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Pancakes don’t have to be bland or beige. These orange ricotta pancakes hit that sweet spot between bright citrus and creamy richness. Almost like a creamsicle, but with a golden, griddled edge. No whipped egg whites, no fuss. Just bold flavor and a stack that holds its own.
Why You Will Love This Orange Ricotta Pancake Recipe
Ricotta makes them ultra fluffy: It adds moisture and richness without weighing the batter down.
Bold citrus flavor: Using frozen orange juice concentrate and zest gives you that punchy orange flavor without thinning the mix.
No-fuss batter: Stir, fold, cook. You don’t need a stand mixer or fancy steps.
Optional but excellent syrup: The homemade pomegranate syrup adds a tangy, jewel-toned finish that pairs beautifully with the citrus. But if poms aren’t in season, these pancakes still hold their own with butter and a drizzle of maple.
Looking for a sourdough variation? Check out our lemon ricotta sourdough pancakes.
Recipe Tips
Use quality ricotta: Use the best ricotta you can find without gums or stabilizers, they give the pancakes a better texture. But if all you’ve got is the standard stuff, it’ll still work.
Drain if needed: If your ricotta is on the watery side, let it sit in a mesh strainer for 30 minutes.
Don’t skip the concentrate: This is where the serious orange flavor comes from. No need to dilute it.
Medium heat is your friend: Ricotta pancakes cook slower than regular ones. Give them time or they’ll brown before they’re done inside.
Store-bought ricotta works just fine, but if you’ve got a few extra minutes, homemade ricotta cheese takes these pancakes to the next level.
Orange Creamsicle Pancakes
These orange ricotta pancakes bring serious brunch energy any day of the week. Bright, fluffy, and just creamy enough to channel that creamsicle vibe. No fuss, no gimmicks, just a stack that tastes like it’s worth showing up for.
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Ingredients
Ricotta Pancakes
- ¾ cup all purpose flour, 90 grams
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, 250 grams, drained
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup milk, 120 grams
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons concentrated frozen orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Pomegranate syrup
- 2 ½ cups pomegranate juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Ricotta Pancakes
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, eggs, milk, sugar, concentrated orange juice, orange zest and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
- Place a sifter over the bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Fold the flour mixture into the ricotta mixture until just combined.
- Pre-heat a skillet over medium heat or heat an electric griddle to 375° and lightly oil it.
- When the griddle is hot, spread ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles start to form on the surface of the pancake then flip and cook the other side until brown.
Pomegranate syrup
- Combine the pomegranate juice and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes. The juice will reduce to about 1-¼ cups. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Notes
- Don’t reconstitute the orange juice. Adding concentrated orange juice will give the pancakes extra orange flavor without watering down the batter.
- For best results, try to find ricotta that does not have any stabilizers listed in the ingredients. Stabilizers like guar gum and Carrageenan affect the texture when cooked.
- If you have watery ricotta, let it drain in a strainer for 30 minutes before you begin.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate: Store cooled pancakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep the syrup in a jar in the fridge.
Freeze: Layer pancakes with parchment and freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Freeze syrup separately in a small container.
Reheat: Warm pancakes in a 300°F oven or toaster oven until heated through. Gently reheat syrup on the stove or in short microwave bursts.
Want something a little different? Check out our einkorn blueberry pancakes. Got extra ricotta? Make our strawberries with marsala for an easy dessert.
This post was originally posted on January 7, 2015. We updated the photos in the post.
Ricotta & pomegranate sounds fantastic! I’m craving this now!
thanks for the comment Trish, they really are delicious 🙂
These were the best pancakes I have ever tasted!!! I am wishing I had some now!
thanks Josh, you have the recipe now so whip em up for Sara :)…. we can have them again next time your down
Oh how I love ricotta pancakes, but I’ve never made them with this quantity of ricotta. They do look super creamy and delicious and I love that pomegranate syrup!!
yes this definitely has a high ratio of ricotta but it works so well to make them almost custard-like and sooo delicious
Oh yum! I’ve been playing around with pancakes and I thought about ricotta the other day but went with sourdough pancakes. Now I wish I’d tried these. They’re beautiful!
there is always another day for breakfast, maybe you can try them when John gets home :), take care Maureen
Ricotta and pancakes! Oh be still my carb loving heart!
Kathi
ha ha thanks Kathi
This looks like desert to me!
well it would make a fabulous dessert! Try it 🙂