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Low-Carb Carrot Cake Protein Pancakes

breakfast recipes Apr 18, 2020

Carrot cake is definitely up there on my top 5 favorite desserts. So when Easter rolled around and I was looking for a fun brunch recipe to make, this one was a no brainer! These low-carb carrot cake pancakes are super fluffy and jam-packed with flavor.

The extra 'fluff factor' comes from separating the egg whites from the egg yolks (see directions below). If you don't have the extra 5 minutes for that part, no worries, you can just combine the full eggs with the other 'wet' ingredients and follow the directions from there. The pancakes will still come out fluffy and delicious (just not as fluffy compared to if you were to whip the egg whites). Enjoy!  

Prep Time:
20 mins
 Cook Time:
10 mins 
Total Time
30 mins

Makes 10 'Small' Pancakes

Ingredients

For the maple cream cheese frosting

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup half n' half
  • 5 drops maple-flavored liquid sweetener (or sweetener of choice + maple extract)
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

For the pancakes

  • ½ cup (44g) almond flour
  • 1 scoop (~30g) protein powder (I used Level-1 Cinnamon Cookie Batter)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 10 drops maple-flavored liquid sweetener (or sweetener of choice + maple extract)
  • ½ cup (~60g) carrots, grated
  • ¼ cup (~20g) chopped walnuts, pecans, or other nuts
*Some other ingredients can be found on my Amazon Shop page

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, beat together all cream cheese frosting ingredients, taste and adjust sweetness/flavor to your preference. Let chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the pancakes.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients (almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg). Set aside.
  3. Separate the eggs by adding the whites to a medium bowl and adding the yolks to a smaller cup or bowl.
  4. Add the vanilla extract and maple-flavored sweetener (or extract) to the yolks and whisk until combined. Set aside.
  5. Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then, gently fold the yolk mixture and grated carrots into the egg whites until just combined.
  6. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, folding gently until combined. The batter will be thick. You can add a couple of tablespoons of water to thin the batter to a pourable consistency if desired.
  7. Allow the batter to rest for a few minutes. While the batter is resting preheat a griddle or skillet on medium heat and prepare with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
  8. Use a ¼ measuring cup to pour batter, cook until the surfaces of the pancakes are coated in bubbles. Flip and cook the other side for about 2 minutes.
  9. Repeat the process until you have used all the batter. To keep pancakes warm while cooking, put them on a sheet pan in a 200-degree F oven.
  10. Top with a dollop of the maple cream cheese frosting and a few chopped nuts. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe will work for waffles as well!

Nutrition Facts for 1 Pancake (recipe makes 10 small pancakes): Calories 82; Total Fat 5.5g; Protein 6g; Total Carbs 2g; Fiber 1g; Net Carbs 1g

Nutrition Facts for 1/10 of the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting: Calories 40; Total Fat 3.5g; Protein 1g; Total Carbs 1g; Fiber 0g; Net Carbs 1g

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