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.
NightFox says
I made these earlier today and I loved them! They weren’t very fluffy, but I figure it’s probably because my water wasn’t sparling. The flavor also reminded me of French toast (not mad, though).
I also think mine turned out a lot more yellow.
Justine says
Just made these for our afternoon snack. So good! Thanks for a great low carb pancake recipe!
E. says
Can we use reg. water instead of sparkling?
Carolyn says
Yes.
MD says
I don’t think that I can find sparkling water here, can I use normal water?
Thank you
Carolyn says
Yup!
Jeetu melwani says
I brought coconut flour & coconut sugar for the first time just recently from Sattvicfoods.in and I am going to try your recipe to begin with. They look amazing.
Kapu says
I have FINALLY made these. My husband had seconds and that’s a good thing. They didn’t come out as thick but had perfect flavor. This is another keeper. 🙂
Cecile says
Wow, these are excellent. Followed recipe to the “t” and they turned out fantastic. We’d been eating almond flour pancakes and while they are very good, got to the point of overall consuming too much almond flour in our diet! I admire and respect your dedication and great recipes as my husband has Type 2 and I really try to keep both of us on track.
I make the full recipe with leftover batter…would that keep overnight?
Carolyn says
I’ve never tried to keep the batter. It might thicken too much. I make all the pancakes and then just refrigerate those. So glad you like them!
Tiffany says
I had such high hopes for this recipe because of the reviews. Strangely, I had the total opposite experience. My batter was waaaaaay too thick (and yes I am positive everything was measured correctly). I use Nutiva coconut flour and I had to thin it out quite a bit. The end result was similar to most of the coconut pancake recipes out there..dry but wet. Kind of like if you soaked a piece of cardboard in water. I haven’t found a lot of coconut recipes that work but the effective ones I have found are usually a mix of coconut and other flours because it is just so tricky to work with. I love the addition of sparkling water though, I dont know why I never thought of that and I look forward to experimenting with it.
Carolyn says
I am going to guess that the Natvia coconut flour is part of the problem. I don’t use anything but Bob’s. Different coconut flours vary by quite a bit in terms of density.
Beth says
Hello! I made this recipe for the first time today. I did not have any bubbly water so used regular water, which worked just fine. I only used 5 eggs instead of 6 because many Keto recipes are too eggy for my taste. After making and tasting 2 small pancakes, decided it was still a little too eggy for me but the overall flavor was great. NOTE: I added 1 tsp of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients. After the 1st 2 pancakes, I added another 1/4c of coconut flour, 1/2c of water, 1 TBSP of MCT oil, 1 TBSP of almond milk, and 1/2 tsp of baking powder. The batter was a bit thicker with these revisions but still cooked up great without sacrificing much flavor. I will definitely make these again!
Marilyn Howington says
Fantastic. I made these for the second time in a week. They turned out perfectly. This time I sprinkled them with cinnamon in the pan. Yum!
Carolyn says
Cinnamon is always a good choice!
Tanya says
Made these this morning. The recipe is perfect, added an extra tbsp coconut flour after I had cooked a couple. They were so fluffy thick and delicious. Topped with full fat Greek yoghurt. Just awesome. Thanks!!
Laura W says
I just made these this morning and they were amazing! They were so light and fluffy. I added a tbsp of shredded unsweetened coconut because I just love coconut flavor, and I topped them with some peanut butter and LC syrup. What a treat!
Kathleen says
I just made these and they were WONDERFUL!. Not at all dry or grainy like many other LC pancake/waffle recipes that I have tried. They were just a tad eggy, but LC syrup covered up that taste quite well. I used lemon lime flavored sparkling water as that was what I had on hand and it worked great. No lemon lime flavor at all. I was going to ask if tonic water would be a suitable substitute as I drink it all the time for the quinine (helps with leg cramps), but I see from some of the comments that others have used diet soda. I have plenty of that on hand too. One question, why do many of the commenters ask about almond milk/coconut milk? Did I miss something in the recipe? I didn’t see or use any.
Carolyn says
No, you didn’t miss anything. I changed the recipe when I tried it with sparkling water and they got even fluffier!
Jay says
Made these but split the recipe in half. The pancakes looked great! Looked normal and fluffy BUT completely dry. I couldn’t eat them. Maybe I did something wrong or should’ve used another egg?
Carolyn says
Weird, because these should be anything but dry. What brand of coconut flour did you use?
Margaret Dickerson says
Can I use regular water instead of sparking water?
Robin says
I couldn’t remember if I ever commented on these, but we love them at my house. My non-low carb friends also love them. Sparkling water is super hard to find here, so I usually use Coke Zero, which does add to the sweetness and maybe even a bit of pleasantly salty flavor. Today I think we had to use Pepsi Light since that’s what has been available lately. I have made low carb maple syrup for them in the past, but today I had some of the peppermint cream filling left over from making the Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies from the new Christmas cookbook. We used that instead of syrup since we didn’t have any. Truly, I love the cookies and I love peppermint. The cream was super yummy on the pancakes too! Again, thanks for making the low carb lifestyle so much fun for the foodies at my house.
Sara says
These sound amazing! I’m so excited to try these, I haven’t made pancakes since we’ve cut back on gluten and my kids miss them! I am curious what sparkling water is? I feel like this is a silly question but can I just use water? THANKS!
Carolyn says
Yes, you can just use water. But they are fluffier and lighter if you use soda water or unflavoured seltzer.
Natascha says
Just made these and the wee taste I’ve taken is gorgeous! I’m a pancake nut and these will be a regular on our low carb table. I used diet soda instead of sparkling water and sweetner and they turned out great!
Nicole S says
I made waffles with this recipe today…THANK YOU! This is the first recipe with all coconut flour that I have actually loved! My other recipe uses arrowroot also, but I’m doing Keto so that one was out. You really do have the best recipes!
Carolyn says
Thank you, Nicole! <3
Stacy says
Suggestion for THM syrup?
Kitty says
there’s a THM recipe for syrup. ,maybe two. available n the book
Carolyn says
Nature’s Hollow makes a good xylitol based syrup. http://amzn.to/2bYKQqx
Christie says
Xylitol based caramel sauce works great 🙂