These fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are perfectly tender and so delicious! These are just as easy to make as regular pancakes, but have so much more flavor thanks to the lemon and ricotta. Top them off with lemon curd or maple syrup and you have the perfect breakfast!
Lemon lover? Check out my Cream Cheese Lemon Bars, Baked Lemon Chicken, and Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread. Looking for more pancakes? Try these Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes, Banana Pancakes, and Apple Cinnamon Pancakes.
Why This Recipe Works
Bright & Flavorful: The lemon going into these lemon ricotta pancakes really lifts the flavor and makes them so yummy to eat. The lemon along with the ricotta, which adds a hint of savory flavor along with lots of moisture, go together perfectly to make the fluffiest, most delicious pancake ever!
Perfect for Everyone: Do you have any picky eaters at home? If so, they will definitely love these pancakes. Ricotta might sound weird at first, but this is a super mild cheese that is used in a lot of Italian desserts. It adds moisture and balances out the acidity of the lemon really well. The flavor and texture of these pancakes are perfect, and topped off with some maple syrup they make an amazing Sunday Brunch for the whole fam!
Easy to Make: Making pancakes can require some effort, but it is so worth it for such a delicious breakfast! Despite having to put in a bit of effort, these lemon ricotta pancakes are easy and straightforward to make and you can have breakfast on the table in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Flour: I used all purpose flour for these pancakes. If you need gluten-free pancakes, you can use a measure for measure gluten-free flour. I can’t guarantee they will have the same exact texture but they will still be delicious!
- Baking Powder: A bit of baking powder helps the pancakes rise a little bit in the pan, making them fluffy.
- Sugar & Salt: A bit of sugar and salt are added for flavor.
- Ricotta: You will use about a full tub of ricotta for these pancakes. If you can’t find ricotta or don’t have any on hand, it is super easy to make at home!
- Milk: A bit of milk is added for moisture!
- Lemon Juice & Zest: Both lemon juice and lemon zest contribute to the lemony flavor of these pancakes.
- Vanilla: A bit of vanilla is added for flavor.
- Eggs: The eggs will be separated into yolks and whites. The whites are fluffed up and then added to the batter to ensure super fluffy pancakes!
Here’s How to Make It
Step by Step Instructions
My lemon ricotta pancake recipe can be whipped up in just a few steps! Here’s how to make it:
- Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla and the egg yolks. (photos 1-2)
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Set aside. (photo 3)
- Fluff the Egg Whites: In another clean bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment and beat the egg whites until stiff. (photos 4-5)
- Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. (photo 6)
- Mix Together: Using a metal spoon and working a heaped spoonful at a time, gradually fold the egg whites into the pancake batter. (photos 7-8)
- Cook: Set a large non-stick frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Heat a little butter, canola oil or cooking spray and fry heaped spoonfuls of the pancake batter until set and golden on each side, adding more cooking fat as needed. Keep the pancakes warm while you work in batches. (photos 9-10)
- Serve & Enjoy: Serve warm with lemon curd or maple syrup and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- To keep the pancakes warm: You can place your lemon ricotta pancakes on a baking sheet and pop them in a warm oven until they are all ready!
- Top them off with your favorite toppings! You can top these off with strawberries or blueberries along with whipped cream and powdered sugar. If you love the lemon flavor, some lemon curd on top would be amazing.
- Don’t over mix the batter! Once the wet ingredients and dry ingredients are mixed, be careful not to over mix. Over mixing will cause tough pancakes instead of soft, tender ones. That is why you want to gently fold in the egg whites as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! Let the pancakes cool to room temperature. Them place them in a freezer bag in small stacks separated by wax or parchment paper. Freeze for up to two months! When you are ready to eat them, you can warm them up from frozen in the microwave or a toaster oven.
You can use full fat or low fat ricotta, but try not to use the non-fat ricotta since there isn’t as much flavor. You can also make your own ricotta using whole milk and lemon!
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
- Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
- Crepes Recipe
- Biscuits & Gravy Breakfast Casserole
- Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
- German Pancakes Recipe
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup ricotta - approx 1 tub
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp vanilla
- unsalted butter, canola oil or cooking spray
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl or jug, whisk together the ricotta, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and egg yolks. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry.
- In another clean bowl, use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until stiff.
- Using a metal spoon and working a heaped spoonful at a time, gradually fold the egg whites into the pancake batter.
- Set a large non-stick frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Heat a little butter, canola oil or cooking spray and fry heaped spoonfuls of the pancake batter until set and golden on each side, adding more cooking fat as needed. Keep the pancakes warm while you work in batches.
- Serve warm with lemon curd or maple syrup.
The recipe says 3 servings. How many pancakes would that make? These look AMAZING!
How many egg whites? I don’t see it listed under the ingredients. Thanks!
You use 2 large eggs. The yolks and egg whites are separated and used at different times in the recipe
I made these tonight for dinner… And they came out great!!! The only comment that I might make is it does need something a little sweet on top, which you mentioned on item number 6…I didn’t make any lemon curd…. So on my stack of cakes I used maple syrup, and the wife used jelly on her stack…. The hardest part of this recipe is getting the lemon zest to zest….Everything went very,very FAST…. You-all out there in internet land…. This is a piece of cake to do….