Ricotta Pancakes
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I love your Ricotta Pancake recipe. Do you think I could serve them with cranberry maple syrup instead of blueberry? I would use your blueberry maple syrup recipe but substitute cranberries for the blueberries and omit the lemon juice. Do you think it would require any additional sugar?
Hi Gail, glad you like the pancakes! I think you could swap blueberries for cranberries and that eliminating the lemon juice will help balance the tartness The cranberries introduce, but you’ll need to taste it to determine whether or not you think some sugar is necessary.Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
This is now my favorite pancake recipe! I am an experienced baker/cook and love that these pancakes are not the typical crepe like ricotta pancake. The fluff to them is sooo good! Thank you…I do appreciate your site as I am confident that whatever recipes I try of yours, it will be successful.
I had some leftover ricotta so decided to try these and they were delicious! Very pillowy, lots of flavor, and they are much more filling than regular pancakes.
Hi Jen. Could I omit the sugar and use maple syrup instead?
Sure, Najwa, that should work. Enjoy!
So good! I followed the recipes exactly as written and was very impressed!
These were absolutely delicious- so glad I found this recipe.
Delicious, easy, and soooo fluffy! I asked ChatGPT to cut the recipe down to a third since I didn’t want to eat 9 pancakes on my own (actually now that I’ve tried them, maybe I do want to eat 9 of these!) and they came out perfect. This will be my go to pancake recipe for sure!
Yum! I’ve long wanted to make ricotta pancakes and tried your recipe today for the first time. They were so fluffy and light and easy to make. I froze several (wrapped in parchment, foil, and freezer bag!) and hope they hold up for my daughter and son in law who are visiting in two weeks. Great recipe!
These were unreal! I don’t usually enjoy thick, cakey pancakes but these were so light and fluffy. With a layer of lemon curd and some maple blueberry syrup, this was the perfect weekend breakfast.
Great recipe! I was scant on ricotta and it still worked out well. I also added some fresh blueberries which tasted great. I’ve tried other recipes before but this one is a keeper! Thank you!