Chickpea & Peanut Flour Pancakes (or Waffles)
These fluffy pancakes are a low-carb dream come true. I have long been in search of truly delicious keto-friendly vegan pancakes. I have occasionally tried making my own recipes over the years and tested out some I've found online, but have never had particularly satisfying results until now. These pancakes are so good! The unfortunate key to the success of these fluffy pancakes is the inclusion of chickpea flour, which makes them a tad higher in net carbs than some might like. However, if you have a higher carb limit, are not being especially restrictive with your carbs, or plan your day strategically, these are certainly worth a try. Try pairing them with a side of Tofu Baycon Strips for a keto-friendly meal.
Yield: 2 servings of 2 pancakes each, totaling 4 pancakes (each about 3½ inches [9cm] diameter)
Macros (per serving): 205 calories | 13g protein | 10g fat | 10g net carbs
Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 8 to 10 mins
Storage: refrigerated (once cooked) for up to 3 days. Can be reheated in the microwave or a toaster.
Macros (per serving): 205 calories | 13g protein | 10g fat | 10g net carbs
Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 8 to 10 mins
Storage: refrigerated (once cooked) for up to 3 days. Can be reheated in the microwave or a toaster.
Dry ingredients:
- ¼ cup (30g) chickpea flour, sifted if lumpy
- ¼ cup (30g) defatted peanut flour (e.g. Protein Plus), sifted if lumpy
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- a pinch of salt
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (90ml) soy or pea milk or plant-based milk of choice ✎
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) light olive oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Directions:
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Heat a large non-stick pancake/griddle pan or frying pan on medium-low heat. As many pancake-makers will know, finding the precise temperature that works for perfect pancakes on your stovetop can be a bit finicky. I am using 90°C on my induction cooktop.
- Add the wet ingredients to the mixing bowl and whisk until no dry patches remain. The batter will be thick, but still of a pourable consistency. See the video at the end of the page for visual clarification.
- When the pan is hot, pour or spoon the batter into 4 equal-sized puddles (about 3 tablespoons [45ml] each) spaced well apart. The pancakes won't spread a great deal, but it's easier to flip them when you have more space surrounding them.
- Cook the pancakes for roughly 4 to 5 minutes, or until bubbles are coming up to the surface and no longer popping and disappearing back under the surface. They won't bubble as much as typical pancake batter does (unless you've used water or a thin milk). See the photo at the end of the page for clarity.
- Gently flip the pancakes and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on the other side. These pancakes are slippery on the non-stick surface, so I find it easiest to flip them using 2 implements - one to get under the pancake (the flipper) and one opposite the flipper to stabilize it and prevent it from sliding across the pan (e.g. the tip of a silicone spatula).
- Transfer the cooked pancakes from pan to plate, top as desired, and enjoy hot.
Make It a Meal: enjoy a serving of these pancakes with a serving of Tofu Baycon Strips.
Macros: 355 calories | 23g protein | 21g fat | 11g net carbs
Macros: 355 calories | 23g protein | 21g fat | 11g net carbs
Variations: the original version of this recipe is by far my favorite and has the best texture in my opinion. However, I understand that peanut flour is not a viable option for everyone, so I have played around with a few other flours to provide some alternatives. Below are the 2 options that worked out well. I also tried replacing the peanut flour with lupin flour, which was texturally fine but tasted very unpleasant, and with plain protein powder, which did not cook through at all. I have not tried using sunflower seed flour, but it should work in place of almond flour in the variation below.
Almond flour: the peanut flour can be replaced with an equal amount of fine almond flour plus 1½ tablespoons (11g) plain pea or soy protein powder. I have not tried using a flavored protein powder, but I suspect most would work fine (maybe even better). These pancakes will be a bit thicker and not show the same telltale signs of readiness for flipping (i.e. no bubbles). However, they cooked in the same times as given in the original recipe. When cooking with almond flour, items still hot after cooking will often seem undercooked when they are not. Let the pancakes rest for about 3 to 5 minutes and you will see that they are in fact cooked (unless they are actually not cooked...). Macros per serving: 245 calories | 11g protein|17g fat | 9.5g net carbs
Sesame flour (defatted): the peanut flour can be replaced with an equal amount of defatted sesame flour. I'm using the brand Kevala. Sesame flour is a bit more thirsty, so add an additional tablespoon (15ml) of milk. These pancakes will be a bit thicker and not show the same telltale signs of readiness for flipping (i.e. no bubbles). However, they cooked in the same times as given in the original recipe. Be aware that these pancakes will have a sesame flavor and the slight bitterness that comes with it. Macros per serving: 205 calories | 13g protein|11g fat | 11g net carbs
Almond flour: the peanut flour can be replaced with an equal amount of fine almond flour plus 1½ tablespoons (11g) plain pea or soy protein powder. I have not tried using a flavored protein powder, but I suspect most would work fine (maybe even better). These pancakes will be a bit thicker and not show the same telltale signs of readiness for flipping (i.e. no bubbles). However, they cooked in the same times as given in the original recipe. When cooking with almond flour, items still hot after cooking will often seem undercooked when they are not. Let the pancakes rest for about 3 to 5 minutes and you will see that they are in fact cooked (unless they are actually not cooked...). Macros per serving: 245 calories | 11g protein|17g fat | 9.5g net carbs
Sesame flour (defatted): the peanut flour can be replaced with an equal amount of defatted sesame flour. I'm using the brand Kevala. Sesame flour is a bit more thirsty, so add an additional tablespoon (15ml) of milk. These pancakes will be a bit thicker and not show the same telltale signs of readiness for flipping (i.e. no bubbles). However, they cooked in the same times as given in the original recipe. Be aware that these pancakes will have a sesame flavor and the slight bitterness that comes with it. Macros per serving: 205 calories | 13g protein|11g fat | 11g net carbs
Make Waffles: the pancake batter can be used to make waffles. At present, I have only tried this with the original recipe and not any of the variations. The recipe should make 3 waffles in an iron with the typical-sized square design. Preheat your waffle iron and prepare the pancake batter. Spray the bottom panel of your waffle iron with a neitral-flavored oil. Fill 3 waffle squares each with a third (about ¼ cup) of batter. If your iron only has 2 squares, you'll have to do this in batches. Spray the top panel with oil and close the iron. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Gently try to open the iron. If it seems reluctant to open, use the tip of a chopstick to dislodge the waffle from the top plate. It may be slightly stuck and could tear in half if forced. You may also need to use a chopstick to dislodge the waffle from the bottom plate. Waffles cooked longer will dislodge more easily, but also be dryer. Enjoy hot and topped as desired.
Macros per waffle (1 of 3): 140 calories | 9g protein|7g fat | 6.5g net carbs
Macros for full recipe: 415 calories | 27g protein| 21g fat | 20g net carbs
Macros per waffle (1 of 3): 140 calories | 9g protein|7g fat | 6.5g net carbs
Macros for full recipe: 415 calories | 27g protein| 21g fat | 20g net carbs
✎ Notes:
- I have tried the original version of the recipe with water instead of soymilk in order to evaluate the possible outcome with a very thin plant-based milk. The results were a bit thinner and less fluffy, but still good. Using slightly less of a very thin plant-based milk (or water) than what the recipe calls for might lead to equally fluffy results, but I have not tested that at this time. The variations have only been tested with soymilk.
- I have not added any sweetener to the pancakes themselves, but you could easily add a a pinch of pure monk fruit or a few drops of liquid stevia without affecting the outcome. I suspect adding a tablespoon of a granulated sweetener will not impact the results. I did make an early test version with a small amount of allulose and they turned out fine. I prefer to just pour syrup on mine. The syrup I'm using in the photograph is ChocZero maple syrup. It is not entirely carb-free, but I like that it's thick and sticky, unlike many others I've tried.
- Macros for this recipes are calculated with American national nutritional data (i.e. NCCDB & USDA entries in Cronometer) for all ingredients apart from yogurt and plant-based milk (Aplro), nutritional yeast flakes (blend of Bob's Redmill and Foods Alive unfortified), pumpkin seeds (Bob's Redmill), and hemp hearts (Manitoba Harvest).
- Macros for this recipes are calculated with American national nutritional data (i.e. NCCDB & USDA entries in Cronometer) for all ingredients apart from the peanut flour (Protein Plus) and sesame flour (Kevala) for the applicable variation.
- Macro numbers are rounded. Numbers equal to or greater than 10g are rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 10g, 11g, 12g, etc.) and numbers below 10g are rounded to the nearest 0.5g (0.5g, 1g, 1.5g ... 9g, 9.5g). Any numbers below 0.5g are given as is (e.g. 0.1g, 0.2g, etc.). Calories are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.