Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes – An Easy and Elegant Special Occasion Brunch

This strawberry cheesecake pancakes recipe pairs light, fluffy buttermilk pancakes with a sweet creamy cheesecake swirl and fresh strawberry sauce topping.

I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve ooohed and aaahed over pretty pancakes on an IHOP or Denny’s menu. If you’re the type of person who ogles a fancy stack of pancakes at a restaurant, this is the recipe for you!

This recipe is enough to turn heads for sure. Here we start with a base of light, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, and then top them with sweet fresh strawberry sauce and a rich, creamy cheesecake topping. Talk about a beautiful stack of pancakes!

It blurs the lines between breakfast and dessert, which makes it the perfect choice for a special occasion brunch. I’m thinking something along the lines of Mother’s Day brunch because this recipe is as elegant as it is delicious!

And heads up, if they’re in season and you can find fresh local strawberries, they make this even better.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Fluffy, flavorful buttermilk pancakes with a quick cheesecake topping and easy strawberry sauce. One bite and you’ll fall in love!
• This recipe is perfect to have up your sleeve when you need a showstopper brunch or are craving a special breakfast-for-dinner.
• You can make all the components of this recipe (the pancakes, cheesecake topping, and fresh strawberry sauce) up to 5 days in advance.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Fresh Strawberry Sauce Ingredients

• Fresh strawberries – Use fresh, local strawberries if they’re in season for the sweetest, most intense flavor.
• Granulated sugar – To macerate the strawberries, we combine fresh strawberries with a little bit of granulated white sugar. If you let it sit for a while, the sugar pulls out the liquid in the berries and creates a sweet strawberry syrup.

Cheesecake Topping Ingredients

• Unsalted butter – We’re essentially making a quick and easy cream cheese frosting (similar to what you’d find on carrot cake) for our cheesecake topping. The base is butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar.
• Cream cheese – Cream cheese lends a tangy flavor and rich, creamy texture.
• Vanilla extract – Vanilla adds flavor and aroma.
• Powdered sugar – Like any American buttercream recipe, here we use powdered sugar to add sweetness and help it achieve the right thickness.
• Salt – A little bit of salt helps pull out the flavor of everything else.

Pancake Ingredients

• Flour – We use regular all-purpose flour as the base of these pancakes.
• Sugar – Use granulated white sugar as the sweetener in this recipe.
• Baking powder – This is the main leavening agent.
• Salt – Salt ensures our pancakes aren’t bland.
• Baking soda – We use baking soda in addition to baking powder in this recipe because our batter contains an acidic ingredient (aka buttermilk).
• Unsalted butter – This adds rich flavor.
• Buttermilk – Buttermilk pancakes are the best! Buttermilk not only adds a pleasantly tangy flavor that creates a more well-rounded profile, but it also acts as a tenderizer and activates the baking soda so you get a better rise. For the most fluffy, flavorful pancakes, buttermilk is the way to go!
• Egg – Egg is a binder and helps result in fluffy pancakes.
• Vanilla extract – For flavor and aroma.
• Coconut oil – To grease the pan. If you prefer, you can use butter or ghee (clarified butter).

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Fresh Strawberry Sauce

Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until using.

Step 2: Make the Cheesecake Topping

Use a handheld electric mixer to beat together all ingredients in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate until using.

Step 3: Make the Pancakes

Whisk together the dry ingredients, and then whisk in the wet ingredients just to combine.

Pro Tip: For the fluffiest pancakes, let the batter rest for 10 minutes.

1. Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, brush the bottom with a little coconut oil or butter.
2. Scoop the batter into the hot greased skillet. Turn the heat down slightly to medium-low.
3. Let the pancake cook on the first side without flipping until the bubbles that form on the surface pop and the pancake looks like it’s starting to dry out a bit along the outside (this takes about 3 minutes).
4. Use a thin metal spatula to flip the pancake and let it cook on the second side until light golden brown (this takes about 2 minutes).

Repeat this process until all the pancake batter is cooked.

Step 4: Serve

Serve the pancakes with the cheesecake topping and fresh strawberry sauce on top. If desired, sprinkle on a dusting of powdered sugar.

Storage

Once they’re cooled to room temperature, you can store cooked pancakes wrapped well in the fridge for up to 5 days or up to 2 months in the freezer.

You can also make the cheesecake topping and fresh strawberry sauce up to 5 days ahead and store them covered in separate containers in the fridge.

Tips

• You can use your favorite flavor of Greek yogurt instead of the cheesecake topping.
• Instead of strawberries, feel free to use blueberries or raspberries.
• Don’t skim out on the buttermilk! The rich tanginess is what makes our pancakes tender, fluffy, and flavorful.

Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes FAQs

More Beautiful Brunch Recipes to Make

• Vanilla Bean Caramelized Pear Scones with Dark Chocolate Chunks
• Southern Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
• Banana Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Pecan Swirl
• Maple Bourbon Buttermilk Biscuits

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Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes Recipe

By: Faith Gorsky

Prep TimePrep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook TimeCook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Yields: 4 servings

This strawberry cheesecake pancakes recipe pairs light, fluffy buttermilk pancakes with a sweet creamy cheesecake swirl and fresh strawberry sauce topping.

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Ingredients

 

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Fresh Strawberry Sauce:

• ▢ 16 ounces fresh strawberries washed, hulled, and chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cheesecake Topping:

• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• ▢ 3 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/16 teaspoon salt

Pancakes:

• ▢ 18 tablespoons all-purpose flour (18 tablespoons is 1 cup + 2 tablespoons)
• ▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups buttermilk at room temperature
• ▢ 1 large egg at room temperature
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ Coconut oil or butter (for greasing the pan)
• ▢ Powdered sugar for topping (optional)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

 

For the Fresh Strawberry Sauce:

• Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until using.

For the Cheesecake Topping:

• Use a handheld electric mixer to beat together all ingredients in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate until using.

For the Pancakes:

• Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
• Add the butter, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Whisk just to combine, being careful not to over-mix. The batter will be fairly thick. For the fluffiest pancakes, let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
• Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, brush the bottom with a little coconut oil or butter.
• Scoop the batter into the hot greased skillet (about 6 tablespoons of batter per pancake), and let it spread out on its own. Turn the heat down slightly to medium-low.
• Let the pancake cook on the first side without flipping until the bubbles that form on the surface pop and the pancake looks like it’s starting to dry out a bit along the outside (this takes about 3 minutes).
• At that point, use a thin metal spatula to flip the pancake and let it cook on the second side until light golden brown (this takes about 2 minutes).
• Repeat this process until all the pancake batter is cooked.

To Serve:

• For each serving, put 2 pancakes on each of 4 plates. Top each with 1/4 of the cheesecake topping and 1/4 of the fresh strawberry sauce.
• If desired, sprinkle on a dusting of powdered sugar.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

• Make Ahead and Storage: Once they’re cooled to room temperature, you can store cooked pancakes wrapped well in the fridge for up to 5 days or up to 2 months in the freezer. You can also make the cheesecake topping and fresh strawberry sauce up to 5 days ahead and store them covered in separate containers in the fridge.
• Reheating: You can reheat pancakes in in a toaster, in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the oven. The toaster is super easy, especially if you’re only reheating one serving of pancakes!

To Reheat Pancakes in the Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Arrange your pancakes in a single layer on the prepared tray.
3. Sprinkle a tiny bit of water on the pancakes. I like to wet my hand and just flick the water a couple times on the pancakes. This will steam the pancakes and help them stay moist!
4. Cover the tray with foil.
5. Put it in the oven until the pancakes are warm, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 722kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 564mg | Potassium: 467mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 66g | Vitamin A: 1182IU | Vitamin C: 67mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes, Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes Recipe

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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on May 3, 2022 and updated on May 12, 2024.

I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.

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