Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

June 14, 2021

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are fluffy, tender pancakes that are elevated to a whole new level. The ricotta adds protein and a lightness that is absolutely divine while the lemon gives it a bit of a tangy taste that you are going to love!

Pancakes are a staple in our house! Try more delicious pancakes from my grandma, buttermilk or even wheat pancakes for your next breakfast.

Stack of Lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry sauce.

The Best Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe

These tart, tangy, yet sweet, and velvety lemon ricotta pancakes are a must-make! If you have never tried ricotta pancakes then this is the recipe for you. You may be thinking that it is a little weird to have a cheese pancake, but ricotta is nothing like your ordinary cheese. Ricotta is a soft cheese with a soft moist grainy texture, but a smooth mild flavor. It creates moist, fluffy, tender pancakes that rival the best pancakes out there. These lemon ricotta pancakes will be rich and dense, but with a super moist fluffy consistency, plus ricotta adds protein!

Then comes the tart, zippy flavor from the lemon. You can add more or less lemon juice or zest to taste. But it goes perfectly with the slight tang of the ricotta. It gives the whole pancake a bright light flavor. And one of the best combinations out there is lemon and blueberries. See my Lemon and Blueberry Cheesecake Bars, Upside Down Cake, or Pound Cake to see what I mean. The sweet warm blueberry sauce just melts into these lemon pancakes for the best pancakes ever!

Ingredients for Ricotta Pancakes

Not much different from whipping up regular pancakes, theses lemon ricotta pancakes come together in no time! For all the recipe measurements see the recipe card below.

Flour: All-purpose flour or unbleached flour will both work.
Sugar: Helps give a bit of sweetness and balance the lemon.
Baking soda: This helps give the pancakes a bit of a lift.
Baking powder: If you want fluffy pancakes you’ll want to make sure you add baking powder.
Salt: Balances the sweet and gives ricotta pancakes flavor.
Milk: You can use skim, 1%, 2%, or even whole milk with excellent results.
Eggs: Use large eggs that are at room temperature if possible. They will mix in the best and give it moisture.
Ricotta: This is usually found near the cream cheese or near the Italian cheeses, like mozzarella. It will come in a tub usually like cottage cheese.
Vanilla: This will give it a nice sweet flavor.
Lemon and zest: Use all the juice of one lemon and the zest. If you do not want it that lemony use less.
Optional Blueberry Syrup: This may be optional but I highly recommend it! Here is all you need to know about making it.

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes from Scratch

Use oil or even butter, to grease your skillet before cooking. Serve these pancakes for a special breakfast or brunch! Add these tried and true recipes Sausage, Bacon, and Eggs to make it a breakfast they won’t forget.

Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, powder, and salt.
Wet Ingredients: In another medium-sized bowl add the milk, eggs, ricotta, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest.
Mix together: Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.
Cook and Enjoy: Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and drop about ¼ cup of the batter onto the warm skillet. Once it forms bubbles then flip to the other side and cook until golden brown.

Mixing the dry ingredients, then the wet and combining them together.

Tips and Variations for Easy Ricotta Pancakes Recipe

Luscious and satisfying, these ricotta pancakes are going to stay in your breakfast rotation. They are full of flavor!

Ricotta: I recommend using full fat or low-fat ricotta. Either of these will give you better consistency and flavor over nonfat ricotta.
Do not over mix: It is super important not to overmix the wet and dry ingredients when you mix them together. Just blend until combined. It is ok if it has a few lumps.
When to flip: Like all pancakes, you want to look for air bubbles on the top of your ricotta pancakes and wait till the edges are firm and slightly browned before flipping. It should be 2-3 minutes per aside.
Get the Most From Your Lemon: Zest your washed lemon with a zester or the smallest holes of a cheese grater. Zest just the yellow part, stopping when you reach the pith or the white part of the lemon which can be bitter. Cut your lemon in half. Place the halves in the microwave on a plate and heat for 30 seconds. doing this will help the lemon release more of its juice.
Variations: These are quite perfect the way they are, but you can make a few changes and experiment with the flavors as you see fit. Add blueberries or raspberries to the pancake batter when combining the wet and dry ingredients for fruit cooked right in. Swap out the lemon for orange zest and juice and add mini chocolate chips for a different flavor.

Pouring blueberry sauce over a stack of lemon pancakes.

Storing Pancake Leftovers

Make a double batch of these soft pillowy lemon ricotta pancakes and freeze for later. Then pull them out on busy weekday mornings for a breakfast worth getting up for!

Pancakes: For freezing, let the pancakes cool completely then place in a zip-top freezer bag, being careful to remove all the air. Pull out what you need and either warm up in the microwave or toaster. Top as desired.
Blueberry Sauce: This will keep best in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. I do not recommend freezing it, the sauce can become runny.

Blueberry sauce drips down a stack of ricotta pancakes.

More Pancake Love

Pancakes are super easy and insanely delicious. I have been known to even make them for dinner. You can customize pancakes in so many ways, like adding Chocolate chips or Bananas to give variety and flavor. And the toppings ideas are endless. From fresh berries, peanut butter, and jam to homemade maple and buttermilk syrups. And of course, don’t forget the whipped cream. Try your favorite toppings on these tried and true pancake recipes.

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