Healthy pancake recipes for your diet

A pancake for everyone

Pancakes are easy and incredibly versatile by design. They are associated with Shrove Tuesday - the day preceding Lent in the Christian calendar - because pancakes are an easy and delicious way to use up all sorts of basic and rich foods ahead of the traditional Christian fasting period.

Traditionally, the idea was that you could use up many common household ingredients - such as milk, sugar, and eggs - in one go, adjusting the pancake recipe depending on the contents of your cupboards.

These days, many of us enjoy the indulgent perks of Shrove Tuesday - often called Pancake Day - without the restrictions of Lent. In other words, we like to have our pancake and eat it too.

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How to make healthy pancakes

In the spirit of the ever-adaptable pancake recipe, we're sharing five healthy pancake recipes to suit six special diets: high-protein, keto, diabetes-friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. The best part? They're all easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Protein pancakes - with cottage cheese

High protein because: contains cottage cheese, rolled oats, and egg whites.

Also suits diets: gluten-free, vegetarian.

Protein cottage cheese pancakes

Interested in toning and building muscle? There's no need to skip your Pancake Day treat with this hearty and wholesome oatmeal protein healthy pancake recipe. The rolled oats, cottage cheese, and egg whites provide a good dose of protein, which is essential in the repair, maintenance, and growth of muscles.

This recipe recommends adding cinnamon, vanilla extract, or pumpkin pie spice to pack in lots of flavour and sweetness without the need for refined sugars and additives. To keep you feeling full, the rolled oats add body and texture to the mix, while also supplying iron and fibre.

Get the recipe here

Keto pancakes - French crêpe style

Keto because: swaps wheat flour for low-carb coconut flour.

Also suits diets: gluten-free, vegetarian.

Keto French crêpes

The ketogenic diet (keto diet) is a low-carbohydrate, fat-rich eating plan that may help some people manage health conditions, including epilepsy, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)¹. These special low-carb keto pancakes are thin, delicate, and beautifully classic when paired with whipped cream and fresh berries.

The low-carb coconut flour is a great alternative to white wheat flour - restricted in the keto diet - and is also packed full of fibre to support your heart health and digestion. We recommend topping with whipped cream to add to the keto fat-rich ratio, and berries for tartness, sweetness, and a dose of healthy antioxidants and vitamins.

Get the recipe here

Diabetes-friendly pancakes - cheddar and leek

Diabetes-friendly because: it's low-fat, low-sugar, and swaps white flour for wholemeal flour.

Also suits diets: vegetarian.

Cheddar and leek pancakes

Who says pancakes should be sweet? While there are also diabetes-friendly pancake recipes for the sweet-toothed, this savoury cheddar and leek healthy pancake recipe makes for a delightfully moreish Pancake Day healthy breakfast or lunch.

What makes this cheesy delight a diabetes-friendly pancake? For starters, it's almost sugar free and relatively low-fat for a pancake, making it a healthier choice for people with type 2 diabetes who are aiming for healthy weight loss.

The recipe also uses wholemeal flour instead of white flour - a wholegrain which can be better for managing blood sugar levels than refined grains.

Diabetes UK has more simple switches you can make for diabetes-friendly pancakes here.

Get this recipe here

Gluten and dairy-free pancakes - banana batter

Gluten and dairy-free because: swaps flour and milk for a banana and egg batter.

Also suits diets: vegetarian, keto.

Banana pancakes

When it comes to healthy pancake recipes, it doesn't get much simpler and more satisfying than this. The genius of this recipe lies in the two-ingredient banana and egg batter. Not only does this mix replace flour and milk - making it suitable for coeliacs, people with gluten sensitivity, and people with lactose intolerance - but also provides one of your five a day.

Bananas are high in fibre, good for your digestion, and a great source of potassium, which supports your muscles and nerves. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon, and your choose of toppings to inject even more flavour into these fluffy and sweet treats.

Get the recipe here

Vegan pancakes - build your own

Vegan because: swaps egg and dairy milk for plant-based liquids.

Also suits diets: vegetarian, dairy-free.

Whole wheat pancakes

These vegan pancakes have just four basic plant-based ingredients that form a filling and healthy pancake batter - whole wheat flour, baking powder, a sweetener, and a liquid. You can then customise this recipe to make it as lavish and as adventurous as you want.

For the liquid, you can choose to use a plant-based milk - for example, almond milk if you enjoy a mild nutty taste - or just use water. For the sweetener element, there are plenty of vegan options including coconut sugar, cane sugar, or maple syrup.

However, just be mindful of how much sugar you use - the recommended maximum for a whole day is 200 calories (50 grams). Fresh fruit such as berries or bananas not only make delicious pancake toppings but can be blended with the batter for a healthier sweetener option.

Get the recipe here

Further reading

1. Harvard School of Public Health: Diet review: ketogenic diet for weight loss.

2. Harvard School of Public Health: Added sugar.