We’ve done a lot of pancake recipes before; but this one’s my favorite so far.  🙂  These pancakes feel light and fluffy, and don’t flatten out or get hard as they cool.  And no, they don’t taste like cheese or eggs — they really do taste like pancakes!

The only drawback to this recipe is you can’t make it ahead and store it, since the egg whites will collapse, but they’re worth making fresh every time anyway if you ask me.  (EDIT:  Turns out you can freeze the batter, though!  Cover a cookie sheet in wax paper, then spoon out the batter into a pancake shape as if to cook it; freeze, then transfer to a ziploc bag to store in the freezer.  Cook over medium to medium-high heat as if cooking normally.)

I like them either plain, with butter on top, or with some maple syrup.

(This is my version of this ricotta pancake recipe.)

Ricotta Pancakes

Yield:  8-10 pancakes (enough to feed three adults)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup + 1/2 T almond flour
• 1/4 cup + 1/2 T tapioca starch
• 1/4 cup + 1/2 T paleo dough mix
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/8 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

1.  Separate the eggs, putting the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer, and the eggs in a medium-large mixing bowl.  Use the whisk attachment of the stand mixer to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form; set aside.

2.  In the mixing bowl, combine the yolks with the remaining ingredients (ricotta, almond flour, tapioca starch, paleo dough mix, baking soda, and lemon zest).  Add the whipped egg whites, and stir with a large fork until a loose, thick batter starts to form, being careful not to deflate the egg whites too much.  Then, use a floppy spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and gently fold the batter together until uniform.

3.  Grease and heat a heavy-bottomed skillet or griddle pan on medium to medium-high heat (I usually use butter).  Gently ladle spoonfuls of batter into the pan to cook.  The batter won’t spread out on its own, so you’ll want to gently spread it out yourself to the thickness of a pancake.

4.  Let the pancakes cook on the first side for several minutes; bubbles will form and pop as with normal pancakes, but in far fewer numbers.  Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.  Flip them over once the bottoms are golden-brown, and let them cook a minute or so longer.

5.  Serve hot!