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Stack of fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes on plate topped with maple syrup, blueberries, and strawberries.
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5 from 2 votes

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Made with ricotta cheese and kissed with lemon, these light and fluffy ricotta pancakes are a lemon lover's dream come true.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Total Time27 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Author: Kristen Chidsey

Equipment

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
US Customary - Metric

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.
    Dry ingredients for ricotta pancakes sifted together in large mixing bowl.
  • 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.
    Lemon zest and granulated sugar combined in large mixing bowl with fresh lemon slices off to side.
  • 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.
    Wet ingredients for lemon ricotta pancakes in large mixing bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites from 2 large eggs using a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
    Mixing bowl with egg whites after being beaten to stiff peaks.
  • Gently fold the egg whites into the pancake batter.
    Lemon Ricotta Pancake batter in large mixing bowl.
  • 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.
    Side by side photo collage of 3 lemon ricotta pancakes in frying pan before and after being flipped.
  • Serve the pancakes with powdered sugar, berries, and maple syrup, as desired.
    Stack of fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes on plate topped with a dusting of powdered sugar with lemon slices in background.

Video

Notes

Storage: Let pancakes cool, then store in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, place the pancakes on a heat-safe plate, cover them with a moist paper towel, and heat in the microwave for 45-60 seconds, or until warmed through.
Gluten-Free Option: Use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour.
Add Blueberries: 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 1mg
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