Hey boos! If you’re looking to take your breakfast game to the next level, let me introduce you to these bomb Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. These aren’t your average flapjacks—oh no, I’m talkin’ about light, fluffy lemon pancakes with a ricotta base that’ll wake up your taste buds. Whether you’re making these lemon ricotta pancakes for a special brunch or just want to treat yourself, this recipe is where it’s at.
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Weekends are my favorite time for pancakes though they’re also great for an easy breakfast for dinner meal! This recipe truly makes the best stack of pancakes ever! This Lemon Ricotta Pancakes recipe was inspired by my girl, Adrianna Adarme of the lovely blog A Cozy Kitchen, and came from her cookbook.
I am so happy to have discovered it! The light and fluffy pancakes with the added richness of ricotta cheese and brightness from lemon zest and juice are undeniably amazing! Try them out for yourself and see!
The Lowdown on this Lemon Ricotta Pancake Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Italian-American Fusion
Primary Cooking Method: Griddling
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Zesty Lemon & Rich Ricotta
Skill Level: Easy
- 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
Ingredients to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Pancake batter is incredibly easy to throw together. Here’s a look at the simple ingredients you will need to have on hand.
- Flour: The base of these tangy and rich pancakes.
- Sugar: Adds tenderness to our pancakes and gives them an essence of sweetness that’s subtle and not overly sweet.
- Baking Powder and Salt: For flavor and to give our pancakes just the help they need to rise up light and fluffy.
- Ricotta: This is the key ingredient providing flavor as well as their unique texture. 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.
- Milk: Just a bit to help thin out the thick consistency of the ricotta cheese.
- Lemon: You will want to use a fresh lemon in order to have the zest and juice.
- Vanilla: The natural sweet and warming flavors of vanilla add subtle hints of warmth and homeiness.
- Butter: Melted butter rather than oil is added to the pancake batter enhancing their richness and keeping them plenty moist.
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Make the Pancake Batter
- Prep the Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk Together. Use a whisk to stir them together, creating a uniform dry mix.
- Mix Up the Wet Ingredients: Grab a large measuring cup and add the milk, ricotta cheese, egg, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and butter to it.
- Whisk It Up. Use a whisk to stir until everything is fully integrated.
- Combine for the Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry mix.
- Stir It Together. Stir gently just until the two mixtures come together to form a batter. Remember, it’s okay if it’s a bit lumpy!
Cook the Pancakes
- Get Cooking: Preheat your skillet over a medium-low flame, giving it a good coat of non-stick spray or butter. Pour about a 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 for Making the Best Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
- Adjusting the Lemony Flavor. You can scale back some of the lemon zest if you don’t want it too overwhelming. Add maybe half or even three-quarters of the lemon zest the first time you try the recipe if you think it might be too much.
- Lumpy Batter is Ok. Never mix the pancake batter until completely smooth. Lumps are totally fine and encouraged to make amazing pancakes.
- Don’t Flip Too Early. Let the pancakes cook fully on the first side before flipping. This ensures that the pancakes flip more easily and cook more evenly.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan. This causes the temperature of the pan to drop but also makes it harder to flip the pancakes. The best bet is to cook in batches.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for your favorite gluten-free flour blend. Make sure you using a cup-to-cup blend and NOT a single-ingredient flour such as rice flour or oat flour.
- Swap the Lemon for Orange: Really any citrus will work but orange has a soft citrus flavor that works nicely with the ricotta cheese.
- Ricotta Cheese: Use cottage cheese as a replacement. This is a great way to boost the protein as well. The cottage cheese needs to be blended in a food processor to smooth out the texture and make it more similar to ricotta.
- Brown Sugar: Swap the white granulated sugar for brown sugar which gives these pancakes more depth of flavor.
- Berries: Mix in some fresh berries to your pancake batter to make berry lemon pancakes.
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What to Serve with Ricotta Pancakes
These pancakes are perfect for a weekend breakfast, brunch with friends, or even make them ahead for an easy weekday breakfast. Here are some ideas for serving.
- Bacon is the perfect match for a stack of lemon pancakes. Take your bacon up a level with this brown sugar bacon or candied bacon.
- Enjoy with other breakfast side dishes like Southern grits, or hash browns.
- For a weekend Southern brunch enjoy these pancakes along with some chicken and waffles. It’s everything!!
- Serve up your pancakes with maple syrup and butter. Or take them over the top with a homemade strawberry sauce and a generous dollop of whipped cream.
- Perfect pancakes are my jam! Enjoy these lemon pancakes along with some easy blueberry pancakes and even these brown sugar pancakes which are incredible!
How to Store & Reheat Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
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 them in the fridge.
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.
How long will lemon ricotta pancakes last in the fridge?
When wrapped up properly they will last up to three days in the fridge.
Can I freeze ricotta pancakes?
Yes, of course! Freeze them first on a parchment-lined baking tray in a single layer. Then transfer them to a container and store them for up to two months. This makes it easier to remove a pancake or two at a time to heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
First, be sure to zest first! It is way easier to zest when the lemon is still intact. I recommend using a fine grater or microplane as it creates a fine texture that blends better into the batter. These tools also make it easier to grate without getting any of the white pith, which is quite bitter and may not taste great in the pancakes.
Turn your oven on to low heat or warm, place the pancakes in a pan, and keep it in the oven while you continue to cook the remaining pancakes. I like to loosely cover them with a piece of foil so they don’t dry out while in the oven. Once they’re all cooked you’re ready to serve hot pancakes!
The trick is to first make sure you preheat your pan. I like to test it by dropping a bit of water in the pan, if it sizzles and pops the pan is ready for a pancake. Then add butter or oil to the skillet and spread it around. When you pour in the pancake the hot oil or butter immediately cooks the edges which gives them that golden crisp texture.
If you’re bored with basic pancakes, these lemon ricotta pancakes are a surefire way to invigorate your tastebuds and love of pancakes! A gourmet pancake that’s so easy to make and truly a fantastic way to add excitement and flavor back to your breakfast table.
Other Favorite Pancake Recipes to Try
- Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes
- Fluffy Pancakes
- Apple Pancakes
- Gingerbread Pancakes
- French Toast Pancakes
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
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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
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, ricotta cheese, egg, lemon zest, vanilla and butter. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
- Grease a large skillet and heat over medium-low heat. For each pancake, pour ¼ cup of the batter into the skillet. Cook in batches, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Notes
- Adjusting the Lemony Flavor. You can scale back some of the lemon zest if you don’t want it too overwhelming. Add maybe half or even three-quarters of the lemon zest the first time you try the recipe if you think it might be too much.
- Lumpy Batter is Ok. Never mix the pancake batter until completely smooth. Lumps are totally fine and encouraged to make amazing pancakes.
- Don’t Flip Too Early. Let the pancakes cook fully on the first side before flipping. This ensures that the pancakes flip more easily and cook more evenly.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan. This causes the temperature of the pan to drop but also makes it harder to flip the pancakes. The best bet is to cook in batches.
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These lemon ricotta pancakes were so fluffy and delicious! Will definitely be making them again.
I am so ready to start the day. These pancakes will make it perfect. The instructions are so easy to follow!
I. made these for my family for brunch today and they were a huge hit!! We all thought they were super light, fluffy and had great lemon flavor. I’ll definitely be making these again soon!
Saving this as I’m bored of oatmeal and fancy giving these pancakes a try instead!
Wow – the lemon zest and the ricotta cheese makes these pancakes so moist and delightful! I also added some extra butter to make them even richer!
Can I use lemon juice instead of lemon zest (i have lemon juice at home but not actual lemon). If so how much lemon juice?