Melt-In-Your-Mouth Ricotta Pancakes

You’ll love these fluffy and tender Ricotta Pancakes that literally melt in your mouth. The perfect situation for a cozy weekend inside or your brunch festivities. These ricotta-soaked pancakes are supremely flavorful and loaded with fragrance from fresh lemon and almond notes. Grab that maple syrup and dive right on in!

Coming in hot with a crazy-delish, mouthwatering, addicting new breakfast recipe that you’ll want to make expeditiously. To say that we’re obsessed with these ricotta pancakes would be a majorrr understatement, y’all. There’s nothing I dream of more than a slow weekend inside the house with my tunes playing and a warm stack of cakes. Yes indeed, I pledge my allegiance to them, ha.

The Best Dang Ricotta Pancakes! 🙌🏾

These pancakes are sooo flavorful and rich with tons of depth, gahhh. Not an ounce of dryness here because these ricotta-soaked pancakes are delivering melt-in-ya-mouth goodness. You’ll love how pillowy-soft and tender the texture is within this recipe. Fresh lemon notes and a delicate pop of almond flavor add a little razzle dazzle to round out the flavor. Chef’s kiss all over!

⇢ Other BBR recipes: best homemade cinnamon rolls, cozy braised short ribs, my fluffy buttermilk biscuits, easy stovetop mac and cheese, and weeknight-friendly pesto pasta w/ turkey meatballs or these salmon rice bowls– yum.

If you’re looking for a new recipe to add into your breakfast/brunch rotation, these ricotta pancakes are IT. I just love whipping up a batch of pancakes whenever I get the chance. They’re perfect for a cozy weekend-in, early morning fellowship gatherings, brunch festivities, and all that’s in between. These lemon ricotta pancakes are such a treat that many will enjoy! ♡

Ingredients For This Pancake Recipe

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• All-purpose flour: I use this traditional flour. Please know that no other types of flour have been tested for this recipe except for gluten-free 1:1 baking flour.
• Baking powder & baking soda: Classic leavening agents, check.
• Granulated sugar: Good ole granulated sugar for sweetness.
• Salt: A touch of salt to provide balance.
• Eggs: Gotta have eggs to provide some structure.
• Lemon zest & lemon juice: Love the lemony brightness from this combo!
• Whole milk: This one is a helper in the #teammoist department. The richness from whole milk is unmatched, but feel free to use 2% as a substitute.
• Oil: For a bit of fat in the pancake batter, any neutral-flavored oil will do.
• Ricotta cheese: We can’t make ricotta pancakes without ricotta can we?!
• Almond extract: In my opinion, almond is superior to vanilla extract. However, you can use vanilla extract if you prefer.
• Butter or cooking spray: for cooking up these pancakes…🥞

Ingredient Spotlight: Ricotta!

What is ricotta? Great question! Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese that is made from the leftover whey from cheesemaking. It’s a pillowy-soft, fresh cheese and the name ricotta actually translates to “re-cooked.” You make ricotta by heating protein (milk) to a high enough temperature, followed by the addition of acid (vinegar or fresh lemon juice). Then stir until the curdling develops.

While homemade ricotta is easy to make, in the words of Ina Garten, store-bought is fine! Lol. Listen, ricotta adds a deep level of moisture and fluffiness that make these ricotta pancakes sing like a choir. >> But Quin, will my pancakes taste like cheese? Absolutely not, I promise. You cannot taste the ricotta at all, but instead a rich, fluffy pancake texture that the ricotta brings to the table.

Psst, check out my meatball recipe and whipped ricotta toast if you enjoy ricotta-forward recipes! All in all, think of the addition of ricotta not as a flavor component, but as a textural one, giving these pancakes a lovely mouthfeel 🙌🏾

How To Make Ricotta Pancakes:

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt- whisk the dry ingredients well to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Then add the lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, oil, ricotta, and almond extract. Whisk the wet ingredients well until thoroughly combined.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold the pancake batter together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Let the batter rest for at least 5 minutes. The batter will puff up as it sits from the leavening agents.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease the skillet/griddle with butter or spray lightly with cooking spray.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the batter into the skillet using a measuring cup, or as desired, leaving enough space between them.
6. Cook the pancakes for 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles start to form on the top and golden-brown underneath and around the edges. Carefully flip onto the other side and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until just cooked through. Transfer cooked pancakes to a large baking sheet/platter and repeat the process with remaining pancake batter- wiping the pan/griddle as needed + adding more butter/spray in between batches.
7. Serve these ricotta pancakes warm with butter + maple syrup. Enjoy!

Tips + Tricks, FAQs & More

You may have additional questions about this ricotta pancake recipe. Like other recipes, I always advise sticking to the recipe as it is written in the recipe card directly below. However, here’s some extra info you might find helpful:

• Gluten-free needs?: I recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1:1 baking flour.
• Don’t overmix the batter: Overmixing can lead to tough, dense pancakes and I don’t want that for you. Mix the batter until just combined- it’s okay if there are a few lumps, this is good in pancake batter, no worries.
• Can I prep the pancake batter ahead of time? Yes! Letting the pancake batter rest is actually a secret to really good pancakes. The flour has more time to hydrate and the flavors develop further. Make the batter, cover the bowl tightly with a lid/plastic wrap, and store in the fridge overnight. The following day, heat up a skillet and make the pancakes as directed. Boom.
• Cooking at the right temp: Cook these ricotta pancakes over medium to medium-low, avoiding the pancakes from cooking fast and burning.
• How to keep pancakes warm? If you’re not serving them right away, place the pancakes onto a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack (for air flow/circulation) and keep warm in the oven at 200°F until ready to serve.

Storing & Reheating Leftover Ricotta Pancakes

Friends, you can freeze these ricotta pancakes! First, make sure the leftover pancakes are completely cool. Then place them inside a freezer-safe plastic bag with a piece of parchment paper in between each one to prevent them from sticking. They will keep in the freezer for about 2 months.

⇢ Reheating pancakes: You can do this in the microwave, oven, or using a traditional toaster. For the microwave, place on a microwave-safe plate and heat for 30-60 seconds or until warmed through. If using the oven, lay the pancakes on a baking sheet in a single layer with a piece of foil covering them, cook at 325°F for 7-8 minutes or until warmed through. For the toaster, set to a heat level like you would for a piece of toast/bagel (medium), and toast for about 2-3 minutes or until the pancake is warm and fluffy on the inside with a little crisp on the outside. Having leftover ricotta pancakes stored away is like a dream!

These Ricotta Pancakes have the flavor, fluffiness, and deliciousness you crave when it comes to pancakes, peeps. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

More breakfast/brunch faves you’ll enjoy:

• Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
• Brioche Doughnuts
• Peanut Butter and Guava Muffins
• Brussels Sprout Quiche w/ Bacon and Goat Cheese
• Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
• Homemade Buttermilk Waffles

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