Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These heavenly lemon ricotta pancakes will make your whole family smile on weekend mornings! The ricotta makes them incredibly fluffy and light, while the bright lemon flavor wakes up your taste buds perfectly.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Active Time: 25 minutes, Total Time: 25 minutes, Serves: 4 people.

Nutrition Profile: Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Vegetarian

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 281 Calories, 10g Fat, 34g Carbs, 13g Protein

Ingredients You’ll Need

All-purpose flour: You’ll need ½ cup of regular flour, which gives these pancakes their perfect structure. This is the base that holds everything together beautifully.

Whole-wheat flour: Another ½ cup adds a nutty flavor and makes these pancakes a bit more wholesome. Don’t worry – you won’t even taste the difference!

Granulated sugar: Just 2 tablespoons gives these pancakes a gentle sweetness. The maple syrup on top will add more sweetness, so this is just perfect.

Baking powder: You’ll need 1½ teaspoons to make these pancakes rise up tall and fluffy. Make sure yours is fresh for the best results!

Salt: Just ⅛ teaspoon brings out all the other flavors. A tiny pinch makes such a big difference in taste.

Part-skim ricotta cheese: ¾ cup is the secret ingredient that makes these pancakes incredibly creamy and light. Room temperature ricotta mixes in much easier!

Buttermilk: ½ cup adds tangy flavor and helps create that perfect fluffy texture. If you don’t have buttermilk, I’ll share a substitute below!

Large eggs: Two eggs bind everything together and add richness. Room temperature eggs mix in more smoothly than cold ones.

Neutral oil: 1 tablespoon of canola or avocado oil keeps the pancakes moist. You can also use melted butter if you prefer!

Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon adds warm, sweet flavor that pairs beautifully with the lemon. Pure vanilla tastes best, but imitation works fine too.

Lemon zest: 2 teaspoons of grated lemon zest gives these pancakes their bright, sunny flavor. Save some extra for garnish – it looks so pretty!

Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice adds the perfect tangy kick. Fresh tastes so much better than bottled here.

Maple syrup: For serving, because pancakes need their sweet partner! Use real maple syrup if you can – it’s worth it.

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Step 1: Grab a large bowl and whisk together both flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make sure everything is mixed evenly so your pancakes turn out perfect every time.

Step 2: In a smaller bowl, whisk the ricotta, buttermilk, eggs, oil, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Don’t worry if it takes a minute – the ricotta needs time to blend in completely.

Step 3: Pour the ricotta mixture into your flour mixture. Stir just until everything comes together – a few lumps are totally fine! Over-mixing makes pancakes tough, so stop as soon as you don’t see dry flour.

Step 4: Spray a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. You’ll know it’s ready when a drop of water sizzles and dances across the surface.

Step 5: Scoop about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake into the pan. You can fit about 3 pancakes per batch depending on your pan size.

Step 6: Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles form on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. This is your signal that they’re ready to flip!

Step 7: Flip carefully and cook until golden brown on the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you make the rest.

Step 8: Repeat with remaining batter, turning down the heat if they’re browning too fast. Garnish with extra lemon zest and serve with maple syrup!

Easy and Quick Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Version

Want to make these even faster? You can mix all the wet ingredients the night before and store them in the fridge! In the morning, just whisk your dry ingredients and combine everything. Plus, you can use a pancake mix as your base – just add ½ cup pancake mix, then add the ricotta, lemon zest, and lemon juice to jazz it up!

Serving Ideas

These pancakes are perfect on their own with maple syrup, but they’re also amazing with fresh berries or a dollop of whipped cream. Try serving them with crispy bacon or breakfast sausage for a complete meal. A glass of fresh orange juice pairs beautifully with the lemon flavor too!

Storage

Store leftover pancakes in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat, just pop them in the toaster or warm them in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months – just wrap each pancake individually and store in a freezer bag!

Substitutions

No buttermilk? Mix ½ cup regular milk with ½ tablespoon lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes. You can swap the ricotta for cottage cheese if you blend it smooth first. Out of lemons? Orange zest and juice work great too! For a gluten-free version, use your favorite gluten-free flour blend in place of both flours.

Pro Tips

• Room temperature ingredients: Let your eggs, ricotta, and buttermilk sit out for 30 minutes before mixing. They blend together so much better!
• Don’t overmix: Lumpy batter makes fluffy pancakes. Stop mixing as soon as you don’t see dry flour.
• Test your heat: The first pancake is always a test. Adjust your heat if needed – medium heat works best.
• Fresh lemon zest: Use a microplane grater for the finest zest. It distributes the lemon flavor so much better!
• Keep them warm: Put finished pancakes on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven to keep them warm and fluffy.

FAQs

Can I make the batter ahead of time?

You bet! You can mix the batter the night before and store it in the fridge. Just give it a gentle stir before cooking since it might separate a bit. The pancakes will be just as fluffy and delicious!

Why are my pancakes not fluffy?

The most common reason is overmixing the batter. Mix just until the ingredients come together – lumps are your friend! Also make sure your baking powder is fresh and your heat isn’t too high.

Can I freeze these pancakes?

Sure! Let them cool completely, then wrap each pancake individually in plastic wrap. Store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Pop them in the toaster straight from frozen!

What if I don’t have ricotta cheese?

Cottage cheese works great if you blend it until smooth first. Cream cheese mixed with a little milk also works, though the flavor will be a bit different. Greek yogurt is another tasty substitute!

I hope you love these lemon ricotta pancakes as much as my family does! They’ve become our go-to weekend breakfast. Let me know how yours turn out – I’d love to hear about any fun variations you try!