Mizithra Pancakes

soft greek cheese pancakes

By: Eleni Saltas

During the weekdays, my breakfasts consist of coffee or a protein shake. Sometimes, as I’m rushing out the door for work, I grab a muffin or a banana. Truly, I don’t care for breakfast, and have noticed I function better at work by putting off eating until lunch time. When the weekend comes around I’m ready for all the breakfast foods–eggs, bacon, cottage cheese, and toast. Pancakes are a special item I like to make at home, especially because I get to make them how I like them–stuffed with mizithra cheese.

Mizithra pancakes have become an instant hit at my home. We love them so much we’ve even had them for dinner one night. Adding mizithra cheese to the batter ups the creaminess factor to the pancakes that you’ll notice with just one bite. These light and fluffy mizithra pancakes will certainly stand out for your next breakfast–or dinner–whenever you need a pancake fix.

Can’t find soft mizithra cheese? Learn how to make your own here. You can also substitute mizithra for ricotta cheese.

Prep Time:

5min

Total Time:

20min

Servings:

2-4 

Good For:

Breakfast/Brunch

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup soft mizithra cheese (or ricotta)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 2 eggs
  • zest of lemon (optional), if desired for a lemon kick
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • non-stick cooking spray or butter, for cooking
  • maple syrup, for topping

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Heat an electric griddle or skillet to 350F or medium heat.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix well.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, mix the mizithra cheese (or ricotta), buttermilk, whole milk, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla until well combined. It’s ok if there are lumps of cheese, but if they are too big, feel free to break them up.

Step 3

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir gently with a whisk or wooden spoon until incorporated. Don’t over mix the mixture. The batter should be thick with lumps and that’s fine. If it is too thick to work with, add some extra whole milk.

Step 4

Spray cooking surface with cooking spray, or place a pat of butter and wait for it to sizzle. You don’t need a lot of oil here, especially if you’re using a nonstick pan or skillet. Just enough to lightly coat the skillet.

Step 5

In batches, ladle about 1/3 cup volume of batter (or use an ice creams scooper for exact amounts every time!). Place on griddle and cook until the surface forms bubbles, about 3 minutes. Flip carefully, and repeat on the other side so both sides are golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Step 6

Serve warm with maple syrup, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If making a large batch, keep warm in the oven. Also, if you have leftover pancakes, individually wrap and freeze. Rewarm by toasting them or heating them in the oven.