Name: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons sugar; 1 tablespoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¾ cup milk; ½ cup ricotta cheese; 1 large egg; Zest from 1 lemon; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and cooled

These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are fluffy, flavorful and absolute lemon perfection. Ricotta pancakes provide the perfect texture and bite, and the citrus takes them over the top!

Fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes stacked high on a plate with butter and syrup being poured over them

I’m officially on maternity leave as much as a workaholic can possibly be. I’ve decided that my maternity leave won’t be exactly the same especially since I’m in the mood to just get things done right now. Baby’s room is finished. Car seats are installed. Hospital bag is somewhat packed. I’m calm, cool and collected so writing and chatting with you makes me feel a bit better.

Table of Contents

The Heart and Soul of these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Cuisine Inspiration: Italian-American Fusion

Primary Cooking Method: Griddling

Dietary Info: Vegetarian

Key Flavor: Zesty Lemon & Rich Ricotta

Skill Level: Easy

Sweet Highlights:

Light as Air, Rich as Gold: Thanks to the ricotta, these pancakes have a uniquely creamy texture that’s still light and fluffy.
Citrus Twist: The zest of lemon doesn’t just stop at the batter; it dances through every bite
Easy Mixing, Easy Flipping: No-fuss batter and a simple stovetop cooking method
Versatile Vibe: Dress them up with fresh berries, a drizzle of syrup, or even a sprinkle of powdered sugar
Make-Ahead Magic: Got leftovers? No problem. These pancakes store and reheat like a dream

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes topped butter on a round plate with a fork and lemon, butter and a container of syrup in the background

Ingredients

I wanted to share this Lemon Ricotta Pancakes recipe with you from a cookbook I have been meaning to share from for at least a year now. It is from A Cozy Coloring Book by my girl Adrianna Adarme of the lovely blog A Cozy Kitchen.

Pancake batter is incredibly easy to throw together. You always need a dry base and a wet base.

The dry base for these pancakes is:

Flour
Sugar
Baking Powder
Salt

For the wet ingredients, ricotta is the key ingredient of course. Some consider the flavor profile similar to cottage cheese but I don’t really think they are that similar.

The tang of the ricotta and thick texture is what makes these pancakes so unique and different in the best way possible making these pancakes stand out.

Because ricotta cheese is somewhat thick, we thin the batter with milk.

Ricotta Pancakes stacked high with a pat of butter on white plate with butter and lemons in background

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Prep the Dry Ingredients: In a spacious bowl, blend the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together, creating a uniform dry mix.
Whisk the Wet Ingredients: Grab a large measuring cup, and whisk the milk, ricotta cheese, egg, zesty lemon zest, vanilla extract, and butter until everything is fully integrated.
Combine for the Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry mix, stirring gently just until they come together to form a batter. Remember, it’s okay if it’s a bit lumpy!
Get Cooking: Preheat your skillet over a medium-low flame, giving it a good coat of non-stick spray or butter.
Perfect Pancake Portions: For each pancake, pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the skillet. Watch for bubbles and golden edges as signs that it’s time to flip.
Cook to Perfection: Let the pancakes cook until they’re gorgeously golden on both sides, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet.

Tips

You can scale back some of the lemon zest if you don’t want it too overwhelming. Add maybe half or even 3/4s of the lemon zest the first time you try the recipe if you think it might be too much.

Never mix the pancake batter until completely smooth. Lumps are totally fine and encouraged to make amazing pancakes.

How to Store and Reheat

Once they’ve cooled, stack them with sheets of parchment paper in between each pancake, and place them in an airtight container or resealable bag before storing in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

When you’re ready to reheat, simply pop them in the toaster or microwave until they’re heated through, or give them a quick warm-up in the oven at 350 F for about 5-10 minutes.