Lemon ricotta pancakes are light and fluffy, slightly sweet, and tangy. Easy to prep, and perfect for a special brunch!
We are gearing up for another 7 flavors post (check out our last one: 7 Amazing Hummus Flavors!), and this time, it's pancakes! And today, I'm sharing one of my favorite pancake recipes from the bunch: lemon ricotta pancakes!
These pancakes are fluffy and citrussy, and are such a fun way to get a little fancy on Pancake Saturday (or whichever day is pancake day at your house!).
Let's discuss!
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We love these lemon ricotta pancakes because
- they are fluffy, slightly sweet and tangy
- you can prep them ahead and store in the fridge or freezer for an easy breakfast (just pop in the toaster!)
- you get a little extra protein from the ricotta cheese
How to make them
You might be wondering: 'ricotta?' 'pancakes?!'. I promise you: it doesn't taste like cheese, but simply adds a really light, fluffy texture to the pancakes...and gives them a slightly richer flavor.
It really is a simple way to jazz up your pancakes! These would be great for a special brunch!
- mix together the wet ingredients: melted coconut oil, ricotta, eggs, maple syrup, milk and vanilla extract. If you coconut oil starts to solidify, pop the bowl in the microwave and rewarm in 15 second increments.
- add in the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda. Mix until *just* combined.
- Fold in the lemon zest.
- Cook ¼ cup portions in a nonstick pan.
- Enjoy!
What kind of flour is used in this recipe? I recommend either all purpose flour or white whole wheat flour. 100% whole wheat flour ends up dense and gummy, and almond flour did not work. I have not tried GF flour.
Can I make these pancakes thinner? Yes! I make these quite thick, but you can thin out by stirring in some extra milk.
Can I make them ahead? Yes! We store them in meal prep containers in the fridge or freezer, then pop in the toaster when we're ready to enjoy!
Which toppings go well on them? Maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh or frozen (thawed) berries and/or fresh whipped cream.
Tips & equipment
- use a non-stick pan (this is my basic Non-Stick Pan) or a large non-stick skillet
- I measure my pancakes out in a simple ¼ cup measuring cup
- Looking for more pancakes? Check out these Cottage Cheese Pancakes, this Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe, or these Zucchini Chocolate Chip Pancakes!
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil (52 g)
- 1 cup ricotta (244 g)
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup maple syrup (78 g)
- 1 cup milk (dairy or almond)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour (or white whole wheat; 250 g; fluffed, spooned & levelled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 lemon, zested (roughly 1 tablespoon lemon zest)
Instructions
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the coconut oil.
- Stir in the ricotta cheese, eggs, maple syrup, milk and vanilla extract. If coconut oil starts to solidify, pop it back into the microwave and heat gently (15-20 second increments) until slightly warmed and coconut oil is melted.
- Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until just combined. *
- Fold in the lemon zest.
- Heat a non stick pan over medium heat. Spray pan with oil or grease lightly with coconut oil or butter.
- Cook ¼ cup portions of pancake batter, cooking for 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second side, or until lightly golden and cooked through.
- Repeat with remaining batter until all pancakes are cooked.
- Serve pancakes with maple syrup, powdered sugar, berries and/or whipping cream.
Storage
- Pancakes may be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat in a toaster or frying pan.
- Pancakes may be frozen in a sealed container or bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the microwave and crisp up in a toaster or frying pan.
Tips:
Nutrition Information
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Mila says
This is the single best pancake recipe i’ve ever used. i actually used 1/2 AP flour and 1/2 whole what pastry flour, slightly less maple syrup, and grapeseed oil (cuz that’s what i had). I also added blueberries to half the batch and loved them both ways. I’ve made these 3 times now and every time they are beyond perfect. Thank you!!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Mila, WOW! Thank you so much for your kind words <3
Bex says
Hi there!
Do you think these would turn out if I made these into sheet pan pancakes? We love this recipe but are cooking for a crowd and want to make life a little easier on ourselves. Would also be awesome for meal prep!
Just wondering if you think it might turn out differently.
Bex
Denise says
Hi Bex! I am really not sure if this will work. I had to tweak my go-to pancake quite a bit to get my sheet pan pancake recipe (https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/no-flipping-meal-prep-protein-pancakes-sheet-pan/). If you gave it a try, would you let me know how it goes for you?
Karen says
We cooked up these pancakes for our Canada day breakfast and served them with fresh raspberries, yogurt and maple syrup. They were amazing - so flavourful! Everyone’s that dined with us wants the recipe!
Denise says
I'm so happy you guys enjoyed them! Thank you for reporting back 😀
Mitchy Mitch says
Hi there, I tried this recipe the other day and it was a big hit with my family. They loved it! Though for me (I'm my toughest critic), I wish my pancakes had come out lighter and fluffier. I'm guessing I stirred the batter too long? Any advice?
Thank you!
Denise says
I'm so happy you guys enjoyed! Hmm I found mine very fluffy, so if they weren't fluffy for you, it could be that you over-mixed the batter, and it could be that your baking powder/soda might be older? Here's a cool article from Bon Appetit I just read https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/10-pancake-common-mistakes-avoid Thank you for your review, I really appreciate it!
STEPHANIE says
Hi I attempted to make the ricotta pancakes this morning but they were a disaster. The consistency of the batter was more like a thick cookie dough. As recommended I added extra milk but I could never get the consistency right. When I cooked the pancakes they fell apart. When I looked up additional ricotta cheese pancakes all of the other recipes noted 1 cup of flour instead of 2 cups. I will try it again using only one cup of flour to see what happens.
Denise says
Hi Stephanie! Whoa, I'm really surprised to read your comment. The batter was thick for me but it thinned out just fine. My only thought is that maybe you didn't fluff, spoon & level your flour? I always weigh my flour to make sure I get the exact correct portion (and in absence of a scale I fluff, spoon & level it), because if you scoop it you can end up with almost twice the amount of flour. Anyway I will be retesting this recipe later this week because I hate thinking there could be an issue with the recipe. So sorry this happened to you!
STEPHANIE says
Hi Denise thank you for your feedback. I did not fluff level in spoon the flower. I will try that next time. I really want this recipe to work as the pancakes sound amazing! Thanks again
Denise says
Hey Stephanie, I just retested the pancakes and they worked great for me. I am guessing you used too much flour, because they were super soft for us and not crumbly at all. Sorry the recipe gave you trouble!
Tamara says
Another trick is to separate the egg yolks and egg whites. Beat the egg whites until stiff and then fold into the pancake batter at the end.This will make them lighter and fluffier. Don't overstir the batter. After a few attempts you'll understand if you need to add a little more flour or a little more milk until the batter is just right. The batter should be a little on the thick side, you'll spread out the 1/4th Cup batter until you get a nice round shape. I agree that 2 cups of flour is a little too much flour. When you get it right it's a wonderful recipe.
Denise says
I hope you enjoy!