These Coconut Flour Pancakes are delightfully fluffy and incredibly easy to make. And with less than 3g net carbs per serving, they make an ideal keto breakfast!
I often joke that working with coconut flour is like entering an alternate universe. If you’re used to wheat flour, you will find that this common keto ingredient defies all expectations.
But once you get the hang of it, you realize that it can be incredibly useful. It works well in both sweet and savory recipes, everything from Keto Bagels to my famous sugar free Chantilly Cake.
For the uninitiated, these Keto Coconut Flour Pancakes are a very good place to start. It’s an easy recipe that provides you with a good sense of the ingredients. And it doesn’t hurt that you get some tasty keto breakfast out of the deal!
If you prefer other flours, I have some great keto pancakes with almond flour too.
Why you need this recipe
This was one of the first keto pancake recipes I ever created and it’s been a fan favorite ever since. But over the years, I’ve tinkered with it and perfected it to make them truly light and fluffy.
One of the best tricks I discovered was the addition of sparkling water rather than still water. The carbonation adds air to the batter, which in turn makes the pancakes lighter. Since coconut flour can often be dense and heavy, you need all the added lightness you can get.
Coconut flour pancakes require a surprising amount of eggs. But, done correctly, they don’t end up eggy or rubbery at all. And with some added vanilla, you don’t taste don’t get an overpowering coconut flavor.
One reader says: “This was my first time using coconut flour, and my pancakes turned out delicious! They are very buttery, which is just the way I like them.”
It’s also a fabulous make-ahead recipe. The pancakes can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for several months. So you can make a big batch and enjoy a healthy breakfast for days.
Ingredients you need
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- Coconut flour: Coconut flour varies a great deal brand to brand and some are more absorbent than others. I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Baking for consistency, but if you use a different brand, you may need to adjust. If the batter is very thin, add another tablespoon or two of flour. Read my tutorial on baking with coconut flour for more information.
- Swerve Sweetener: I recommend using erythritol-based sweeteners, such as Swerve, for this recipe. Using another sweetener may change the texture and consistency. Allulose is not a good choice, as it tends to make things brown more on the outside, which will leave your pancakes looking and tasting burnt. Learn more about keto sweeteners here.
- Eggs: Make sure to bring the eggs to room temperature before adding them, otherwise they will cause the butter to clump up.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted, as you prefer.
- Sparkling water: The carbonation gives the pancakes a lighter, fluffier texture. But you can just use regular water instead, if you don’t have any sparkling.
- Oil/butter for the pan
- Pantry staples: baking powder, salt, vanilla extract.
Step by Step Directions
1. Whisk the dry ingredients: Whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, and salt. Break up any clumps in the coconut flour.
2. Add the wet ingredients: Add the eggs, butter, and vanilla and stir to combine. Add the sparkling water and whisk until smooth, then let the batter rest a few minutes to thicken.
3. Add the batter: Heat the skillet and lightly grease with oil or butter. Scoop two or three tablespoons of batter onto the hot skillet and spread into a 3 to 4 inch circle. Keep them small so that they are easier to flip.
4. Cook until golden: Cook the pancakes until the bottoms are golden brown and the edges are set and dry. Flip carefully and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, then remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining pancake batter.
Expert Tips and FAQ
If you’re new to coconut flour, you may find it a bit tricky to work with. Here are some added tips for success:
- Keep them on the small side for easier flipping. 3 to 4 inches in diameter is about perfect.
- Just like regular pancakes, you want to see some little bubbles appear in the top before you try to flip them. Then carefully wiggle your flipper under the bottom side and flip over in one quick motion.
- Different brands of coconut flour vary in absorbency so it can be tricky to know if your batter is right. Try one mini pancake before you go and do them all. The batter shouldn’t be so thin that you can pour it. You should have to scoop it onto the skillet and then spread it into a circle.
- If your batter is too thin, simply add another tablespoon of coconut flour. If it’s too thick, add another tablespoon or two of water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coconut flour makes excellent pancakes but it’s not as simple as replacing regular wheat flour cup-for-cup. It is extremely absorbent and requires a lot of eggs, fat, and liquids to make good pancakes. You also use significantly less coconut flour than regular flour. I recommend following this coconut flour pancake recipe as written.
Coconut flour requires a lot of eggs to hold together properly. Most coconut flour recipes take at least 6 eggs per half cup of flour. Resist the urge to skimp on the eggs or to thin the batter with another liquid, as you will end up with a goopy mess that won’t cook through properly.
These coconut flour pancakes are a deliciously healthy option for keto breakfast. They have 5.9g of carbs and 3.3g of fiber, so they come out to 2.6g net carbs per serving. They also have more protein than regular pancakes, so they will keep you feeling satisfied for much longer.
What to serve with coconut flour pancakes
So now that you’ve made a big stack of these delicious pancakes, how do you serve them? You’ve got many great options!
- I love them with a smear of peanut butter or my Keto Nutella as a quick on-the-go breakfast.
- For a decadent brunch, try topping the pancakes with Pecan Praline Syrup or Wild Blueberry Syrup.
- All-U-Lose maple-flavored syrup is my top choice for store-bought pancake toppings.
- ChocZero has a wonderful collection of flavored syrups, everything from caramel to peach!
Coconut Flour Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup Swerve Granular
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ to ¾ cup sparkling water (or regular water)
- Additional butter or oil for the pan
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, and salt. Break up any clumps in the coconut flour.
- Add the eggs, butter, and vanilla and stir to combine. Add ⅓ cup of the sparkling water and whisk until smooth. Add more water, a little at a time, as needed. Let the batter rest a few minutes so the coconut flour absorbs the moisture.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with oil or butter. Using about 3 tablespoons of batter at a time, scoop onto the skillet and spread into a 3 inch circle.
- Cook until the bottoms are golden brown, the top is set around the edges, and a few bubbles appear in the top. Flip carefully and continue to cook until the second side is golden brown.
- Remove from pan and keep warm on plate or baking sheet in oven, while repeating with remaining batter.
Angela says
Can I sub maple extract for the vanilla?
Carolyn says
sure!
Heather Meyer says
These were fabulous.
I altered your recipe cause i am a coconut hater and needed to disguise the taste more. So i added
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp butter extract
20 drops of liquid ezsweets sweetner
1 tsp cinnamon
Im a waffle lover myself and noticed the batter looked too thin to make waffles…so i added
1/4 tsp xanthem gum
4 level tbsp of unflavored whey protein(i learned that trick from you to get better structure)
1 more tbsp coconut flour
It made a great waffle! Thank you so much for the recipe! I no longer hate coconut flour!
trisa blask says
Can I subsitiute the spakling water for unsweetned vanilla almond milk? Also can it be flavored or does it have to plain? thanks
Carolyn says
You can use whatever liquid you want. It’s just fluffier with sparkling water.
Kristy Bernardo says
I just received some coconut flour and wasn’t sure what I’d use it for. Now I know! And look at all these fabulous reviews – can’t wait to make these!
Jennifer Blake says
Coconut flower scares me a bit but the tips given here and the feedback from others definitely makes me feel like I could make it work.
Gerry Speirs says
Start everyday with these!
Jennifer Farley says
Love how fluffy these get!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
They are so light and fluffy!
Stephanie says
Do I have to use sparkling water??
Carolyn says
No.
McDonna says
Today is Christmas Eve and all our family is 15 hours away. I was looking for something to help make this day special, since we can’t be with our family. These pancakes were The Bomb! I made them exactly as written, and enjoyed every perfect bite.
I made the batter first, then let it sit while I got out my electric skillet and prepped it for the pancakes. Also finished frying the skillet of bacon I had put on while I made the pancake batter. My sparkling water came from my Soda Stream.
All that to say – I think letting the batter sit for that 15-ish minute window is what made the difference, as I’ve seen several commenters remarking that their batter was watery. I used Better Body organic coconut flour, so it certainly wasn’t a pedigreed brand that made the difference. 🙂
Of course, Hubs needed chocolate chips in his pancakes. Geez…that Guy! LOL
These were perfect and made our brunch special – just what I was hoping for.
Thanks, Carolyn! Another terrific recipe!
Carolyn says
Glad you liked them! Merry Christmas!
Michelle B. says
I made these tonight with Arrowhead Mills coconut flour and lemon flavored sparkling water. They were wonderful! Served them with your wild blueberry syrup and everyone was pleased. Thanks for the great recipes. I’m really enjoying your cookbook!
Heidi says
What’s the reasoning behind the sparkling water? I make waffles from an almost identical recipe, except there is no additional liquid in that recipe (I double the recipe and add 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk to it because I like a thinner batter). Could I use the almond milk in this recipe, too?
Carolyn says
It just makes them a wee bit fluffier because of the carbonation but any water or almond milk will do.
Ruth says
I love making pancakes with coconut flour; I think they taste just as good or better than IHOP pancakes!
michelle says
is there a reason for using carbonated water? can i just use regular water?
Carolyn says
You can use regular but the carbonation makes them a little fluffier.
Greg Fly says
Finally, a good coconut flour pancake recipe! Most of the ones I’ve tried so far are so dense and eggy as to not be worth the effort, thank you!
Carolyn says
Yay, so glad you liked them!
Dee Peterson says
Some of the comments and your responses refer to almond milk. I don’t see that anywhere in the recipe. What am I missing?
Carolyn says
You’re missing that I simply changed the recipe a little later on down the road. It’s an updated version but I can’t delete the previous comments. 🙂
Gloria Soto says
I have found My LC Pancakes which I sometimes get such a craving for. I used the batter in my waffle maker and they were even better! I’m so excited. I only get this craving every 5-6 months. So what a treat!!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Jennifer Guerra says
Am I the only one having problems flipping them!? They are burning before they become hard enough to not break apart and flip!? I’m not stupid when it comes to cooking.
Carolyn says
Sounds like the heat is too high. Could be your stove or your pan. Try making them no more than 4 inches across….the smaller they are, the easier they are to flip.
Terri says
Hi Carolyn – will this recipe work in the blender? Thanks!
Carolyn says
The batter will be great at first but may thicken up a lot as it sits. Just FYI.
Trish says
I did find these had a slightly eggy taste, but when topped with cinnamon, butter and sugar-free syrup they tasted like French toast. Nice treat, thanks Carolyn!
Salma says
Hi. These look great, but can I make them with regular still water instead of sparkling?
Carolyn says
Yes, it should still be fine.
Salma says
Thank you for your swift response. Also, I’m trying to go keto. I’ve done it successfully in the past, but this time, I was feeling demoralized as the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, is coming up very soon, and my experience at starting out fasts with just eggs etc hss not great. They’re fine for breakfast, but for the daily, pre-dawn, pre-fast meal in Ramadan, I wanted a better option. Just tried these babies for breakfast. They are fantastic. Even my coconut-hating husband thought they were great- ‘can’t tell the difference from regular pancakes’ was his surprised comment.
While I don’t know if having them everyday would be smart for me, you just gave me a wonderful option for my Ramadan fasts. Thank you so very much !!
Carolyn says
Oh I am so glad they will help work for the fast! Glad you like them!