Keto vs Carnivore Pancakes: Two Low Carb Pancakes Side by Side
In short
Two low carb pancakes, both made in a bullet blender and both built on eggs and cream cheese. The carnivore version is just two eggs and 2 oz of cream cheese. The keto version adds 2 tablespoons of almond flour and about half a tablespoon of baking powder for a thicker, more robust pancake. I serve them the way we did on pancake day back in England, with lemon juice and (monk fruit) sugar, and the verdict is pretty much neck and neck.
Key points
- Both start the same way. Eggs and cream cheese (I use Philadelphia, but any cream cheese will do) go into a bullet blender until you’ve got a soupy, cheesy, eggy mix.
- Carnivore pancakes are just two ingredients. Two eggs and 2 oz of cream cheese, and that’s pretty much it.
- Keto pancakes add almond flour. Same eggs and cream cheese, plus 2 tablespoons of almond flour and roughly half a tablespoon of baking powder. The baking powder is optional; it just adds a bit more fluffiness.
- Blend until it climbs the walls. That’s how I tell the keto mix is done.
- A little olive oil in a preheated pan. Pour, then wait for the bubbles before you flip. Flip too soon and they break apart, so it’s a fine balance between undercooked and burnt.
- Rule of thumb: 1 oz of cream cheese and one egg per pancake, so you can scale it to however many you’re feeding and how hungry you are.
- Lemon and sugar, the old-fashioned way. The sugar here is monk fruit sugar, so it stays keto friendly. Maple syrup is probably not so good.
- The taste test. You’d struggle to pick that the carnivore pancake wasn’t made with flour, with no cheesy or eggy taste. The keto one is thicker and more robust.
- My verdict. Neck and neck. If I was hungrier I’d go keto; if I was on a strict carnivore run, the carnivore option is obviously the way to go.
Who didn’t love a big stack of pancakes as a kid? Growing up in the south west of England, pancakes were a once-a-year thing on Shrove Tuesday, and we’d roll into school the next day claiming we’d eaten 15 or 20. In other parts of the world, like the US, they’re an everyday breakfast, usually drowned in maple syrup.
You don’t have to give them up on low carb. In this video I make two versions, one 100% carnivore and one 100% keto, then taste them side by side. Both are super simple, super quick and super tasty.
What you need
Carnivore pancakes
- 2 eggs
- 2 oz cream cheese (I use Philadelphia)
- A little olive oil for the pan
Keto pancakes
- 2 eggs
- Cream cheese, using the same rule of thumb of about 1 oz per egg
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- About ½ tablespoon baking powder (optional, for extra fluffiness)
- A little olive oil for the pan
To serve: a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of monk fruit sugar.
Method in brief
- Crack the eggs into a bullet blender and add the cream cheese. Room temperature cream cheese is all the better, but I haven’t found it makes much difference.
- For the keto version, add the almond flour and baking powder too.
- Blend until you have a smooth, soupy mix. For the keto batter, it’s done when it starts climbing up the walls of the blender.
- Preheat a frying pan and give it a light dusting of olive oil.
- Pour in the batter and wait for bubbles to appear on top before flipping. Be patient: flip too early and you’ll end up with deconstructed pancakes.
- Cook the other side, then rinse and repeat. Two eggs makes about two pancakes.
- Serve with lemon juice and monk fruit sugar.
Which one wins?
Honestly, it’s neck and neck. The carnivore pancake is light and you’d struggle to tell it wasn’t made with flour. There’s no cheesy taste and no real eggy taste either. The keto one, with the almond flour, is thicker and more robust. If I’m hungrier I’d go keto, and if you’re on a strict carnivore run, the carnivore option is the obvious choice. Both only take a couple of minutes.
Not sure where you sit between the two ways of eating? Have a read of LCHF vs keto, which also has pancakes on its sample breakfast menus. For another sweet treat, try my sugar-free chocolate mousse, low carb ice cream or keto creme brulee. If you’re after something savoury and bready instead, there’s my 90 second keto bread.
In my mid-50s I lost 23kg and reversed my type 2 diabetes just by changing what I was eating, and it was food like this. Nobody’s missing out. Grab the free Carb Guide, or watch my story and how I lost 23kg in four months.
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Not medical advice. I'm not a doctor, dietitian or nutritionist, just a bloke telling the story of what worked for me. Check with your doctor before changing your diet or medication.
