Keto pancakes are the most popular recipe of the year — here's how to make them

Google released its annual Year in Search data on Wednesday, breaking down the top searches of 2018. And apparently, people were all about trying to figure out how to make keto-friendly pancakes.

“Keto pancakes” was the No. 4 search in the food category, with people searching for the term an average of 14,800 times a month. Related terms like “keto pancakes recipes,” “keto pancakes coconut flour” and “keto cream cheese pancakes” also got a lot of play.

Your standard pancake is made with plenty of all-purpose flour and sugar, and those ingredients are decidedly not supported by the keto diet, which encourages followers to eat a low-carb, high-fat diet.

There have been mixed reactions to keto pancakes on Twitter:

So … how is it possible to make keto pancakes? Recipes vary. Some, like this one from Delish.com, use almond flour (which is, essentially, finely ground almonds), cream cheese and a lot of eggs. Others, like this one from WholesomeYum.com, use coconut flour, cream cheese, heavy cream and artificial sweetener.

The recipes meet the criteria for the keto diet because “they’re very high in fat, moderate in protein and very low in carbohydrates,” New York-based registered dietitian Jessica Cording tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Keep in mind that using regular maple syrup will make pancakes less than keto friendly, so you’ll want to either abstain or use a keto-friendly maple syrup on your pancakes if you can’t do without.

While sticking with high-fat, low-carb, and low- or no-sugar ingredients helps the pancakes stick to the keto diet, there are still a few factors to be wary of, Julie Upton, a registered dietitian and co-founder of nutrition website Appetite for Health, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “These recipes are really high in calories and high in saturated fat, especially when you’re stuffing the pancakes with cream cheese and coconut flour,” she says. “A diet rich in saturated fat has been shown to increase harmful LDL cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease.”

That’s why Cording recommends “keeping an eye toward how much that meal contributes towards your saturated fat intake for the day” so you’re not overdoing your intake there and neglecting other fat sources like heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Beth Warren, founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Secrets of a Kosher Girl, agrees. “You have to be careful to consume the right type of fats if you’re eating so much,” she tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

Overall, nutritionists say that keto pancakes should be viewed as more of a treat than an everyday thing. “You’re better off enjoying it once or twice a week rather than every day,” Cording says.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• Vanessa Hudgens raved about intermittent fasting — here’s why experts don’t recommend it

• ‘Dangerous’ keto diet might be best for long-term weight loss

• ‘It actually really works:’ This diet is more than a fad for Mama June after she lost 300 pounds

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