Almond Cheesecake Pancakes

Sunday brunch has pretty much become a tradition in my house. My mother and I always went for brunch on the weekends and don’t get me wrong, we’ve had our fair share of amazing brunches, living in New York and all, but we kind of got tired of the whole scene. Making reservations, waiting for a table anyway, sitting in a loud crowded restaurant, so instead, we do the cooking now. And let me tell you, we love it!!

I usually plan my brunch menu a few days in advance so I know I have all the fresh ingredients that I need. I get up at my usual lazy Sunday time and start brewing the coffee and then the cooking begins!! I myself like sweet stuff for brunch. During the week I usually have oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast, so this is my time to cut loose!! But I mix it up. Sometimes I’ll make an Italian frittata or waffles or my favorite….pancakes.

Last weekend I made ricotta pancakes, one of my favorite foods. This weekend I made almond cheesecake pancakes. These are made with almond flour in place of white flour. Ricotta has a creamy, yet slightly grainy texture and the almond flour adds a nice nutty crunch, together….WOW. That’s all I can say. The inside of the pancakes are creamy and crunchy, yet smooth at the same time. The outside is slightly crisp. They practically melt in your mouth. One of my little secrets is separating the eggs and beating the whites separately, which really makes them fluff up! These are also gluten free.

These are a wonderful change from regular pancakes. As I said, I absolutely love pancakes, so I am always looking for something fun and new to do with them. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!!

Almond Cheesecake Pancakes

2 cups of almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

3 eggs, separated

¾ cup of almond milk
2/4 cup of Ricotta cheese

2 tbsp. of melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. maple extract

1 tsp. pure maple syrup

First, preheat your griddle over medium heat. Next, in a small bowl, mix the almond flour, baking soda and salt. Next, separate the egg whites from the yolks. Put the egg whites in a medium bowl.

Put the eggs yolks in a big bowl and add the melted butter. Make sure the butter has cooled before adding, you don’t want to end up with little bits of cooked eggs in your pancakes!! Whisk together. Add milk, ricotta,  butter, vanilla extract, maple extract and maple syrup. Whisk some more.

Add the dry mix to the egg yolk mix. Whisk thoroughly so it’s not lumpy, but don’t over beat. Now, whisk your egg whites until they are glossy and foamy. Fold the whipped eggs whites into the batter, do so carefully.

Grease the griddle with some more butter and start forming your pancakes. I find that each side takes around 5 minutes to cook. Almond flour can burn easily since it is very delicate, so stand by the whole time!! I personally like mine a little golden though, but that might just be me. Serve while nice and warm and enjoy with a cappuccino- (but no cappuccino after noon, that’s an Italian no no!)  Buon Appetito!!