Lemony Ricotta Pancakes for Toddlers Could Be Your Forever Pancake
Sure, the title reads like a trendy brunch dish, but these gems are an easy way to expand the palate; add some more protein into breakfast; and, you know, cheese. Think of it as the growing-up version of the banana pancake recipes you probably fed your infant when starting solids: easy, but evolving. You can start serving these guys around the time your little on serves one; you may never stop serving them--and I'm including the rest of his/her childhood when I say that.
- 2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 3 large Eggs
- 1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1 Lemon (and zest)
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the dry ingredients—the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and zest of the lemon–together and sift until the mix is fully blended.
- Drop in the eggs and add in the amount of ricotta you are comfortable with (default to half a container of ricotta, or roughly 4 ounces.) and blend together. Your batter should be thick—it’s got a bunch of cream cheese-esque dairy in there, after all—but if it appears to have a dough-level consistency, or if after making one the texture is doughy, add a splash of milk or two to loosen up.
- Heat a large sauté pan on medium, putting in a copious chunk of butter (i.e. 1 tbsp)--needed to ensure the batter doesn’t stick–and push around pan.
- Once butter is sizzling, pour batter in, making small circles (or circle-esque) throughout the pan; cook your cakes for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Squeeze a bit of lemon juice on the pancakes before serving.
Given the healthy amount of dairy and eggs–and, to a lesser extent, flour–in the recipe, the pancakes should stand on their own; expect your child to eat two or more of them and thus not need much else. I typically only accompany them with an easy fruit (e.g., bananas, strawberries). Given how soft and fluffy the cakes will be, they make for great practice for either those working on the pincer grasp or kids learning how to use forks.
There’s a lot you can build from and to when your base is a pancake with creamy cheese. (And if that's not enough, here's another!) The recipe contains one zig already: the prominence of the sharper and tarter flavors of lemon, which you can increase or reduce based on your child’s interest or tolerance. (Pro tip: I usually use something more like ⅔ or ¾ of the lemon, but start with half your first time.) Nuts or quinoa can add heft, fiber, and protein to the cakes–just fold into the batter before cooking. Nut butters? Sure. This recipe wants for nothing but can take on almost everything, making it an ideal opportunity to eat the same meal right alongside your child.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
