Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

5 from 48 votes

This Lemon Ricotta Pancakes recipe makes soft and fluffy pancakes with a hint of lemon zest flavor. They have a bright and fresh flavor and easy to whip up!

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If you’re looking for a fresh and bright new twist for your weekend pancakes or something more unique to serve your mom on Mother’s Day, these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are definitely worth a try. They sound fancy and they look fancy, but essentially Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are a simple pancake recipe made with typical pantry items. The only difference is we use ricotta instead of butter or oil, and they’re infused with lemon juice and lemon zest.

Syrup being poured over a stack lemon ricotta pancakes with another plate nearby. Fresh blueberries and lemon zest on top.
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If you’ve never had Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, you’re in for a treat! And don’t worry, if you’re thinking that ricotta cheese doesn’t belong in pancakes, don’t think of the cheese as playing a savory role like in lasagna, but more of a sweet role, like in cannolis or other Italian desserts. You won’t actually taste the ricotta in the lemon panckes. It helps add moisture and fat to the lemon ricotta pancake batter without the need for oil or butter. The end result is a seriously soft and perfectly fluffy lemon pancakes that are great for spring or summer!

Ingredients to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Ingredients for recipe: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, eggs, ricotta, and lemon.
  • Dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt
  • Wet ingredients: eggs, milk, ricotta, lemon

What kind of ricotta should you use? You can use whole or low-fat ricotta. I prefer to use whole fat ricotta because it gives them a creamy richness and it’s more flavorful. But low fat works just as well. Same goes for the milk. You can use what you like. Whisk everything together until well blended.

How to make lemon ricotta pancakes

Like most pancake recipes, these lemon ricotta ones follow the same “system”. You’ll have the typical dry ingredients and the typical wet ingredients. Mix both together and then cook the pancake batter. It’s quite simple to make without any fancy steps or equipment.

Make Pancake Batter

Milk, eggs, ricotta, and lemon in a bowl.
Step 1: Add the eggs, milk, ricotta, lemon juice and zest to a bowl.
Whisking wet ingredients in a bowl.
Step 2: Whisk together until fully combined.
Dry mix added on top of wet ingredients.
Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then add to the wet mixture.
After wet and dry ingredients are mixed together into a batter.
Step 4: Whisk the wet and dry together until just combined. A few lumps are okay!

Mix batter and cook your lemon ricotta pancakes

4 pancakes on a griddle before flipping.
Step 5: Now, heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, spray cooking oil, or melt some butter and pour your lemon ricotta pancake batter on the pan.
4 pancakes on a griddle after flipping.
Step 6: Once small bubbles start to form on the top of the pancake and the edges begin to firm up, flip them and cook until golden brown on the bottom.

You can top these lemon ricotta pancakes however you like. Add butter and maple syrup, slice lemon for presentation, and serve fresh fruit on top or on the side. Raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries are wonderful accompaniments to the fresh lemon flavor!

Tips for making the best lemon ricotta pancakes

  • Beat the egg whites separately. For extra light and fluffy pancakes, you can beat the egg whites separately and then fold them into the wet batter. But, it’s what makes them unique for a special occasion if you have the time.
  • Don’t over-mix the batter. Lumps are good in pancake batter and the same goes for these lemon ricotta pancakes. To avoid over-mixing, mix the wet ingredients separate from the dry ingredients and then combine everything together. If you overmix the batter, you basically overwork the gluten which creates more tough and dense pancakes.
  • Use a measuring cup for evenly round pancakes. This helps to make sure the pancakes are all even so they stack nicely and evenly. It also helps you control the pouring situation for the pancakes.
  • Be patient when cooking the pancakes. I recommend you keep the temperature of the pan at low to medium-low heat when cooking pancakes. You want to watch for the edges starting to brown lightly and then you can flip the pancakes. Another test is to see if you can easily slide a spatula under the pancakes, they’re ready for flipping.
Fork pulling a bite away form a stack of lemon ricotta pancakes.

These lemon ricotta pancakes are a fun change from everyday pancakes. The ricotta cheese adds a rich texture and the lemon juice and lemon zest add a bright fresh flavor. They have a perfect balance or tartness and sweetness from the lemon juice and the sugar. They are such a great breakfast or brunch idea and some of the best pancakes you may try! I love how rich, fluffy and flavorful they are!

More pancake recipes:

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Lemon Ricotta Pancakes recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

This lemon ricotta pancake recipe was originally published on May 11, 2019. It has recently been updated with new photography and step-by-step images to better help make the recipe.

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Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

This Lemon Ricotta Pancakes recipe makes soft and fluffy pancakes with a hint of lemon zest flavor. They have a bright and fresh flavor and easy to whip up!
5 from 48 votes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 227
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together.
  • In another medium bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, ricotta, lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
  • Heat a nonstick griddle over medium-low heat. Melt butter on the surface or spray with cooking oil spray.
  • Pour ⅓ cup of the batter into the hot griddle. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until small bubbles start to form on the top and the edges firm up. Flip the pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the pancake is cooked through and golden brown on the bottom. Makes 11-12 pancakes.
  • Serve immediately with maple syrup.

Notes

Serving Size: 2 pancakes
Recipe: This recipe was adapted from Food & Wine. Instead of whipping the egg whites separately though, it was quicker to whisk the complete eggs with the wet ingredients.  Although their original method yields more fluffy pancakes if you have the time.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
Freezing Instructions: Cool the pancakes, then place them between layers of wax paper, then place in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, place in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in the oven at 350ºF until they’re hot and heated through, about 5-7 minutes.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • Instead of regular milk, you can use any plant-based milk.
  • I tested this recipe with a whole wheat white flour, but it will work with other all purpose flours.
  • To make this gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. Do not substitute only almond flour or only coconut flour.
  • You can replace granulated sugar with other types of sweeteners of choice.
* Please note the nutrition label does not include any toppings.

Nutrition

Serving: 2pancakes, Calories: 227kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 303mg, Potassium: 172mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 281IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 193mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Breakfast, Brunch

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Comments

  1. These were so delicious! I used oat flour that I milled from steel cut oats, & studded the pancakes w/blueberries. They didn’t even need syrup!!

  2. They turned out amazing I put a little honey and butter 🧈 it was amazing. 🥞 🍯 😋

  3. I loved these pancakes, very tasty. I ate them with blackberries and a little bit of maple syrup and they were delicious. I’m going to pass this recipe on to friends.

  4. Love your recipes, always make them. But I had a question, some recipes mention vanilla extract. I was curious to know why you don`t.

    Thank you!

    Sofia

    1. Hi, Sofia! Normally with pancakes, you’ll add vanilla extract and some type of fat to help add moisture to the pancakes. But with these lemon ricotta pancakes though you’ll swap the vanilla extract for lemon juice and lemon zest!

  5. Lemon ricotta pancakes are my Mom’s absolute favorite so I made these pancakes for brunch on Mother’s Day and she LOVED THEM!! They came out so fluffy, will def be making them again?

  6. Excellent! My 14 year old daughter made these pancakes for breakfast. Just the right amount of lemon with a light and fluffy texture. Followed the recipe exactly.

  7. Oh. My. God. These sound so appetizing to make. Am going to try it out. I wish I had seen the recipe before preparing Mother’s Day Brunch.