These easy ricotta pancakes are super rich, moist and incredibly delicious. They pair perfectly with a drizzle of maple syrup and fresh berries.
If you’ve never added ricotta to your baked goods, you are missing out! It makes the texture super moist and fluffy, while giving it a rich flavor. These pancakes are one of my favorite ways to use it, as well as making my ricotta cheese cookies. Both are seriously to die for!
My family’s absolute favorite breakfast (or dinner) is pancakes! They could literally eat them every day if I let them. We love the homemade buttermilk pancakes from my cookbook or my German pancake recipe, but every once in a while we like to mix things up. And these ricotta pancakes are the perfect way to do that. Especially if you have leftover ricotta in the fridge after making stuffed shells or lasagna.
The best way to describe the texture is that they taste like a thicker crepe. They definitely have more of a dense and rich consistency than your traditional pancake recipe. Adding the ricotta to the batter makes them extra moist and fluffy. If you have a lemon on hand, you can add the zest and juice in for a nice punch. Yum!
Why add ricotta to pancakes?
It may sound strange, but adding ricotta cheese to your pancakes is a game changer! You can’t really taste the tangy flavor, but what you will notice is that the amazing texture. Compared to traditional pancakes, these ricotta pancakes are more dense and rich. The ricotta makes them super moist and soft, with a fluffy consistency. Similar to baking with sour cream or cream cheese, the higher fat content creates a super tender result. It’s a hidden gem that helps take your baked goods up a notch!
Favorite toppings
There are plenty of ways to enjoy these ricotta pancakes! You can keep it classic with butter and syrup, or fancy them up a little with some sweet lemon curd, fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
- Butter
- Fresh berries
- Maple syrup
- Lemon curd
- Powdered sugar
- Buttermilk syrup
- Cinnamon syrup
- Strawberry jam
Tips + variations
- Don’t over mix. It’s okay if there are still a few lumps in the batter. You don’t want to over mix it or else it can make the texture a bit dry and chewy.
- Let rest. While your griddle or skillet is heating up, let the batter rest in the bowl for a few minutes. This will help create a super light and fluffy result.
- Bubbles. As soon as the tops are covered with small bubbles (like in picture above), then your pancakes are ready to flip over.
- Extra mix-in’s: Feel free to mix in extra ingredients like chocolate chips, cinnamon or a dash of pumpkin pie spice.
- Lemon blueberry variation: My kids love them plain, but I love adding lemon and blueberries for extra flavor. I usually cook half the batter plain and then add in the zest from 1 lemon and about 1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Then I add about 8 blueberries to the top of the pancakes right after I pour the batter onto the pan.
Freezing + keep warm
If you’re whipping up pancakes for a large crowd, you can keep them warm in the oven while you cook the others. Simply place the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet in the oven at 175°F. The low heat keeps them warm and fluffy without drying them out.
Any leftover pancakes are great for freezing. Make sure they have cooled completely, then store in a large freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or toaster oven for 30 seconds when ready to enjoy.
More breakfast favorites:
Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup ricotta cheese , not watery
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter , more as needed
Maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, ricotta, eggs and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. It's okay if there's a few lumps. Let rest a few minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt a Tablespoon of butter on the pan. Then use a 1/4 cup to pour the batter onto the pan. Flip once there are bubbles on top and the edges are lightly browned. Then cook the other side and addition 2 minutes.
- Repeat to cook the rest of the pancakes. Turn the heat to medium-low if they are browning too fast.
- Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy!
I think I need to add ricotta every time now!! They are delicious & so fluffy!! Great addition!
Decided to switch up breakfast and try these pancakes instead of our usual. They were so good! I used your trick to keep them warm since it always takes longer for my teen to get to the table in the morning. Worked like a charm.
Such an amazing day starter!! My kids loved it!
I had never added ricotta to pancakes before but it was amazing! You were right, it added a delicious tangy flavor to them!