I would consider this recipe for Orange Ricotta Pancakes to be everyday cooking for those times when you want something just a little bit special. Don’t underestimate how beautifully they reheat in the toaster the next morning!
Orange Ricotta Pancakes
Course: Breakfast14
5-inch pancakes2
minutes1
minuteIngredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbs sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup milk
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Maple syrup, softened butter, and/or confectioners’ sugar for serving
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a mediun mixing bowl, whisk the yolks, ricotta, milk, zest, orange juice, melted butter, and vanilla until well blended. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir just until moistened. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are desireable.
- Whip the whites to stiff peaks. Fold into the batter.
- Lightly grease a griddle (or use a dry, non-stick skillet) and preheat it over a medium flame for 2 minutes. Scoop the pancake batter onto the griddle in heaping 1/4-cup portions. Cook until bubbles form on the top surface and the bottoms are golden brown, 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook the other side until golden brown as well, 1 minute.
Notes
- Substitutions: Replace 1/4 of the ricotta with sour cream and/or replace (another) 1/4 of the ricotta with heavy cream, use 1 or 2 eggs instead of 3
- Options: Don’t separate the eggs; mix the whites into the batter along with the yolks. Add 2 Tbs chopped basil to the batter. If you have small oranges, Incrase the zest to 2 full oranges-worth.
Social Learning
Cooking Tips
If your pancakes are too dark or too light, adjust the flame rather than the timing. Believe me, this is the secret to great pancakes.
If your first pancakes stick, but all the rest come out fine, it’s because your pan wasn’t hot enough when you poured in your first cake. Next time, increase the pre-heat timing.
Some nonstick surfaces shouldn’t be preheated; check the manufacturer’s instructions.
Ingredient Suggestions
The orange flavor is subtle in these pancakes. If you’re serving them with butter and powdered sugar, The orange flavor is just barely enough to be interesting. I’d suggest doubling the zest if you really want to punch it up. And if you do punch it up, I have a feeling that espresso syrup would be great with them.
Is it worth running out to the store for a tub of ricotta? If you’re really a fan of texture, yes. These pancakes, when fresh off the griddle, don’t have the bready or cakey texture of a traditional pancake. Their texture is reminiscent of soufflé. They also have a subtly eggy flavor that is also soufflé-like. If this would be lost on you or your guests, then it might be just as easy to orange-up some traditional pancakes. Adding dairly products – especially thick ones like ricotta – to a pancake batter increases tenderness, because their thickness allows you to use less flour, which in turn means less starch and gluten.
Leftovers
If you know you’ll have leftover pancakes, move them from the griddle directly to a wire rack to cool. If you stack them when they’re hot, they’ll stick together once they’re cool. Reheat leftover pancakes in a toaster or toaster oven. Toast them until they start to crisp at the very edges. Leftover pancakes will have the bready, cakey texture of a traditional pancake – but they’re still quite good. I’d serve leftover orange ricotta pancakes to company. Not the Queen of England, perhaps, but anyone else.
Fun Fact
Consider the meaning of “batter” in this sentence, “I just made a pancake batter.” Then consider how it’s related to the meaning of the same word in this sentence, “The flag I left on the flagpole was battered by the ferocious wind of the tornado.” You create a batter by “battering” the ingredients together. The root meaning of “batter” is “to beat.” This distinguishes it from “dough,” which has a root meaning of “to form.” Now you know.
Orange Ricotta Pancakes
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor and ⌘+C. Huge thank you to my food hero, Harold McGee. References: Food Network, Running to the Kitchen, Sargento. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #13 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.
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Perfette per una golosa colazione!!!
Thanks!
They look super. Love mine with lots of butter!
Absolutely!
College football season starts our houseguest season. I am going to try these for breakfast one of the weekends we have company.
I hope you enjoy them!
Ricotta and citrus fruit are one of my favourite combination, so these pancakes are calling my name. They look terrific!
Oh, thank you, Ben!
Now, that’s a breakfast I would line up for with a large plate. Sounds absolutely delicious because of such a great combination.
Thank you, Judy!
Your pancakes look just perfect. I’ve always made just very traditional Scottish pancakes, which are delicious, but I will try yours. I love the idea of the orange flavour and ricotta texture. Thanks for sharing this one Geoff.
Oh, I’ve never heard of Scottish pancakes. I’ll have to check that out!
They look delicious, Jeff.
Thank you, Gary!
Wow, they look really good. I bet the texture is wonderful too, due to the Ricotta. I love ricotta and orange flavour and have some in my fridge so it will be a nice weekend breakfast! Unfortunately, our friends from Arizona (previously Chicago) just left yesterday, this would have knocked their socks off.
Ah! I’m glad you like it. If you ever make it, I’m sure you’ll find ways to make it even better, and I’d love to hear them!
Looks delicious and wonderful
Thank you, Gloria!
These sound really good, Jeff. I have never had a ricotta pancake but, with you description of them being soufflé-like, I think I need them soon.
🙂
I’ve not made a ricotta pancake before and this needs to change. These pancakes sound excellent and I love how you can re-heat them in the toasted too!
Well, if you try one, you’ll have to let me know what you think!
My husband would love these pancakes and so would I .
Thanks!
Hi my friend 👍😊
This is the first recipe on your blog I would like to try. This organce ricotta pancakes looks so delicious that this will be on my list to-do 😉 For sure I’ll let you know how they tasted me 👍😊
I share with you very interesting curiosity. On my blog showed up my first post in English when it comes to English in the gastronomy.
Best regards for you and have a wonderful and lovely day 🤗😘❤
I’ll look forward to seeing if you liked them! Thanks!
They looks so light and fluffy ! The flavors sound delicious they came out perfect. Who wouldn’t love these pancakes!!
Thanks, Judee!
I have some leftover ricotta and keep forgeting how well it works with flour to soften and moisturize it! These sound delish!
Thank you, Karen!