I Almost Gave Up On Pancakes

It was last week Tuesday, yeah…tuesday afternoon because I was in the thick of season two Party of Five, when I just went for it. I read f i f i t y-b i l l i o n keto pancake recipes and tried and tested SEVEN. Each recipe was tweaked and assessed for taste, texture, titillation, and tendency to get tough after a few minutes left in the elements (on my kitchen counter). The result? I guess they tasted good-everything tastes good with syrup on it. The problem was each recipe was either dense and heavy, tough, dry, eggy, or so filling that I was bloated for three days.

That’s when I swore off low carb pancakes. My psyche and my digestive system just couldn’t take another lb of almond flour….And then I promptly un-swore off pancakes when I woke up yesterday and really wanted some pancakes. Hrumph.

SO I took some of the things I know about cooking chemistry and this super good waffle recipe I made once, and I went for it. And I liked it. 

Pancaking Points To Remember

What makes these pancakes work is that the heavy, rich ricotta and drippy almond butter gives them enough fat and protein to build a sort of network or structure for the air bubbles to lift up. That’s usually gluten’s job but gluten wasn’t invited.

So to get enough of that “lift” we could use a boat load of eggs and get really eggy, or we can beat the whites to stiff peaks and we can beat the yolks and sugar together, which also helps add lift and structure.

Just a touch of almond flour and coconut flour give our wet mixture something to firm up, while drippy natural almond butter lends a bit more fat for flavor and bulk without drying the mix. And there you have it, soft and fluffy with an almost souffle center that once cool, is very much like a good ol’ pancake.

But flipping these babies is tricky so keep reading for my never fail, pancake flipping perfection tips 👇

Soft & Buttery 🥞Ricotta Pancakes  

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Pancakes + Souffle – (Carbs + Gluten) = One Deliciously Edible Math Problem

There are no photos of the flipping because it’s delicate stuff
but I will explain as best I can, textually.

1. Keep the pancakes 2-3 inches in size.
Nearly silver dollars for the best rise and flip.

2. Cook them low and slow to prevent burning and breakage.
Covering the skillet helps trap the heat and cook them evenly.

3. Once ready, slide the spatula gently 1/2 to 3/4 under the pancake and lift!

This isn’t a pancake you want to completely lift up in the air and slam down on the pan.
Just RELAX!
If you lift it halfway and sort of push it over with the spatula, it will fall without smearing or becoming lopsided. Try it!

If you burn the first one, don’t worry.
You’ll just be topping it with a bunch of stuff anyway.

The Buttery Effect-
Salt (from the ricotta) mimics that buttery sensation + slightly fried in oil

 I used peanut oil and the edges fried so that when I taste tested one
I almost died of sheer pancake pleasure.

Kinda crispy edges with a sweet and soft center.
Just like mom used to make. 

So give it a shot and tell me I’m not crazy! Oh, and it’s worth all the work that you are about to read via the recipe below 🙌

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Soft & Buttery Ricotta Pancakes {GF & Low Carb}

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Fluffed up on on egg whites and kept soft and decadent with creamy ricotta. Let's brunch!

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Ingredients

• 2 Large Eggs, separated
• 2 tsp Granulated Swerve, or sweet of choice
• 1/2 cup Ricotta
• 2 tbsp Almond Flour
• 1 tbsp Coconut Flour
• 1 tbsp Natural Almond Butter, the drippy kind only!
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
• 2-4 tbsps Peanut Oil or Avocado Oil for the pan* adding as needed per batch

Instructions

1. Gather TWO separate bowls and a hand mixer. You may also use a kitchenaid if you're ballin'.
2. Separate your eggs with yolks in one bowl and whites in the other. Beat the egg whites until pretty stiff peaks form, then move on to bowl #2.
3. Using the same beaters, whip the egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture is pale yellow and smooth.
4. Add the ricotta and continue to beat.
5. Spoon in almond butter and whip until the mixture is smooth.
6. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, and baking powder and stirl until combined.
7. Add the lemon juice, then gently fold in the beaten egg whites.
8. Bring your oiled pan to just below medium heat. My electric range dial would read just between 3 and 4.
9. Spoon the batter into the pan and cover with a lid. It doesn't have to be a perfect fit, any large lid would do. ***If you are using a large skillet, you could fit two to three. The smaller the pancake, the easier they flip and rise.
10. Once the sides begin to set and the bubbles have popped, very gently slide a spatula under half of the pancake and LIFT half way-then flip. This is the best advice I ever got for flipping pancakes perfectly every time.
11. Cook for another :30 to a minute and then repeat until all of the batter is gone.
12. Serve topped with tons of pancake toppings because no one likes a naked pancake.

Notes

*Resist the urge to use butter or coconut oil in the pan on these. An oil that can withstand high heat (high smoke point) is important so you don't get crusty, burned pancakes.

**IF you find your batter becomes too thin after sitting while the other baby cakes bake, add just a sprinkling of almond flour to bring it back together. Mom would always pinch a bit more baking powder in if the batter had sat for long, too and everyone knows-mom knows best.

Nutrition Information

Amount Per Serving Calories 131Total Fat 10gCarbohydrates 5gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 8g

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to see how it turned out! Share your pics on Instagram with #gorgeouseats and don't forget to tag me! @Inspectorgoreous