This ricotta pancakes recipe is light and fluffy: perfect for weekend breakfasts! Adding cheese makes the best texture for pancakes.

There are so many ways to make a pancake, and we’ve tried almost every which way: like classic, buttermilk, blueberry, almond flour, oatmeal, and banana pancakes. But at the very top in our favorite methods for this tasty breakfast are Ricotta Pancakes! Adding ricotta cheese to pancakes makes a lusciously fluffy texture and rich flavor. It also packs the breakfast cake with protein, making them more filling than the standard flapjack. Taste it once and you won’t want to go back!

Ingredients in ricotta pancakes

Ricotta cheese is a creamy Italian cheese with a mild flavor. It’s most famously used in lasagna recipes: but add it to pancakes and it makes them extra fluffy! This ricotta pancakes recipe is simple, and the only special ingredient you need is the cheese. Everything else you likely already have on hand in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need for ricotta pancakes:

• Eggs
• Ricotta cheese
• Maple syrup
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Kosher salt
• Butter, for cooking

Want to mix it up? Try our Lemon Ricotta Pancakes for a tangy spin on the classic. Adding lemon zest is a natural way to heighten the flavors and bring a citrusy brightness to the dish.

Ricotta makes high protein pancakes

Ricotta cheese makes an impossibly fluffy, delightful texture to a pancake. At the same time, it adds a significant boost of protein. This makes these flapjacks much more satisfying than a classic pancake, and helps them keep you full for hours. Here’s a comparison of the protein levels in ricotta pancakes vs the standard all-purpose flour flapjack:

• 1 ricotta pancake has 9.6 grams protein! That’s 20% of your daily protein: in one pancake.
• 1 standard pancake has approximately 4 grams protein. So the cheese version has almost double the protein!

Tips on cooking ricotta pancakes

Cooking ricotta pancakes is similar to the traditional flapjack method. But keep in mind, the texture is slightly different because of the eggs and cheese. Here’s what to note when cooking:

• Use a large griddle: non-stick is helpful. Some griddles are uneven with their heating, so find a quality pan. Non-stick is helpful and you don’t have to grease it.
• Experiment to find the right heat level. Medium low heat is ideal, but it’s different on every stovetop. It should take a few minutes to get the pan up to heat.
• When you flip, the pancake may ooze at the edges. The batter may ooze out a bit at the sides, which is expected. Just keep cooking until it is fully cooked, adjusting the heat as necessary so it doesn’t brown too fast.

Pancake topping ideas

This ricotta pancakes recipe is so light and fluffy, you barely need any toppings to make it taste good! Just a drizzle of maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar are perfect. However, if you’d like to get fancier, you can dress up your ricotta pancakes: and it’s fun to bring in seasonal elements! Here are a few ideas:

• Fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
• Bananas, either sliced fresh or caramelized bananas
• Chopped apples or apple compote
• Fruit sauce like Blueberry Sauce, Raspberry Sauce or Strawberry Sauce
• Compote like Blueberry Compote, Raspberry Compote, Rhubarb Compote or Peach Compote
• Whipped cream or crème fraiche: try homemade whipped cream, crème fraiche, crème anglaise, or Greek yogurt sweetened with a bit of maple syrup
• Chopped nuts: pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds

And that’s it! Let us know what you think of this recipe in the comments below. It’s one of our favorite ways to enjoy a lazy morning breakfast.

More ricotta recipes

Love this Italian cheese? Here are a few more great ways to enjoy ricotta; some traditional and some more unique: