Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pancakes

These fluffy Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pancakes are an easy, delicious breakfast that is sure to be a hit with the whole family!

Pancakes are always a great breakfast and one we enjoy on lazy weekend mornings at home. There is nothing better than a cozy morning at home, sipping on coffee and nibbling on a fluffy pancake in your pyjamas! It’s what weekends were made for and I, for one, live for these kinds of mornings.

Since first making these Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pancakes for my husband, he has raved about them and insisted we place them on our weekend breakfast rotation. They’re fluffy, moist and studded with delicious chocolate chips. You can use mini chocolate chips or regular ones, depending on your own preference.

If you have baked with ricotta before, you know just how much moisture and deliciousness it adds to baked goods. It does the same for these pancakes! If you have not tried using ricotta in a sweet dish before but are here cause you are curious about it, I HIGHLY recommend you do it soon! Since ricotta is often used in savory dishes, I understand how it can seem strange to add it to something sweet, but it works so well and is not strange it all! It’s amazing in cannolis and just as great in other baked goods!

Did I mention how easy these pancakes are to make? I whip these up in one bowl, making for an easier clean up, cause who wants to be washing extra dishes when its not necessary?

If you love these, you should also check out my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Strawberry Syrup! Just as fluffy and delicious but with a lemony zing.

Why we love Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pancakes:

• They are fluffy and studded with chocolate chips. Who doesn’t love chocolate chips for breakfast?
  
  
• They whip up quickly in just one bowl! Gotta love a one-bowl recipe for easy clean up!
  
  
• If you use a large griddle, you can cook them all at once for a super quick breakfast!
  
  
• You can make these pancakes in advance. They heat up well but can also be frozen for future breakfasts.
  
  
• They’re delicious!

Ingredients in Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pancakes

To make these pancakes, you will need:

• Flour: all purpose flour.
  
  
• Sugar: white granulated sugar.
  
  
• Baking powder & Baking soda
  
  
• Salt: A little salt helps enhance the flavor.
  
  
• Ricotta cheese
  
  
• Milk: Used to thin out the batter. How much you use will depend on how much moisture is in the ricotta cheese you use. I start with 1/2 a cup and then add more as needed.
  
  
• Egg
  
  
• Vanilla extract
  
  
• Chocolate chips: I opt for mini chocolate chips as they distribute nicely in the batter but regular chocolate chips work as well.

**Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.**

How to make Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pancakes

1. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
   
   
2. Add the wet ingredients. Add the ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup milk, egg, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix to form the batter. [Note: If the batter is thick, add the remaining milk or as much as needed to reach the right consistency for pancakes (how much milk you need will depend on how much moisture is in the ricotta cheese).]
   
   
3. Fold in the chocolate chips. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter.
   
   
4. Cook the pancakes. Heat a pat of butter in a frying pan or griddle over medium heat and scoop 1/3 cup pancake batter (or as much as desired). Cook for a couple of minutes until bubbles begin to form on the pancake and then flip to cook the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.
   
   
5. Serve. These pancakes are great served with butter, maple syrup, whipped cream and/or fresh berries.

Tips and variations:

• Add orange. Chocolate and orange is a winning combination (check out my Chocolate Orange Pancakes for another pancake featuring this tasty combo). Adding orange zest and replacing some of the milk in the recipe with orange juice can add delicious citrus flavor to these pancakes.
  
  
• Add fresh fruit. Chocolate chips go well with a variety of fruit including berries like strawberries or raspberries. While I usually like to top the pancakes with these berries, there is nothing stopping you from adding them right into the batter!
  
  
• Add nuts. Pecans, pistachios, and almond slivers are all great options.

Storing leftovers and reheating

Leftover pancakes can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for a few days.

To reheat them, you can do this in a microwave or in the oven.

For the microwave, place a pancake on a microwave safe plate and heat it up for about 15-20 seconds. If more time is needed, continue to heat it in short 10-15 second spurts until hot and heated through. If you are microwaving a whole stack of pancakes, you will likely needed to do this a few times whereas a single pancake heats up quite quickly. Times will vary depending on the strength of your microwave and the size and thickness of your pancakes so reheating them in small spurts will help you gauge how long they will need.

To heat them in the oven (my preferred method), place the pancakes in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil and heat them well until they are hot in a preheated oven at 350F. This will typically take about 5-10 minutes.

Freezing ricotta pancakes

Once the pancakes have cooled, you can stack them in short stacks with layers of parchment paper between each pancake. Wrap each short stack in aluminum foil and then place them in a freezer bag or freezer safe container.

You can reheat the pancakes straight from frozen without thawing. To reheat them from frozen, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place pancakes in a single layer on the sheet and cover it with aluminum foil. Heat the pancakes at about 350F until hot and heated through, about 10 minutes or so.

Alternatively, you can heat them in the microwave. I recommend doing this in smaller spurts, 30 seconds at first and then in 15 second intervals, until they are heated through. As mentioned above, heating times will vary depending on how many pancakes you are heating up, how strong your microwave is, and the size and thickness of the pancake.

What to serve with Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pancakes

Topping these pancakes takes them from great to incredible! Some of our favorite toppings include:

• Butter. A simple pat of butter (especially when added to warm pancakes so it begins to melt on contact) is always a great option. You can take it up a notch by making a flavored butter like cinnamon butter.
  
  
• Maple syrup. A classic for pancakes for good reason. It’s delicious!
  
  
• More chocolate chips. More chocolate is always better than less chocolate.
  
  
• Fresh fruit. Berries as well as other fresh fruits like orange or banana are great additions.
  
  
• Powdered sugar. Adds a touch more sweetness.
  
  
• Whipped cream. Sweetened whipped cream is always a hit.
  
  
• Jams, fruit compotes, or fruity syrups. The strawberry syrup I often serve with my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes is another fav.

I hope you enjoy these pancakes as much as I do!

-Cathy

You may also like these other pancake favorites:

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Strawberry Syrup
Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe
Sheet Pan Pancakes
Chocolate Orange Pancakes