I am a full-on pancake snob.
If I am going to eat pancakes, I don't want them to be the gummy ones that stick to the roof of my mouth. Are you with me?
Sweet Cream Ricotta Pancakes are a game changer. I am going to lovingly refer to them as the "Crossover Pancake" because they are cross between a light and fluffy pancake and a creamy crepe. The texture of these pancakes is what sets them apart from the rest. These Sweet Cream Ricotta Pancakes are creamy, smooth, and literally melt in your mouth.
Ricotta cheese is the difference maker in these babies as it is responsible for making them extra creamy. Buttermilk is a magic potion that transforms baked goods, without all of the extra fat of heavy cream. It's low in fat yet transforms the texture of baked goods and makes them extra tender.
If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own. It's not as good as the original but it comes in a close second. It's super simple. Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice per 1 cup of milk in a bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes. It's imperative to let it sit so it can begin to curdle.
My kids LOVE breakfast and they are usually begging for breakfast before I can even fully open my eyes, so I want something easy. This is a one bowl recipe. There is no beating of egg whites (even though I fully support this method and it adds to the springiness of the pancake so knock yourself out if you have time). It can literally be mixed together in 2 minutes for those lazy mornings.
This is a super versatile pancake recipe. You can make Fresh Lemon Sweet Cream Ricotta Pancakes by adding 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest (click HERE for a fabulous zester). It pairs perfectly with the Homemade Berry Maple Syrup. You can make the homemade syrup with blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries and it is oh so good. Homemade syrup in less than 5 minutes is a no-brainer to me!
I am a huge fan of the 100% real maple syrup from Costco. It's a much better deal to buy it at Costco or Sam's Club but any grocery store carries the real thing too. Before my father-in-law became sick with Parkinson's, they would visit often from Texas. They would make the 1,000 mile journey and would always bring two things with them - their Vitamix and real maple syrup. I finally clued in and saved up to buy a Vitamix (best investment) and purchased real maple syrup the next time they came into town.
Once you drink the real stuff, it's hard to go back! You can also buy REAL MAPLE SYRUP online HERE.
Another tip is to make sure that your skillet is at the correct temperature. If it runs too hot, it will char the outside without fully cooking the inside of the pancake. If it's too low, it will take forever to get golden brown. I tend to start with it at a lower heat and can always crank it up. Always coat your skillet with butter before cooking each batch of pancakes because butter helps to create that golden brown crust on the outside plus it's a huge flavor enhancer. I LOVE BUTTER.
Sweet Cream Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 cup Flour
- 4 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder (may use 1 1/2 teaspoons if you desire a thicker pancake)
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- Butter for skillet
Optional Add-ins:
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Zest
Berry Maple Syrup:
- 1/4 cup Butter melted
- 1 cup Real Maple Syrup
- 1 cup Blueberries or Raspberries
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
- Carefully fold in flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined, avoiding over-mixing.
- Heat skillet over medium heat. Place a pat of butter onto skillet and wait for it to sizzle.Pour batter in 1/2 cup portions and cook until golden brown on each side.
- Berry Maple Syrup:
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, add butter and let it melt. Add syrup and berries and heat for about 3-4 minutes until it starts to bubble. Remove from heat and serve with pancakes.
Simple, quick, easy Sweet Cream Ricotta Pancakes are going to be a hit in your family. Now go share this recipe with your fellow pancake lovers!
Happy Cooking! xo
Eileen Hoye
I just made these pancakes and they are to die for!!Im in heaven.This is the first time I made the pancakes right.Thanks for the recipe!You are amazing!😊
Modern Honey
Yay Eileen! So happy to hear that you loved them! They are such unique pancakes and a family favorite. Thanks for taking the time to write a comment. It's always appreciated! Have a great day. - Melissa
April
These were a huge hit. I was out of sugar, I meant to just substitute it with honey but forgot. No one noticed as they all used either honey or maple syrup on them. Perfect compliment with the lemon and the blueberries. A love that they have a higher protein content thanks to the ricotta cheese. No more, I ate pancakes and now I need a nap, feeling after eating.
Modern Honey
Hi April! That is so great to hear! I love that you removed the sugar and they were still delicious! The beauty of these pancakes is they are so soft that they can be eaten alone. You are so right about the protein content -- I always feel good about serving these to my kids. Thanks for taking the time to comment! - Melissa 🙂
Elizabeth
I love them so much I don’t put anything but some butter on them. So good.
Emily
These were amazing! My husband devoured half the batch.
Bonnie
Very yummy😋, nice golden brown.
Pooja
Best pancakes ever! Used half whole wheat and threw in some ground flax too! Super yummy!!
Katy
Leftover ricotta = my favorite pancakes of all time.
Thanks!
Kara
My son is allergic to eggs. Do you know how these would turn out if replaced with flax? Thanks!
Marci
These were so good! I added blueberries to the batter and they were so good! Next time I will double the recipe because my family wanted more. Can’t wait to make again with lemon!
Jessica Lyness
I had a hard time cooking them. Any tips for cooking on a electric stove top? When I finally got one they were amazing.
Connie
I was wondering are these freezeable? The reason I ask it's just me and my husband now so I need to freeze part of them. Thanks for your help.
Modern Honey
Hi Connie. Absolutely! They freeze well in a resealable freezer bag. They keep for probably a month in the freezer. I hope that helps!
June
I really enjoyed the pancakes. I liked the idea of adding ricotta cheese. I also liked the maple syrup with blue berries. I had a happy tummy. Thank you for the yummy recipe.
Millicent
I had leftover ricotta cheese and needed to make good use of it, so I Googled "Ricotta Pancakes" and yours was at the top of the page.! I used about 3/4 cup ricotta (all I had) and 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar in place of the buttermilk. No regrets. This was awesome for my first hand at making ricotta cheese pancakes. Tip: Addition of the lemon zest and juice is a MUST.
Modern Honey
I am so glad you found me! We love these pancakes too and I am so glad you tried them. Thank you so much!
Liana Jackson
Do you think the mixture would never ok in the fridge for a night so they could be cooked first thing?
Lorena
Would this still work without the vanilla? We don’t like things too sweet and I have no vanilla on hand. Wasn’t sure if it had another function though?
Carolyn
Hooooooly pancakes!!! These are so fabulous. I made them last weekend and have been thinking about them ever since. The second best thing about them (besides the incredible taste and texture) is they didn't give me the awful blood sugar crash regular pancakes always do. 5 stars!!!
KiwiSL
These are the most delicious pancakes I have ever had! Silky smooth, and delicately sweet. I had one with blueberries and tried a bite without blueberries and they were still just as great. They don't stuff either like old fashioned pancakes and I stayed full for twelve hours! I didn't need a sandwich until nine at night! I'm usually starving just a few hours after pancakes. I could live on these pancakes!
Unicornhorn
Made these with leftover cannoli cream made of ricotta, powdered sugar, orange zest, marscarpone and hazelnut extract. (I omitted the sugar since the cream had plenty and used 1 cup of cannoli cream in place of ricotta). Yowsas! Topped with more cannoli cream, a dusting of powdered sugar and mini chocolate chips and that is one fancy breakfast!
Annie Gramson
I had some leftover ricotta in the fridge and googled ‘recipes with ricotta’ which is how I found this recipe.
I followed the recipe exactly (using milk and vinegar in place of buttermilk) and they were a huge hit!
This will become a regular weekend rotation breakfast.
Thanks for this great recipe!
Laura H. Lee
These are my go-to pancakes. I make them with oat instead of white flour. Probably makes them more dense but try to get the whole grains in as I can!
Kristen
Wow! These are gorgeous! I will definitely try this out next time. They look amazing! I make mine with oats as well when I do pancakes, but because I am gluten intolerant. Great idea, Laura!
Alexandra
Delicious!
Jennifer DiMartino
Hi I came across a recipe and I'm really excited to make this but can you recommend what I can use in place of the buttermilk? I was planning to use whole milk exactly as you have it listed for the buttermilk but is that going to be sufficient?
Jenny
I made with lemon juice and lemon zest. DELICIOUS!!!!
Liz
Well written recipe yielding fantastic results!!! These pancakes keep their shape when cooked which is always nice. The ricotta gives these pancakes a creamy texture inside. Pairs well with strawberries.
Brittany
Holy moly BEST pancakes ever!!!!
Alanna
These are amazing! After making them once, they are now my favorite recipe, hands-down. Thank you!!
Nancy
Just was told that these are the best pancakes by my family which trust me is a huge compliment!! I made them at a time that everyone had to run out(didn’t know that when I started the batter) and they had them cold the next day and they still raved that much about them!
Lisa
Best. Pancakes. Ever! If I could give these more stars, I would. Make these. You won’t regret it.
Kelsey
So good! I made these with gluten free 1-to-1 flour and we all loved them.
Evelyn
Best pancakes ever! Upon tasting the batter I could tell the perfect pancake recipe hunt was over. The combination of buttermilk and ricotta makes it so you don’t need to add extra leavening to get and keep them fluffy. Thank you for sharing!
Sarah
Super tasty! I went with the lemon option and also added blueberries to the batter. I also used only 2 tbsp of sugar...I think that's all you need if you are going to use a sweet topping. I topped mine with maple syrup. Delicious!
Mike
I'll never eat regular pancakes again.
Steffie
Few years late to the party but tried these and they are just so so so good! Definitely my new go to for leftover ricotta! Thank you so much!
Karen
Guess the stars had to line up to make this amazing recipe and I'm sorry it took so long. Realized I had buttermilk, lemons and ricotta cheese in the fridge so i made it! We had these yesterday morning and just like everybody else said, these are delicious! We didn't make the berry topping but these were so good we topped the pancakes with just a small pat butter so we could taste the lemon. Thanks for the delicious recipe! Next time I see the kids (when all this blows over!), instead of making a heavy breakfast casserole, these will be on the menu...YUM! Thank you!
Jo
OMG. Light fluffy love. Added some blueberries. Will be making again.
Gail Park
Oh my goodness! These are fire! I, too, am a pancake snob. I try a different recipe at least 3 times a month searching for the epitome of pancake recipes. Look no further. This is it. So simple. So perfect. Melt in your mouth. Barely a need for syrup. I followed the recipe exactly and was careful not to over mix. Served with strawberries and a touch of maple syrup. Divine. Husband and adult agreed with my assessment.
Paula
These are AMAZING!!! So happy to find this recipe and your website!!
Caroline
These are fantastic! I added blueberries to mine, and chocolate chips for the kids. A perfect way to bulk up breakfast a little bit for school mornings!