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Lemon lovers meet the pancake recipe of your dreams! Made with ricotta cheese and kissed with lemon, these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are light, fluffy, and downright delicious!
Love lemon? Don't miss my recipes for Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake, Lemon Bread, Lemon Cheesecake Bars and Cheese Danish with Lemon Glaze.
Light and Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes
You have heard of using ricotta in savory dishes like lasagna and stuffed shells, but ricotta in pancakes?!
Absolutely, positively YES!
Similar to how cottage cheese adds moisture and creaminess to cheesecake pancakes, the addition of ricotta gives pancakes a melt-in-your-mouth creamy, fluffy texture.
Add in fresh lemon, and now we are really talking! Fluffy, creamy, tangy, and bright--lemon ricotta pancakes are a must-make for anyone who loves pancakes or lemon!
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Ricotta Cheese + Milk: Use whole milk and whole milk ricotta for the richest, creamiest results.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter that has been melted and cooled slightly before adding to the batter.
- Eggs: It is important to note this recipe calls for for separating the eggs.
- Lemon: Use both the zest and juice of the lemon to give these ricotta pancakes their amazing citrus flavor.
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sift Dry Ingredients. Sifting the flour with the salt and baking powder helps to remove lumps and aerate the flour--keeping the pancakes light and fluffy!
- Combine Sugar and Lemon Zest. To enhance the lemon flavor in these ricotta pancakes, I strongly recommend using your fingers to combine the lemon zest and granulated sugar. The heat from your fingers and the friction of the granulated sugar will help the essential oils from the lemon zest to be fully released, making these the best lemon ricotta pancakes ever.
- Whisk Together Wet Ingredients. Add the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, vanilla, and melted butter to the sugar mixture and whisk well.
- Whip the Egg Whites. To give these ricotta pancakes a cloud-like texture, whip the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until soft, stiff peaks form. Much like folding egg whites into a cheesecake keeps it light and fluffy rather than dense, the same holds when making ricotta pancakes.
- Fold Batter Together. Add ricotta mixture to the flour mixture and fold together until well incorporated. Gently fold in the egg whites until combined. Keep in mind that the batter will be a bit thicker than a classic pancake batter.
- Cook Pancakes. Pour ⅓ cup batter into a greased skillet over medium heat and cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until bubbles form on the surface and the edges are set. Flip the pancake and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Resist the urge to push down on the pancakes as they cook, as this will destroy the air bubbles and won't give you a fluffy pancake.
- Serve. Keep it classic with maple syrup, dust with powdered sugar, or serve with fresh whipped cream and berries (or ALL of the above!)
Ricotta Pancake Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: Use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour.
- Add Blueberries: If you would like to make Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes, add washed and dried blueberries to the pancakes after ladling the batter onto the preheated griddle.
- Make Orange Ricotta Pancakes: Swap out the lemon zest and lemon juice for orange zest and orange juice.
More Favorite Pancake Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 large lemon, zest and juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, separated
- Nonstick spray or butter for cooking
Instructions
- Over a large mixing bowl, sift ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon table salt. Give the mixture a whisk to evenly incorporate.
- Add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to a separate medium mixing bowl. Finely grate the zest of 1 large lemon directly over the sugar. Using your fingers, gently rub the zest into the sugar.
- Add the 1 cup whole milk ricotta, ½ cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted), juice from 1 large lemon, and yolks from 2 large eggs to the sugar mixture and whisk until fully incorporated. Add the ricotta mixture to the well in the dry ingredients and gently whisk until just incorporated. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites from 2 large eggs using a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the pancake batter.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat with nonstick spray or grease with butter.
- Drop the batter by ¼ cup onto a griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on tops and bottoms brown (3-4 minutes) and then flip, and cook until bottoms brown, about 3 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve the pancakes with powdered sugar, berries, and maple syrup, as desired.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These pancakes are everything that I wanted and more! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe
You bet! So glad you enjoyed the pancakes Jess 🙂
Kids keep on requesting for these pancakes! So easy yet so delicious and satisfying!
I love hearing this 🙂