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These lemon ricotta pancakes cook up pillowy-soft and fluffy with a bright lemon flavor that makes the whole stack taste fresh.
Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
These lemon ricotta pancakes have all the goodness of my classic ricotta pancakes, just with a fresh citrus twist. I make them whenever I have a lemon in the fridge because the zest and juice add an incredible, bright flavor that makes you feel like you’re out to brunch.
Ingredients
These are made with all-purpose flour, baking powder for a fluffy texture, a little sugar for sweetness, and a pinch of salt. Part-skim or traditional ricotta cheese works (I explain the differences in the recipe notes), and milk (preferably whole or 2%). Eggs help bind the batter, and a touch of vanilla for flavor. Fresh lemon juice and zest are the heroes of this recipe.
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
- Make the pancake batter by mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Then, combining the two. For extra lemony flavor, I zest two lemons.
- Cook them on a non-stick surface over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side.
- Serve them warm, topped with powdered sugar, lemon curd, and a little extra lemon zest if desired.
More Variations
Next time, try my blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes or just the blueberry ricotta pancakes. In the fall, we make my pumpkin ricotta pancakes on repeat.
Easy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon zested + 2 tablespoons juiced
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the batter
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Then, add the ricotta cheese, milk, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. If you have an extra lemon, add more zest. Use a fork to combine the wet ingredients and mix until smooth, without any clumps. You can also use a blender on the lowest speed to combine everything.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients bowl and mix gently until they're just combined and there's no visible flour left. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
Cook:
- Heat a non-stick griddle or large pan over medium heat. Once hot, grease, spray, or melt butter on the hot surface. When using an electric griddle, heat it somewhere between 300 and 350F. Immediately, pour ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the greased pan. Cook the pancakes for 2 minutes, until the edges are defined and bubbles form.
- Flip the pancakes over and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side. The middle of the tops should feel puffy. Avoid pressing down on the pancake after flipping and only flip once. Remove the pancakes from the pan onto a plate and keep them warm while you cook the rest of the batter.
Serve:
- Plate a few pancakes and top them with your favorite toppings and syrups. I love to keep these simple and coat them with a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Notes
- This recipe works best with whole or 2% milk. Non-fat milk is thinner and yields a runnier batter, which doesn’t cook through (wet pancakes in the middle).
- Part-skim ricotta yields softer pancakes that feel a little custardy. Whole milk ricotta is best.
Joan says
I made these lemon ricotta pancakes and they were a hit! They have a nice fluffy texture. I used whole ricotta and your note was on point. They were perfect.