Ricotta Pancakes

Name: Ricotta Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4 eggs, separated; 1 1/3 cup ricotta cheese; 4-6 Tablespoons granulated sugar; 3/4 cup milk; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup all purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/8 teaspoon salt; oil or butter to cook the pancakes

42 comments
March 10, 2021
Jump to Recipe

Ricotta Pancakes are so tender, light and fluffy. This breakfast is so great when you want something special but they are really easy to make.

These pancakes are like a combination of pancakes and Russian Sirniki (farmer’s cheese pancakes). The ricotta gives these pancakes a creamy texture and the whipped egg whites give it a lift and prevent them from being dense. These melt-in-your-mouth little cakes are a great way to celebrate the weekend.

There are so many wonderful options to serve them, simply with maple syrup, fresh fruit, berries or jam, but you can also make a sour cream sauce by combining sour cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Another option is to blend up some fresh berries or fruit with sugar for a really refreshing sauce.

Lemon pairs so well with ricotta pancakes, simply by adding some lemon zest and a bit of juice to the batter. You can even serve it with some lemon curd – that would be delicious. (I’ll include instructions for making Lemon Ricotta Pancakes below.)

Ingredients For Ricotta Pancakes

Eggs (the eggs need to be separated) whipping up the egg whites separately will give the ricotta pancakes an unbelievably tender and airy texture.
Ricotta cheese – I prefer using whole milk ricotta cheese, but you can use reduced fat or fat free ricotta as well.
Granulated Sugar – add the sugar depending on how sweet you want the pancakes to be, anywhere from 4-6 Tablespoons. I have not tried using sugar substitutes, but I imagine you can use anything that you like to sweeten the pancakes to your liking.
Milk – any milk will work for this recipe, we use whole milk in our family, but you can use reduced fat milk or even dairy free alternatives.
Vanilla Extract
All Purpose Flour
Baking Powder
Salt

How To Make Ricotta Pancakes

Separate the eggs, putting the egg whites in one bowl and the egg yolks in another.
Whip the egg whites on medium speed with a whisk attachment until airy, increase speed to high, beat until stiff peaks form.
Meanwhile in the other bowl, combine the egg yolks with the ricotta cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth. (I use a whisk for this step.)
Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix to combine, just until incorporated, taking care not to overtax the batter.
Gently fold in the egg whites. If there are a few streaks of egg whites left, that ‘s ok. You want to keep as much volume as possible to have light and fluffy pancakes.
Using a 1/4 measuring cup, pour the batter onto a lightly buttered or oiled skillet or griddle. Cook on medium heat until golden on each side.

How To Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes:

By simply adding some lemon zest and lemon juice to this recipe, you’ll have the most incredibly delicious Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.

Add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest and 1 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the batter, in the step where you mix the egg yolks with the ricotta and other ingredients.

For an extra lemony flavor, serve these pancakes with lemon curd.

Serving, Storing and Reheating Ricotta Pancakes:

Delicious options to serve with the Ricotta Pancakes:

fresh fruit or berries
jam
maple syrup or honey
Blend fresh fruit or berries in a blender with a bit of sugar or syrup to taste. You can also add a splash of water or juice to thin it out.
You can also add berries or fresh fruit to the pancakes when you are cooking them! When you pour the batter onto the griddle, disperse the berries or cut up fruit over the surface of the pancakes (peaches, pears, mangos work great) or even add chocolate chips or nuts. You can add a small amount of batter on top of the add ins and then flip when small holes are seen evenly over the surface of the pancakes.
Lemon curd or other curd, such as strawberry
Whipped Cream
Sour Cream with powdered sugar to taste and vanilla extract

Store leftover pancakes, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, very well sealed.

Reheat in the microwave, in a skillet on low heat or oven until warm. My favorite way to reheat pancakes is to put them in the toaster.