Good morning! These Cream Cheese Pancakes are a fun twist on traditional pancakes. The cream cheese makes them super moist and fluffy, while the maple syrup and fresh berries add the perfect touch of sweetness.
Ready in under 30 minutes, you’ll have the perfect breakfast in no time.
So, you’ve heard of ricotta pancakes, but have you heard of cream cheese pancakes?
We’re big fans of pancake breakfasts over here on The Cheese Knees and have made all kinds of delicious pancakes (ahem, blueberry ricotta pancakes and cottage cheese pancakes).
That’s why we’re so excited to add these fluffy pancakes to our collection! We truly do believe these are the best cream cheese pancakes on the internet 😀
You need only a few simple ingredients to make the pancake batter. Then, scoop it into a large skillet, let it cook, flip, and cook the other side. Add your toppings and enjoy!
What You Need for Cream Cheese Pancakes
- Cream cheese: This is the all-star ingredient! It adds moisture, protein, and delicious flavor to this cream cheese pancake recipe!
- All-purpose flour: We love all-purpose flour for pancakes because it gives them a nice and fluffy texture.
- White sugar: Pancakes really only need a little bit of sweetness, and that’s why we turned to our good ol’ friend granulated sugar.
- 2% milk: Any milk will do for this easy recipe!
- Eggs: Don’t skip the eggs! They help fluff up these cakes for a better texture.
- Vanilla extract: A teaspoon of vanilla extract adds amazing classic pancake flavor.
- Unsalted butter: We kept our fat option basic and mild with unsalted butter.
Ingredient Swaps
Because we know sometimes you don’t have it all in your kitchen! Here are some easy ingredient swaps to try:
Flour: Try swapping the all-purpose flour 1:1 for gluten-free all-purpose flour. We’re also confident that white whole wheat flour will work, too, though your pancakes might come out a little more dense.
Milk: We love these perfect pancakes with 2% milk, but any dairy or non-dairy milk will work!
Oil: Feel free to use coconut oil or vegetable oil instead of melted butter.
Sweetener: You can use maple syrup in place of granulated sugar, or honey will work, too!
Topping Ideas
Because pancake recipes are best enjoyed with toppings, here are some delicious pancake topping ideas for you to choose from!
- Maple syrup
- Nut butter
- Dark chocolate chips
- Dash of cinnamon
- Powdered sugar
- Fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries
- Coconut chips
- Honey
- Greek yogurt
- More cream cheese 😀
Pro Tips for the BEST Cream Cheese Pancakes
Flipping pancakes like a pro: You know your pancakes are ready to flip when little bubbles start to form on the outer rim and the bottom side starts to firm up. Make sure that you are using medium-low heat with these pancakes so that you don’t cook the outside too fast! Once the bubbles start to form, it’s time to flip.
Keep them warm: Pancakes are best served fresh and hot off the griddle. But if you’re making a big batch or want to keep them warm for a few minutes before serving, place them on a plate in a 200°F oven to stay nice and warm. Don’t stack them on top of each other, or they will get soggy!
How to Store & Freeze Pancakes
Let leftover cream cheese pancakes cool completely. Then, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to freeze: We love making a double batch of pancakes so you can freeze some for later. Pop in the toaster right from the freezer!
- Let pancakes cool completely.
- Then, stack 2 pancakes on top of each other and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Option to wrap that in a piece of tin foil, but it’s not necessary.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw: We like to pop a frozen pancake into the toaster and toast it. But you can also defrost them in the microwave.
What to Serve with Cream Cheese Pancakes
These fluffy cream cheese pancakes are delicious on their own, but you can also add some extra toppings or serve them with a side dish.
We highly recommend our Bacon and Egg Breakfast Taquitos, Goat Cheese Scrambled Eggs, or this Breakfast Charcuterie as accompaniments to these pancakes.
Cream Cheese Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- ¾ cup 2% milk or any milk*
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Instructions
- Place flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Mix to combine.
- Then, add cream cheese, milk, butter, and sugar to a large bowl and use a hand mixer to combine all ingredients together until smooth.
- Crack the eggs into the wet ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix, making sure all ingredients are combined.
- Next, heat a large skillet over low/medium heat. Spray skillet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop pancake batter into the skillet. Let the pancake cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping when bubbles start to form in the center of the pancake. Repeat until all pancake batter is gone.
- Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!