Low Carb Protein Pancakes - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip [Recipe] (2024)

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 newgoat cheese omelet recipe or our super popular protein waffles!

📖 Recipe

Tasha

Hi, I'm Tasha–nutritionist, recipe developer, and multi-published cookbook author.