High-protein Ricotta Pancakes
- Updated on Aug 16, 2018
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High-protein ricotta pancakes. Even just writing that sentence makes me happy. We love pancakes, and when they’re simple, tasty and packed with protein we love them even more.
Protein is important, and many people don’t get enough. If you’re not sure exactly how much protein you need then there’s a free guide and meal plan over here. For now, back to the ricotta pancakes.
As I mentioned, we love pancakes. We love testing recipes, too. This particular recipe worked so well that we came up with two equally good versions – take your pick. The first is just slightly sweet, designed to go perfectly with a little almond and maple syrup. Kat and Hauke swear by it.
If you’re more like me and don’t want anything sweet in the morning, particularly after a workout (which is when I’m most looking to boost my protein intake) then I highly recommend the savoury version (I also recommend trying the best vegetarian post-workout meals too!). It goes amazingly with almost any type of chutney, marmite or vegemite – or even simple peanut butter. Just add your favourite topping.
High-Protein Ricotta Pancakes
Ricotta is made from whey and is already exceptionally high in protein. But could we make it higher? Of course we could! Throw a couple of eggs in and you’ve got protein levels that are off the chart. Happily the eggs also help the pancake batter to be smoother and easier to cook.
We also did some experimenting with the cooking base (i.e oil). Two main oils sprang to mind, and both worked as we expected. If you’re going for the sweet version then coconut oil is absolutely delicious. It fits so well to the rest of the ingredients. Don’t worry, if you only have good ol’ olive oil, then it’s also great. That’s what we recommend for the savoury version, too.
And finally – need more pancakes?
I did say we love pancakes. And I wasn’t exaggerating. In case mega-super-duper-high-protein ricotta pancakes aren’t exactly what you’re looking for, or you just want to eat pancakes everyday (pretty much like us) then here’s what else you can find around the site.
- 2 ingredient banana-egg pancakes (soooooo easy)
- Coconut flour pancakes (gluten-free!)
- Cream cheese pancakes (low-carb, high protein)
- Gingerbread pancakes (lush in winter!)
- Dutch Apple Pancake (arguably the most beautiful pancake on the web)
- Vegan banana pancakes (authentically awesome)
- Cottage cheese pancakes (also ridiculously high in protein)
- Savoury chickpea flour (besan) pancakes (also vegan!)
- Kaiserschmarrn (a yummy Austrian dessert pancake)
Phew 😅, I think that’s all of them. Still with us? On to the recipes!
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup ricotta (⅓ cup = 125g)
- 3 tbsp ground almonds
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp coconut oil *
Toppings:
- 1 tsp peanut butter
- 1 tsp raspberry jam
Optional:
- 2 tbsp flax seeds (for a healthy dose of omega 3)
Instructions
- Beat the eggs, ricotta, ground almonds, maple syrup and salt (and flax seeds if using) together well with a fork or whisk.
- Alternatively use a hand blender, just pulsing a little. Don't overwhisk it into a watery mess.
- Heat up the oil in a pan and fry the pancake mix slowly on a low-medium heat, flipping when bubbles have stopped on the face-up side. Cook with a lid on, if possible.
- Slide onto a plate and serve with topping of choice.
NOTES
Nutrition
Ingredients
Toppings:
- 1 tsp marmite (aka vegemite)
Optional:
- 2 tbsp flax seeds (for a healthy dose of omega 3)
Instructions
- Beat the eggs, ricotta and salt (and flax seeds if using) together well with a fork or whisk. Alternatively use a hand blender, just pulsing a little. Don't overwhisk it into a watery mess.
- Heat up the oil in a pan and fry the pancake mix slowly on a low-medium heat, flipping when bubbles have stopped on the face-up side. Cook with a lid on, if possible.
- Slide onto a plate and serve with topping of choice.
NOTES
Nutrition
Comments
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13 comments
I teach nutrition/cooking classes to individuals with limited incomes, could I substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta?
Susan
Hi Susan, good question. My initial thought is that yes, it would work. I think it would certainly be worth a test. We also have these cottage cheese pancakes you might be interested in 🙂 https://hurrythefoodup.com/cottage-cheese-pancakes/ good luck!
I am new to a plant-based diet, but not too gluten-free, I have Celiacs. Cheese, eggs, and milk are not plant-based, they are animal-based, how does this work?
Hi Pam! These ricotta pancakes are vegetarian but not vegan I’m afraid, they won’t work on a plant-based diet. They should be fine for gluten-free diets though 🙂
I love the flavor of these pancakes and your website is really great. Next time I make these, I’m going to try and place them on parchment and bake them in the oven. We had to use a ton of butter to get them not to stick and we felt that negates the healthy. Thanks for all your creative recipes.
Hi Kathleen! Agreed, the butter would negate a lot of the healthy. One tip is to really wipe the oil/butter around the pan and keep it to a low(ish) heat. If not, maybe the pan needs changing/seasoning so it sticks less? Enjoy the oven version anyway, would love to hear how they turn out. Thanks for writing!
Hi!
Could you use any ground nut? and could you substitute the maple syrup with honey?
Thanks!
Hi Kate! Yes, absolutely to both. These are our favourites but you could sub them for what you have/like most 🙂 enjoy!
I have an odd question about this recipe – can you see the ricotta (i.e., anything white) in the cooked pancakes? My daughter has an aversion to most cheeses but would eat these if the ricotta wasn’t visible.
The whole family loved the sweet version! Thank you for this great recipe. I added some vanilla to it and it was yummy 😉
Woahh, that’s awesome to hear, Rina!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Howdy. Am really enjoying your website – it’s classy, fun and smart and may just provide the final push I need to become entirely vegetarian. I made these pancakes (savoury version) last for dinner and they were fabulous. A little too fabulous, actually, as I plan to make them again tomorrow (Dave’s Moroccan salad tonight!) and then possibly every few days for the rest of my life. That good.
I added the zest of a lemon to the batter and served them with fig jam and and a big arugula/radicchio salad.
Thanks for the inspiration!
PS – I tend to disagree that folks in general don’t get enough protein; I believe people ingest way too much of it, but just in the grossest formats, ie: piles of cheap, crappy mass-produced meat & dairy (and for the veggies: junky, very-GMO inorganic soy).
Hi Olivia! Wow, thank you for the compliments . Our aim is definitely to help people make that ‘final push’ so I’m glad we’re on the right tracks! Ahh the fig jam sounds lush, I bet that was great. Really happy to hear you’ll be making them again, too. You’re right that many people definitely do get enough protein (especially from the sources you mention) though depending on activity/sport levels I think it is still something to be watchful of. Especially when looking from a weight-loss perspective and a lowering of carbs (I’m not a low-carb fan particularly, but there are sooooo many ‘lazy carbs’ that many people just don’t think about) then upping good quality protein can be very be beneficial. Thanks for writing Olivia, and enjoy the Moroccan dish!