Low carb protein pancakes are one of my favorite breakfasts to whip up. They’re quick, easy, filling, and with the right ingredients, you can barely tell the difference. I’ve played around with a variety of ingredients and ratios, on a quest for the perfect protein pancake. My secret to making a surprisingly moist protein pancake is ricotta cheese.
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Adding more eggs just makes it taste eggy; adding liquid deflates some of that airy fluff that gives a pancake its signature bready texture.
Sure eggs and protein powder will do the trick, but I kid you not the ricotta does something magical to that protein pancake batter. If you include dairy in your diet, you’ve got to try this.
I've thrown the lazy scoop of protein with a pour of liquid egg whites on the griddle more times than I can count. It works for a quick, protein-packed breakfast. But they always turn out so brittle and dry! And while they do at least kind of look like pancakes, there’s a certain amount of make-believe required to enjoy the cardboard-esque meal. The ricotta cheese completely transforms the protein pancake, elevating it from an exercise of your imagination to something that can legitimately pass as a pancake in the taste and texture department. We aren’t Peter Pan and the Lost Boys; we shouldn’t have to use our imagination to eat delicious food.
Are there calories in ricotta? Yep, mmhmm. Depending on what your macro and calorie goals look like, you can opt for the part-skim version and save yourself some calories and dietary fat though. I’ve noticed that most organic brands don’t include any extra fillers or added sugar, so don't trip. Be sure to double check the label of whatever you find at the store just in case. I always seem to have the organic Safeway brand in my fridge; no brand loyalty, but the label checks out, so it’s a safe bet if that’s an option for you.
For protein powder, I enjoy the Quest brand. I used the peanut butter flavor and mixed in Lily’s chocolate chips for a low carb chocolate and peanut butter combo. Both products are sweetened without sugar, so the carbs remain low, and the impact on your blood sugar is minimal. Let me know how you like my version of low carb protein pancakes in the comments below!
If you are looking for other protein-packed breakfast options, check out my new goat cheese omelet recipe or our super popular protein waffles!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.12 oz Quest Peanut Butter Protein Powder 2 scoops
- 2 oz Ricotta Cheese Part-Skim Milk
- 4 eggs whole
- 0.99 oz Lily's Dark Chocolate Baking Chips
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick griddle or skillet over medium heat.
- Mix protein powder, ricotta, and eggs until ingredients appear evenly distributed.
- Add in Lily's chocolate chips and mix throughout the batter.
- For each pancake, scoop ¼ cup batter onto the heated griddle/skillet surface.
- Allow each pancake to cook until bubbles begin to form in the batter surface before flipping.
- Flip each pancake and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds.
- Remove from heat and serve as-is or with toppings of choice.
- If storing for later, be sure to seal in an air tight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Tasha–nutritionist, recipe developer, and multi-published cookbook author.
Kathryn says
Hi Tasha! Thanks for the recipe. I'm new to keto and love finding new recipes to try. I'm a little confused with one of the ingredients ( ( 2 oz Ricotta Cheese Part-Skim Milk (56g) )) does that mean use ricotta cheese 2oz and use skim milk 56g or is it one thing? Sorry just a bit confused and want to make sure I'm reading it right. Thanks again!!
Tasha Metcalf says
Hey Kathryn! I try to include the weight of each ingredient in grams as well. I'm a metric system gal and typically use grams on my kitchen scale and during meal planning. It's the same thing though 🙂
Maddison says
Is the Nutrtion info for 1 pancake or for all six? Thanks in advance. Can’t wait to try it!
Tasha Metcalf says
Per pancake! 🙂
SJ says
Ok, these really surprised me! I have been looking for pancake recipes that have the texture of real pancakes, I've come close with some almond flour and coconut flour recipes but they never quite reached the dense, fluffy and chewy texture of a pancake.... and these do! This is my go-to recipe from now on 🙂 thank you!
Tasha Metcalf says
Excellent, so happy to hear this was a winning recipe for you! The quest to find the perfect substitutes can be frustrating. I'm glad I could help solve your pancake dilemma. 😇