Ricotta Pancakes
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If you’ve never had ricotta pancakes, get ready to be converted—this version delivers wonderful flavor and a dreamy texture in every forkful.
Ricotta pancakes are a more sophisticated take on my go-to breakfast pancake recipe and a fantastic way to use up that leftover ricotta in the fridge. The creamy, mildly sweet cheese replaces a good portion of the flour you’d normally use, giving the pancakes a unique texture that’s crispy, creamy, fluffy, and just incredibly delicious. The key is to keep your skillet or griddle at a steady medium-low heat so they cook evenly and don’t burn on the outside before they’re done inside.
While ricotta pancakes are great with maple syrup, they really shine with homemade blueberry syrup. For a variation, try adding a few drops of almond extract or a little lemon zest to make lemon ricotta pancakes. Breakfast just got a whole lot better!
“WOWZA! I topped mine off with some berries and sprinkled a few chocolate chips on my son’s, but that wasn’t needed – scrumptious as is (I also like the extra protein)!”
What You’ll Need To Make Ricotta Pancakes
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the pancakes structure and a tender crumb. For best results, scoop it into your measuring cup with a spoon and level it off with a knife.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds just enough sweetness to balance the tang of the ricotta.
- Baking Powder: Helps the pancakes puff up so they’re light and fluffy.
- Eggs: Add richness and help bind everything together for a smooth, cohesive batter.
- Whole-Milk Ricotta Cheese: The star ingredient—makes the pancakes creamy, moist, and extra tender. Galbani brand is a great choice if you can find it.
- Milk: Loosens up the batter just enough so it spreads well in the pan. Any kind of milk will work.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and a subtle sweetness that rounds out the flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Brings richness to the batter and gives the pancakes a soft, buttery finish.
- Vegetable Oil: Used for cooking the pancakes—keeps them from sticking and helps them brown evenly.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously until foamy, about 30 seconds. Whisking the eggs until foamy adds lightness to the batter, which is especially helpful since ricotta creates a denser texture. Add the ricotta, milk, vanilla, and melted butter.
Step 3: Combine wet and dry. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and gently whisk just until evenly combined. Don’t overmix—stirring just until combined keeps the pancakes tender.
Step 4: Cook the pancakes. Generously oil the hot pan or griddle. Drop ¼-cup portions of batter onto the surface, spacing them at least an inch apart. Cook until the bottoms are golden and the tops are have formed bubbles, about 3 minutes. (Ricotta batter is thick, so bubbles may be less obvious—look for slightly dry edges and a golden bottom as additional cues to flip.)
Step 5: Flip and finish. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until the second side is golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Adjust the heat as needed so they don’t cook too fast or too slow. Repeat with the remaining batter. Lightly oiling the pan between batches keeps the pancakes evenly browned and prevents sticking.
Step 6: Serve. Serve the ricotta pancakes warm with maple or blueberry syrup. If you have any leftover, they can be frozen for up to 3 months.
MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE
Ricotta Pancakes
Golden-brown on the outside and pillowy inside, these ricotta pancakes are a simple (and seriously delicious) upgrade to your breakfast routine.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese (preferably Galbani brand)
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Vegetable oil, for cooking
- Maple syrup or blueberry syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large nonstick pan or griddle over medium-low heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add the ricotta, milk, vanilla and melted butter and whisk until evenly combined. Add the flour mixture and gently whisk just until evenly combined.
- Generously oil the pan/griddle. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, drop ¼-cup portions of batter onto the pan/griddle. Repeat, spacing the rounds at least an inch apart. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops are bubbling, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the other sides are golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute more. (It's important that the pancakes don't cook too slowly or too quickly, so adjust the heat according to the timing specified.) Repeat with more oil and the remaining batter. Serve warm with maple or blueberry syrup.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The pancakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between each pancake and stack together. Wrap the stack of pancakes tightly in aluminum foil or place inside a heavy-duty freezer bag. To reheat, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (9 servings)
- Calories: 177
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 164 mg
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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WOWZA! I topped mine off with some berries and sprinkled a few chocolate chips on my son’s, but that wasn’t needed – scrumptious as is (I also like the extra protein)!
These are the best pancakes ever. Thanks for a wonderful recipe. I served them with this season’s maple syrup. Outstanding.
These are some of the best pancakes I’ve ever made–thick, fluffy and light. Love this recipe!
These pancakes have been on my “wish list” for ages and I always said once I had some left over ricotta I’d make them. After making the ricotta chocolate chip cake for the millionth time I did have some so I just made them. They weren’t for me. Apparently don’t like fluffy pancakes! I like mine to be dense. Absolutely nothing wrong with the recipe or the results just not my preference.
I just made these amazing pancakes and will never make them any other way! Not only were they delicious, they also held their shape and looked so pretty and were so moist!
Wow! I don’t think I can go back to Betty Crocker for pancakes anymore. So good!
Can you use low fat ricotta cheese?
Hi Carol, I haven’t tried these with low-fat ricotta cheese. I think it will work but it may make the batter a bit more liquidy. If you try it, please LMK how they turn out. 😊
This looks so good! I have two questions!
1. Does the butter not solidify and go lumpy in the mixture as you add it? Does it matter? Or, how can I avoid that?
2. How can I eliminate the sugar? Use more vanilla extract? Or something else? Would I need to adjust any of the other ingredients?
Hi Mary, It really doesn’t (and it doesn’t matter even if it does). It’s fine to just eliminate the sugar without any other changes.
These are the lightest, fluffiest and most flavorful pancakes. My grandson ate seven of them for breakfast and I ate the remaining pancakes. All that ricotta and vanilla really makes these pancakes so different from the usual doughy and heavy pancakes that turns everyone off to pancakes. They puff up nicely and the buttery crust is wonderful.
Doesn’t need any syrup, just fresh blueberries, melon, bananas. I love that it sneaks in protein even if it isn’t diet friendly. Great way to wake up to breakfast – the aroma just draws you into the kitchen.
This is what a homemade pancake breakfast is all about.