These dreamy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are soft and tender, bright and tangy, and always a hit. They taste amazing served with butter and maple syrup, or your favorite berry compote.
Jump to:
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe
This Italian-inspired Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe makes the most tender, flavorful pancakes you will ever try. The fresh lemon juice and zest add a wonderful tartness that is complimented perfectly by the mild ricotta cheese. As an added bonus, the ricotta also helps these pancakes stay insanely soft and fluffy.
This recipe comes together in about the same amount of time as regular pancakes, so feel free to make these every weekend if you want. I love serving them with berries in any form, including fresh berries, Mixed Berry Syrup, Blackberry Syrup, Macerated Strawberries, or any type of fruit compote. A little powdered sugar and whipped cream wouldn’t hurt, either.
Ingredients in Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
- Flour - I use all-purpose flour, however cake flour would also work great.
- Sugar - you’ll need white granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda - these both help to keep the pancakes fluffy and soft.
- Salt - sea salt works great.
- Eggs - any kind of large eggs will work.
- Milk - I prefer to use whole milk, but you could substitute 2%.
- Ricotta Cheese - any type of ricotta cheese will work, including low fat or even fat-free. You can even make your own ricotta cheese pretty easily with just whole milk and a bit of lemon juice. The closest substitute would be cottage cheese.
- Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract tastes best.
- Butter - you’ll need to melt your butter to mix into the wet ingredients.
- Lemon Juice and Zest - you’ll need 1-2 fresh lemons to make this recipe. It’s easiest if you zest first, then juice them.
How to Make This Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe
- Mix the pancake batter. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. In a separate small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, ricotta cheese, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until well-combined but still slightly lumpy.
- Cook the pancakes. Heat a pan or non-stick skillet over medium heat, then add about 1 tablespoon of butter. For each pancake, pour about ⅓ cup batter onto the hot griddle and let it spread out into a 4" round pancake. Allow the pancakes to cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges are beginning to set, or about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and continue to cook the other side until golden and cooked through, or about 1 minute more. Repeat this process with remaining batter.
- Serve. Serve pancakes warm with butter, syrup, or your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Freezing pancakes is a great way to make future breakfasts super simple. Just let them cool completely then transfer to freezer bags. It’s a good idea to put a square of parchment paper between each pancake so that they don’t stick. Once you are ready to serve them again, just pop into your toaster or microwave.
You can keep it classic by serving Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with butter, maple syrup, and maybe a dusting of powdered sugar. I find that the flavor of these pancakes is almost begging to be served with fresh berries or berry compote. Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries all taste amazing.
If you are making pancakes for a large family or a group of friends, you can set your oven to the lowest setting and store your cooked pancakes inside so that they stay warm.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: you can freeze completely cooled pancakes in freezer bags for up to 1 month. It’s a good idea to place a small square of parchment paper between each so that they don’t stick.
- To reheat: to reheat either refrigerated or frozen pancakes, just pop into the toaster or microwave until warm and enjoy!
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 Tablespoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 cup Milk
- ½ cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Butter melted
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk, ricotta cheese, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until well-combined but still slightly lumpy.
- Heat a pan or non-stick griddle over medium heat, then add about 1 tablespoon of butter.
- For each pancake, pour about ⅓ cup batter onto the hot griddle and let it spread out into a 4" round pancake. Depending on the size of your pan, you may be able to cook up to 3 at a time.
- Allow the pancakes to cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges are beginning to set, or about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes, using a spatula, and continue to cook the other side until golden and cooked through, or about 1 minute more. Repeat this process with remaining batter.
- Serve pancakes warm with butter, syrup, or your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Of Our Favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes
- Cinnamon Twists with Puff Pastry
- Healthy Granola
- Raspberry Sweet Rolls
- Sausage and Spinach Quiche
- Vegetable Quiche
- Breakfast Punch
- Ham and Cheese Quiche
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- Ham and Bacon Potato Crusted Quiche
- Bacon and Mushroom Quiche
- Spinach and Feta Quiche
- Mini Cheese Quiche
- Sticky Buns
- Bacon and Asparagus Quiche
- More Breakfast Recipes
- More Reader Favorites
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you. It helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!
These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are so soft and fluffy, full of flavor, and easy to make. Served with butter, syrup, and fresh fruit, these pancakes make the perfect sweet and tangy breakfast.
Leave a Reply