Boos, I love me some pancakes, and these lemon ricotta pancakes took my love to another level. That citrus just hits different especially when you pair it with that tang of ricotta. It elevates your usual weekend breakfast to another level. I love how fluffy they get once you cook them up. So get into these with a side of candied bacon, some cheese grits and a little strawberry sauce.
This recipe was inspired by my girl, Adrianna Adarme of the lovely blog A Cozy Kitchen, and came from her cookbook.
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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.
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Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
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
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.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- 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.
Recipe Help
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 so the texture is fine. 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.
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)!!
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My 4 year old daughter will not eat pancakes – this recipe though changed that as she DEVOURED them! These were SO SO good!
Very interesting
Hey Jocelyn
I am yet to make any of your recipes but love love love reading them and want to thank you for sharing. I also love what you wear in your photos – you always look wonderful (I say this in a warm grandmotherly way not in a creepy stalkerish way). Good luck with the baby, what joy.
This was one of the best pancakes ever . The lemon was not overpowering at all. I added a homemade blueberry sauce on top. The pancakes were fluffy, light and still had a bit of crust on top . Amazing recipe !
Hi! I’m really excited to try these! Can I use skim ricotta or should I use full fat? Thanks!
Yes you can.
This looks yummy but I have 20 month old triplets and not any time to cook in the morning. Can o make the batter tonight and fry them in the morning?
I actually haven’t tried that but I know a lot of people who have done this and had success.
Hey Jocelyn…! your dish looks is fabulous & yummy, i love your combo of ingredient, i will trying to making this pancake. Thanks for sharing……..!
Absolutely!!! Enjoy!
I’ve never heard of lemon ricotta pancakes, but they sound absolutely delicious! I am so glad digital business has grown so much that I can access such brilliantly unqiue recipes. I can always use fluffy carbs in the cold mornings.
I saw you over the weekend on an older episode of Unique Sweets and just want to tell you that you’re just darling! I was very excited to recognize one of the experts for a change; I bet that was so fun. Good luck w/ your delivery and everything.
Awww thank you so much Beth! I seriously had so much fun filming that show!