Ricotta Pancakes

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RICOTTA PANCAKES

I know they just look like a pile of average pancakes from the outside, but trust me when I say there is nothing average about ricotta pancakes. I'm surprised this is the first Laura Vitale recipe on my blog considering I basically worship her and love her cooking style. She somehow makes even the most intimidating recipes look easy. Her donut recipe and cinnamon roll recipe are among my favorites that I've tried of hers. Her cookbook came out last year so you should definitely check it out. 

My go-to pancakes are from Joy the Baker and they have a great flavor and texture for plain buttermilk pancakes. However, I'm always looking for new and different breakfast ideas. I think when you hear "ricotta pancakes" your mind immediately goes to cheese pancakes. The addition of ricotta to pancake batter affects texture more so than taste. I would say it has a creamier taste than plain pancakes, but you don't taste cheese at all. With the ricotta and the separately whipped egg whites, these pancakes fluff up and have the softest, creamiest middle. Add this to your MUST TRY list : )

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
2 tbsp whole milk
4 eggs, separated yolks & whites
3 tbsp sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla

Optional topping:
1 cup of blueberries
juice of half a lemon
1-2 tbsp sugar

  1. Wash and drain blueberries. Toss with sugar and lemon juice, and set aside.
  2. Whip egg whites with a hand mixer until they have stiff peaks.
  3. Add baking powder and salt to the flour and give it a quick stir. Set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together ricotta, milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla.
  5. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until all the flour is incorporated.
  6. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold your whipped egg whites into the batter. It's important to do this gently so as to not completely deflate the egg whites - just until the batter is smooth.
  7. Preheat a large pan or griddle to medium heat. For each batch of pancakes, add a thin slice of butter (about 1/2 tbsp) to the pan.
  8. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup or ice cream scoop w/ release lever (this makes it really easy to portion out the batter for each pancake), drop rounds onto the hot, buttered pan. After a couple minutes, bubbles will start to develop on top. Using a spatula, take a peek to make sure the underside is cooked to your liking - I like the edges golden brown and crispy. Once ready, flip and cook on the second side for another 2-3 minutes. 
  9. Put a few pancakes on each plate and top with lemon blueberry mixture or topping of your choice. Enjoy!