These cream cheese and egg pancakes are one of the quickest keto breakfast ideas you can make last-minute, with ingredients you probably have in your fridge (much like keto French toast!). Or for a full breakfast spread, pair them with eggs and bacon. The most classic cream cheese pancake recipes have no flour at all, though there are certainly versions of keto pancakes with cream cheese that do incorporate a low carb flour. Because there is no flour in the basic version, it comes out pretty thin and flat, a lot like a crepe. I think this is delicious, but if you want a fluffier pancake, make these coconut flour pancakes instead, which also have cream cheese but come out a lot thicker.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for this cream cheese pancake recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
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Basic Cream Cheese Pancakes:
Cream Cheese – Use plain, unflavored cream cheese, softened at room temperature. (Flavored cream cheeses will work from a recipe standpoint, but sweet ones will have sugar added.) To soften cream cheese more quickly, cut it into chunks and microwave in 10-15-second increments, until softened. Be careful not to overheat, because if it’s too hot, it will scramble the egg when you mix your batter. Eggs – Use whole, large eggs, at room temperature. If your eggs are cold, you can place them into a bowl of warm water to come to room temperature quickly. I don’t recommend using egg substitutes here, as they are likely to fall apart.
Optional Add-Ins:
Besti Sweetener – The only sweetener I use for making cream cheese pancakes, because it dissolves completely and has no aftertaste. Try it, it tastes just like sugar! But if you need to use a different sweetener, you can use my sweetener conversion chart. Vanilla Extract – Feel free to experiment with other extracts, too, such as almond or maple. Cinnamon Sea salt – Just a pinch to balance out the sweetness. You don’t need much, as the cream cheese already has some salt.
How To Make Cream Cheese Pancakes
This section shows how to make keto cream cheese pancakes, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Blend. Blend the cream cheese, eggs, and any optional add-ins in a blender or food processor, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, until the mixture is completely smooth. (Unlike many recipes, there is no need to mix dry and wet ingredients separately.)
Fry. Heat a lightly oiled small skillet (this one is the perfect size) over medium heat on the stove. Pour batter onto the pan and swirl around to coat the bottom. Cook until bubbles start to form at the edges, then flip and cook until the other side is golden. Repeat with all the batter.
Serve. Stack the cream cheese pancakes on a plate, and serve with fresh berries (I used raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries), keto maple syrup, and butter if you like.
Flavor Variations
Berry – Make strawberry or blueberry cream cheese pancakes by adding blueberries (small ones work best) or finely chopped strawberries to the batter. You can also just serve the berries on top, like I did in the photos. Pumpkin – Swap the cinnamon with pumpkin pie spice and add 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree to the batter. Top with sugar-free whipped cream and keto maple syrup. Chocolate – Fold sugar-free chocolate chips into the batter, or add 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Mascarpone – Replace the cream cheese with mascarpone cheese instead. The result is very similar, but with a more buttery flavor. Savory – Omit the sweetener, vanilla, and cinnamon, and add an extra pinch of salt. Make them plain, or add garlic powder or Italian seasoning. The savory version is delicious with additional cream cheese (or sour cream), sliced cucumbers, and salmon lox.
Storage Instructions
Store: This cream cheese pancakes recipe is a great keto breakfast or egg fast breakfast to make in advance. Store them in the refrigerator, stacked on top of each other. Unlike my other keto crepes recipe, there’s no need to line with parchment paper between them. Reheat: Warm in the microwave or in a 350 degree F oven, until warm. If they were frozen, no need to thaw first — you can reheat straight from frozen. Freeze: Line parchment paper between the pancakes, place in a zip lock bag, and freeze for up to 6 months.
More Keto Pancake Recipes
The Best Keto Pancakes Almond Flour Pancakes Coconut Flour Pancakes Chocolate Protein Pancakes
These cream cheese pancakes are a breeze to whip up, but here are a few extra tips to make sure they come out just right:
Use room-temperature ingredients. This is important for your eggs and cream cheese to blend smoothly. If your ingredients are cold, you’ll end up with little chunks of cream cheese in the egg, and the texture of your pancakes will suffer noticeably. Use the right size pan. This one is the perfect size for this cream cheese pancakes recipe. Larger pans make it harder to swirl the batter, and trying to make regular-sized pancakes on a larger skillet typically causes them to turn out lopsided and run together. However, if you want to try making smaller ones, I recommend using a large griddle (placed over two stovetop burners) so that you have more room for them to spread. Heat the pan slowly. If you turn the heat way up to get started more quickly, you’ll end up with a pan that is too hot and it will ruin your cream cheese pancakes. Medium low is usually just right, but certainly not more than medium. Let the temperature heat the entire pan, because a cold pan is a sticky pan and you don’t want your batter to stick. And if it’s too hot, they’ll end up crispy instead of soft. Don’t use too much oil. You can drizzle the pan with oil or use cooking spray, but if you use too much, your pancakes will get crispy instead of staying soft. Swirl the batter in the pan properly. Don’t drop your batter in and tilt in one direction, waiting for the batter to move across the pan. Instead, quickly tilt the pan in all directions as you add your batter. Do this 2 or 3 times and the circle of batter will get larger as you do. Flip when the batter is dry around the edges. This should take just over a minute. Slide your spatula underneath and if it feels like the pancake won’t break, then go ahead and flip. If your temperature is right, you’ll be able to keep going and get great results. That first “test crepe” will help you know if you need to adjust your temperature. Remember, it should come out soft and pliable, not firm and crispy. (Note: the second side will cook faster, so don’t burn it!)
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