Category: Breakfasts

For two weeks, I resisted. It’s viral food. It looks ridiculously time consuming. But…it’s just so cute. So, one morning, I found myself getting up early to whip up a batch of pancake cereal, the thumbprint-sized treat that’s been viewed more than 940 million times on TikTok (and climbing). Searches for “pancake cereal” and “pancake cereal recipe” continue to climb over the past week, according to Google Trends, so I guess I’m late to the party but not totally out of date.

So, for anyone who’s equally intrigued, here’s how to create happiness in a bowl.

Mini Chocolate Chip Pancake Cereal

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray or 1 tbsp butter
• 1 cup pancake batter of your choice (here’s my recipe)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Steps:

1. In a frying pan over low heat—low is crucial, so you have time to make all the pancakes and top them before they burn up—spritz cooking spray or melt butter, just enough to coat the pan.
2. Pour 1 cup pancake batter into a gallon-size resealable plastic bag (or 1/2 cup into a sandwich bag, so it’s easy to manage). Seal it shut, removing any excess air, and snip one corner, creating a very small hole, about as wide as the tip of a magic marker.
3. Use the baggie to pour quarter-sized blobs of pancake batter all over the pan, placing each blob about half an inch apart. (They’ll spread but not too much.)
4. Quickly add a few mini chocolate chips to each pancake.
5. As the pancakes start to bubble and a lip forms around the edge of the pancake, attempt to flip them. Don’t worry if you can’t flip them all—these babies are thin enough that they’ll gradually cook all the way. Any unflipped pancakes will be a pale tan on one side, but that’s fine, as long as there’s no oozing batter.

This batter will serve two people easily, but it may take you 30-40 minutes to make all of those teeny, tiny pancakes. (It’s no wonder this recipe’s thriving in quarantine, where we’re cooking for one or two people and have enough time to commit to projects like this.) But I will say the end result is every bit as delightful as it is tedious, so there’s that.

Quick: Before it gets too hot outside, you need to make these lemon ricotta pancakes and have them for brunch on your patio. Or deck. Or front stoop. Wherever you can feel the sun on your skin and enjoy a short stack without a small dog, pigeon, or crazed neighbor bothering you. It’s a must, just because these pancakes are the epitome of spring.

They’re so light and fluffy, thanks to that whipped ricotta, and the lemon zest makes them taste bright and citrusy (without veering into “Did I accidentally mix in Pine Sol?” territory). They’re sweet, reminding me of the world’s most delicate cake, but not cloying. Just refreshing. You don’t feel like you’re bogged down and heading into a carb-coma after eating them, especially if you pair it with orange slices or other fresh fruit.

Some lemon ricotta pancake recipes call for milk, self-rising flour, or separating and whipping the egg whites and yolks. This batch doesn’t need any of those frills to taste gourmet.