Egg White Pancakes with ricotta and banana, a healthy breakfast or brunch recipe that is quick and easy to make, and so delicious too. The egg whites make the pancakes very light and fluffy, and beautifully risen.
If there is one think I dislike the most, that has to be food waste. I always try my best to use up any leftovers by transforming them into delicious new dishes, and uncooked ingredients that did not get used, put them to better use in different recipes.
And there can't be anything more frustrating than a recipe telling you that you have to use only egg yolks or egg whites - as it's hard to find other uses for them. I guess omelettes are always good at using up either egg yolks or egg whites, but apart from that, not much.
With egg whites, the one dessert that comes to my mind is pavlova, which is a great treat. Or macarons, although I guess they can be quite tricky to make.
So these pancakes not only use up those egg whites you don't know what else to make with them, but they are super quick to make, and hardly any hassle - a big win for me!
The other day I made ricotta and spinach stuffed chicken breasts, and only used 3 tablespoons of ricotta, which meant I had to use up the rest of ricotta before it ended up in the bin - again, pancakes to the rescue here.
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Ingredients needed
- self-raising flour - I personally find that this is the best flour for pancakes, as the regular flour doesn't give enough rise to the pancakes, and they end up rubbery
- egg whites - 2 eggs whites are a good swap for 1 whole egg
- banana - make sure it's ripe, as it's naturally sweet and easier to mash
- milk- ideally full-fat milk, but semi-skimmed could also work
- ricotta - it can be swapped for buttermilk, yogurt or milk
- baking powder - I use it even if the recipe calls for self-raising flour, it helps with the fluffiness
- vanilla extract - adds a nice touch, but it can be swapped for any other extract, or indeed omitted
Step-by-step photos and instructions
This recipe is adapted from my banana and chocolate chip pancakes. I absolutely love using bananas in all sorts of treats, the natural sweetness of the bananas make them not only sweet and delicious, but also healthier.
- use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold stiff peaks
- mash the banana well
- in a jug, mix the ricotta with milk
- in a bowl, sift the flour and add the baking powder
- pour the milk mixture over the flour and baking powder, together with the mashed banana
- use a spatula to give everything a good mix, then gently fold in the egg whites
- set a frying pan over a low to medium heat, and spray it with cooking oil spray
- add 2 tablespoons of batter to the pan, and leave it to cook for about 1 minute until the edges begin to colour lightly, then flip the pancake on the other side, and continue to cook for a further 30 seconds to 1 minute
- repeat with the rest of the batter
Expert tips
To achieve a light and fluffy texture, it is crucial to beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Fold them in gently once all the other ingredients have been mixed already, the egg whites will loosen the batter which at first might look too thick.
You can't tell that the pancakes are missing the egg yolk, they are perfectly cooked and have a great texture. Some might argues that they are even healthier with egg whites too, but that's up for interpretation.
There is no need for refined sugar at all, as the banana does a great job here to add just the right amount of sweetness. Plus, the pancakes can be served with maple syrup, honey or any other syrup of your choice, so more sweetness here.
Other pancake recipes
Jamie Oliver's Fluffy American Pancakes
Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
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Egg White Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 small banana, ripe
- ½ cup ricotta
- ⅔ cup milk
- 2 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the egg whites to a bowl together with a pinch of salt, and use a hand mixer to beat them well until the form stiff peaks.
- Peel and mash the banana.
- In a bowl or jug, whisk together the milk and ricotta.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the baking powder, mashed banana, vanilla extract and milk mixture.
- Give everything a good stir, then gently fold in the egg whites to get a light batter.
- Set a frying pan on a low to medium heat, and spray it with cooking oil spray.
- Add 2 tablespoons of batter to the pan, leave it to cook for 1 minute, then flip the pancake over, and leave to cook for a further 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve with maple syrup, honey or any other syrup.
Video
Notes
- To achieve a light and fluffy texture, it is crucial to beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Fold them in gently once all the other ingredients have been mixed already, the egg whites will loosen the batter which at first might look too thick.
- You can't tell that the pancakes are missing the egg yolk, they are perfectly cooked and have a great texture. Some might argues that they are even healthier with egg whites too, but that's up for interpretation.
- There is no need for refined sugar at all, as the banana does a great job here to add just the right amount of sweetness. Plus, the pancakes can be served with maple syrup, honey or any other syrup of your choice, so more sweetness here.
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