I'm glad that you liked it!
Cathy
These were absolutely delicious. We LOVED them!
The only thing that I would do differently is double the recipe so that we have more.
Thank you:)
Anna
Thank you, Cathy!
ck-w
Loved these! Much easier than other flat keto pancakes; although I too only made 6 and measured perfectly 🙂 I even weighed vs measured for almond flour BUT I think I will just make em smaller next time. Texture was super and flavour really delish! thank YOU
Anna
Thank you for your comment, I'm so happy to hear that you loved my recipe! Did you use 1/4 cup to measure butter for each pancake as it's specified in the recipe?
Bronwyn
Very nice! Just made these.
Anna
I'm glad to hear that you liked my recipe! Enjoy!
Theresa Raichel
My sister and I enjoy these pancakes a couple of weekends a month - they taste just like the full-flour version! Yummy with a little more butter on top and sugar-free syrup!
Anna
I'm so happy to hear that you and your sister liked my recipe! I also enjoy these pancakes with some extra butter on top!
Lili
So delicious. Best recipe by far. Thanks
Anna
Thank you, Lili!
Alison Alker
I've tried a few recipes for keto pancakes but this
Worked really well
Fluffy & good pancake love texture
I did add a bit of psyllium &
lemon zest for added flavour
Thank you
Anna
Hi Alison, lemon zest in pancakes sounds so delicious. I should try it too!
Ethel
Just started keto and I made these for my husband and I, so good!!
Anna
Hi Ethel! Good luck on your keto journey and thank you for the comment!
Sep
I just made these pancakes and it was very easy to make. Thanks for sharing the recipe and I didn't add any sugar to it. I will add honey or syrup when I am ready to eat.
Anna
Thank you for your comment, Sep!
Sharon
We will use this recipe instead of “regular” pancakes. Tastes great!
Anna
Amazing! Thank you for your comment, Sharon!
Linda Gagnon
Can I use low fat cottage cheese?
Anna
I've never used low-fat cottage cheese, so I don't know what texture it has compared to a full-fat one. If it's similar in texture, it should work.
Manita Chand
Great!
Anna
Thank you!
Jodi
Can these be frozen?
Anna
Hi Jodi, yes you can freeze them! Make sure that your pancakes are cooled down completely before you stack them putting pieces of parchment paper in between so they don't touch each other. Then, pack them in a ziplock bag, remove as much air as possible and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave.
Cindy
How many pancakes is one serving?
Anna
As many as you want to eat! I wrote approximate nutritional information for one pancake.
Roxanne
On the nutritional breakdown. Is that net carbs or total carbs for one pancake?
Anna
You can find net carbs information in the note section of the recipe card or in the post itself. The nutritional label shows total carbs.
Rachelle Newcomb
I love pancakes and I was so afraid of not being able to eat them on the keto diet. I am so happy I found this recipes….delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Anna
Thank you so much, Rachelle!
Chiq
Perfect!
Anna
Thank you!
Karen
These were delicious! Mine did come out a little flat. I did add some cinnamon to my batter as well.
Anna
I'm happy you like the recipe! Thank you for your comment!
Katie
I’ve tried quite a few low carb / grain free pancakes, and these are the closest I’ve found to regular pancakes! Yum!
Anna
Thank you, Katie! I'm so happy you like them!
Katie
These are so good! They taste very similar to regular pancakes. I’ve even used the batter in a low carb cobbler, and it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Anna
Thank you, Katie!
Vickie Johnson
Mine stuck and looked like a pile of crumbs. I didn't want to waste the batter, I poured the remainder into a bowl and microwaved it for 1 minute. It was perfect. Fell out of the bowl in a nice big fluffy patty. They say all the best recipes were made by accident. This is the best pancake I have ever made.😆
Anna
Thank you for your comment, Vickie, and good job on being creative and making this recipe work! It's true that these pancakes can be tricky to fry and flip because there's no gluten that holds everything together as it does in regular pancakes. You need a non-stick skillet (I have one that is dedicated only to pancakes and eggs, so the non-stick layer stays there for longer) and use medium-low heat, so the pancakes have time to cook through before flipping them.
Bobby Scott
Delicious. Best keto pancakes I have tasted.
Anna
Thank you!
Diana
These were so delicious, I also loved them without any syrup! Can you store the leftover batter in the refrigerator?
Anna
I always make one batch that I cook right away, so I can't tell you how storing will affect the texture. I assume that it should be fine after one day in the fridge.
Klk464
maybe it is my pan but flipping them did not turn out for me.
Anna
You should use a non-stick skillet and cook them over medium-low heat giving them time to cook through before flipping.
Jess Chapkin
Delish! Just made these and I will be saving the recipe 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Anna
Thank you for your comment, Jess!
Wendy Dow
Can you beat the egg whites and add back into the batter for pancakes?
Anna
The foam will deflate from mixing it with the rest of the ingredients because, without regular sugar, it won't be stable. So, in my opinion, it's a waste of time.
D. Monroe
But above, you suggested someone do exactly that in order to adjust the recipe for waffles....
Anna
Yes, because waffles are not pancakes.
Linda Baldwin
I made this recipe today using almond meal flour. It was delicious!!
Anna
Thank you, Linda!
PB
Fantastic recipe! I've made many low carb pancakes and this is my new favorite. Omitted sweetner and they were still great plain. A real yummy breakfast spot quality pancake..
Anna
Thank you!
louise
love needed to cook for a little longer as it wasn’t solid enough to flip - but when they were ready they were anazing
Anna
Thank you, Louise!
Lynna Hollis
I just finished making and eating these and they were very good. They are a good option if you are craving pancakes and other breads. I put part of the batter in the waffle maker, and they turned out very crunchy and tasty.
I substituted vegetable oil for the butter and I left out the artificial sweetener. I don’t really understand why the sweetener is needed and too much artificial sweetener is not healthy and keeps you craving sweets.
Anna
Thank you for your positive review, Lynna!
Christa
These are the best and less saturated fat then using cream cheese if you’re watching cholesterol! I make up a triple batch and freeze for easy breakfasts. I micro (3) for 60-90 seconds.
Anna
Thank you for your positive review, Christa!
Brenda
I made these today and they were easy & delicious. I did use 3 eggs as I only had small eggs. I used a small cast iron skillet heated first, sprayed it with oil & had no trouble turning. Just lift the edge to slip in the spatula & don’t turn too soon.
Anna
Thank you for sharing your experience with my recipe, Brenda!
Vicki
These are amazing! will make over and over, sweet or savoury they are great. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Anna
Thank you, Vicki 🙂
Alysha
I don't know what I did wrong, I followed the recipe and they didn't work out, couldn't flip them - despite using butter in the pan they just stuck. I threw the rest in the bin! what a waste of ingredients!
Anna
I recommend using a non-stick skillet for making pancakes (I personally have one solely dedicated to pancakes and eggs, so the non-stick layer lasts longer). It's best to set the heat to medium-low to give the pancakes enough time to cook thoroughly before flipping them.
Cindi
We loved this recipe! I didn't add the vanilla and doubled the recipe and it turned out great.
Anna
Thank you for sharing, Cindi!
Claire
Delicious.
Just made these gorgeous little pancakes.
I didn’t even add the butter. I’m cooking mine in a little coconut oil and they are delicious.
Thank you 🙏🏻
Anna
Thank you, Claire 🙂
Anna
By far the best low carb and gluten free pancakes that I have made so far. The pancakes are not gritty. They are also very moist. Thank you for this recipe.
Anna
That you for your positive review!
Frances
I just made them today and they are delicious!
Anna
Thank you, Frances!
Marian
Holy cow! This is closest thing to a regular pancake ever. Two years on keto and just finding this. Delicious and easy! THANK-YOU!!!!
Anna
You're welcome, Marian!
Melanie
I'm itching to try this recipe, Anna! And I'm grateful I stumbled upon your website today. Let's call it a "happy accident".
Had to go gluten-free about seven years ago and believe me, gluten-free baking is always a roll of the dice. You mentioned "failures" in your post. I've had many of those. But over the years, my learning curve is getting shorter, thank goodness.
Just one question: I don't care for cottage cheese. Do you think full-fat ricotta cheese would work in these pancakes? Thank you!
Anna
Hi, Melanie! Ricotta cheese is very different from cottage cheese, so I would not recommend trying to replace it.
Carol A B
I love making these. They taste like “real” pancakes. I make mine smaller so I can fool myself by eating two for the price (carbs) of one.
Anna
Thank you for your positive review, Carol! 🙂
Tawnya
hi Anna I have not made these yet but I did read the reviews and you said that it makes 9 pancakes but your recipe says 6. so I just wanted to clarify. I will be making these soon I can't wait
Anna
You will get 6 pancakes.
Allison
These are good, but texture is sensitive to flipping due to be a very soft, thin pancake.
I added a spoonful of egg white protein powder and more vanilla. The egg white protein powder made the pancake a little thicker/taller with more structure to flip, plus I like the slight difference in taste better. One must make sure they are cooking these pancakes at a lower heat, so the outsides don't scorch. I would make these again, my favorite keto pancake recipes after many keto pancakes recipes and not happy with them. Closest taste/texture to a real pancake.
Erin
This recipe is a family favorite. So delicious and easy to make.
Anna
Thank you for sharing your positive review, Erin!
Bee
I just mixed with a spoon as I like the effect of little boobs of melted cheese in my pancakes. I added a little cinnamon and also potted any sugary toppings. Was great, fluffy, and crispy on the outside.
Anna
Thanks for sharing, Bee!
ann
very good and so easy to make.
Kelly Isbell
These were so good!
Angela
Absolutely delicious! To meet my health goals, I added a scoop of vanilla Isopure protein powder and a splash of water to thin that out. I can’t believe how good it was! Instead of syrup, I opted to reduce two handfuls of blueberries with a squeeze of 1/2 fresh lemon and a splash of water. I let it all boil and reduce to make a delicious topping for the pancakes. Sooo yummy
carole moschetti
I love this recipe, the flavor is there! However, in their picture they show fluff pancakes, hasn’t ever happened for me and I’ve made them a dozen times. Trick to this???
Jessie Ann Shaffer
do you think you can use chia egg as a replacement?
Monica
Cook them at low eat and wait until they are completely done on one side before flipping them. It really worked for me the at the 1st try.
Monica
Hi Anna,
Thank you very much for this recipe, it is truly outstanding! My very first time making them and came out delicious. I doubled the recipe, added two table spoons of psyllium husk as someone from the comments recommended and then added 4 table spoons of liquid. Pancakes were incredibly fluffy. Even my non keto/low carb husband love them. Anna, thank you very much for your hard work and for offering your great creations to the world. Greetings from Canada. Cпасибо/Tack
Anna
Oh, your comment made me happy, Monica! Thank you for such positive feedback on my recipe!
Georgene Girouard
Is there a substitute for cottage cheese? I can’t eat dairy.
Anna
Unfortunately, no.
Helen Burkshire
These were delicious! I forgot to add the salt and actually didn’t need it as the cottage cheese gave it enough salt taste. Will definitely make these again. Thanks.
Nicole
These are the absolute best low carb pancakes (and waffles) I’ve ever tried!!! Can be sweet or savory even with pizza toppings!
Tatiana
Wow!! Amazing, my new favorite pancakes
Raquel
It’s delicious but hard to flip them…I didn’t add any sugar just a bit of honey.
I wonder what ingredient I could use to make the flipping a bit easier without burning it.
Thanks for the recipe
Roxy
These turned out fluffy & delicious for me, definitely a keeper. I used a countertop Vitamix, pulsed it several times, noticed I needed to add extra liquid. Another reviewer suggested 1/4 cup water so I used that as a base line for adding almond milk until I got the "pancake" consistency. I also: a) added 1 tbs of psyllium powder to add fiber b) Substituted the butter in the recipe with Macadamia Oil (but I cooked them in butter in the pan). Set the range to "low" as recommended and they fluffed up. I yielded five 5" pancakes from this recipe. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Ligia
Love them
Arkelanor
These were amazing. After a month of switching to keto, My kids complained that I do t make pancakes anymore so I found these and they drizzled it with maple syrup while I ate it with a few berries and a salad. Everyone was happy and I didn’t exceed my daily carbs in one meal. This is a keeper!
Anna
Thank you for you sharing!