Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
These light and creamy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes have a beautifully fresh and lemony flavor, which makes them a delicious option for breakfast or brunch. With a bright and citrusy flavor, these heavenly little cakes are moist and tender, and a bit more refined than your ordinary pancake.
They are easy to whip up, and the gorgeous creamy texture will surprise you. Topped with a few fresh raspberries and some pure maple syrup, you have a beautiful breakfast or brunch dish for the weekend. And, this recipe can be made gluten-free! Want to know how to pimp up this recipe a few different ways? Read about it in our Blogs Comments and Tips below!
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe Updated: 4/2/22
LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Whisk together all dry ingredients. Heat the griddle (or nonstick griddle pan) on medium to medium-low (see Note #1) for about 5 minutes, while you prepare the batter.
- In a large measuring cup (or large mixing bowl), add milk, ricotta cheese, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and whisk.
- Pour the wet ingredients into a large bowl. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk until mixed, but still slightly lumpy. Pour the batter into a large measuring cup (4 cup or larger cup will make it easier to pour), and set aside to rest for a few minutes until the griddle is ready.
- Cut 1 tablespoon cold butter into 3-4 pieces (see Note #2). Place 1 pat of cold butter on the hot griddle and let melt. With a spatula turner, spread butter all over griddle, then pour 3-4 pancakes (depending on the size of your griddle) onto the hot griddle, and let cook for a few minutes. As pancakes are cooking, divide the remaining 1 tablespoon of cold butter into 12 small pieces (to top each pancake), and set aside (see Note #2). Cook pancakes until drier around the edges and bubbles form across the top, then flip them over with a spatula, and immediately put a tiny pat of butter on the top of each pancake. When butter has melted, check for doneness, by peeking underneath one pancake. Remove pancakes from the griddle onto a warmed plate. NOTE: In between batches, carefully wipe down the griddle with a folded paper towel.
- Serve pancakes on warmed plates, top with a few fresh raspberries, and drizzle on some pure maple syrup.
Notes
- Heating the griddle on medium heat will give you a slightly darker golden brown pancake. If you prefer a more light golden brown pancake, try heating on medium-low. Using a lower will take longer to cook, but will result in a lighter pancake.
- For nutritional calculations, we used only a small pat of butter for each pancake. You can certainly use as much butter as you want for the top of the pancakes. To grease the griddle, we recommend using ¼ tablespoon for each batch, to ensure the pancakes do not turn out too greasy.
- As a replacement for pure maple syrup, try using agave nectar. It has the same consistency as syrup, but it is a little lighter in flavor, and allows the lemon in these pancakes to shine.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
404.72Fat (grams)
19.16Sat. Fat (grams)
10.49Carbs (grams)
42.87Fiber (grams)
3.01Net carbs
39.86Sugar (grams)
13.82Protein (grams)
16.23Sodium (milligrams)
661.59Cholesterol (grams)
144.63Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. Maple syrup is not included in the Nutritional information.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1a
In a small bowl, add 1 cup all purpose flour (or gluten-free 1:1 flour), 2 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon fine salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar.
STEP 1b
Whisk together all dry ingredients. Heat the griddle (or nonstick griddle pan) on medium to medium-low (see Note below) for about 5 minutes, while you prepare the batter.
Note: Heating the griddle on medium heat will give you a slightly darker golden brown pancake. If you prefer a more light golden brown pancake, try heating on medium-low. Using a lower will take longer to cook, but will result in a lighter pancake.
STEP 2a
In a large measuring cup (or large mixing bowl), add 1 cup milk 2% (or whole, or almond milk), 1 cup ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
Note: These pancakes are light, creamy, and thinner. If you prefer thicker and denser pancakes, reduce the milk to ¾ cup.
STEP 2b
Whisk together wet ingredients.
STEP 3
a) Pour the wet ingredients into a large bowl. Then whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
b) Whisk until mixed, but still slightly lumpy.
c) Pour the batter into a large measuring cup (4 cup or larger cup - this makes it easier to pour onto the griddle), and set aside to rest for a few minutes until the griddle is ready.
STEP 4a
a) Cut 1 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted) into 3-4 pieces (see Note below).
b) Place 1 pat of cold butter on the hot griddle and let melt.
c) With a spatula turner, spread butter, then pour 3-4 pancakes (depending on the size of your griddle) onto the hot griddle, and let cook for a few minutes.
Note: If you are cooking four batches of pancakes (3 pancakes, per batch), then you will need to use 1 pat of butter per batch for the griddle (just cut1 tablespoon cold butter into 4 pieces).
STEP 4b
As pancakes are cooking, cut the remaining 1 tablespoon of cold butter into 12 small pieces (1 tiny piece per pancake - see Note below), and set aside.
a) When the pancakes become drier around the edges and form bubbles across the top, peek under one of the pancakes by slipping a spatula under the edge of a pancake to check for doneness.
b) If the color is to your liking, flip them over with a spatula, and immediately put a tiny pat of butter (see Note below) on the top of each pancake.
c) When butter has melted, check for doneness, by peeking underneath one pancake. With a spatula, remove pancakes from the griddle onto a warmed plate.
d) In between batches, carefully wipe down the griddle with a folded paper towel, and repeat the process until all 12 cakes are done.
Note: To grease the griddle, we recommend using ¼ tablespoon for each batch, to ensure the pancakes do not turn out too greasy. For nutritional calculations, we used only a small pat of butter for each pancake. You can certainly use as much butter as you want for the top of the pancakes.
Serving Suggestion
Serve pancakes on warmed plates, top with a few fresh raspberries, and drizzle on some pure maple syrup, and enjoy!
Note: As a replacement for pure maple syrup, try using agave nectar. It has the same consistency as syrup, but is a little lighter in flavor and allows the lemon in these pancakes to shine.
Notes:
For nutritional calculations, we used only a small pat of butter for each pancake. You can certainly use as much butter as you want for the top of the pancakes. To grease the griddle, we recommend using ¼ tablespoon for each batch, to ensure the pancakes do not turn out too greasy.
Recipe can easily be doubled. See Blog Comments & Tips below for details on how to make these pancakes gluten-free.
VIDEO
LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES - How to make these velvety pancakes in under 30 minutes?
Blog Comments & Tips
Super moist and creamy pancakes!
This is one of our favorite recipes for pancakes (yes, we have a few variations). The light and creamy texture, coupled with the fresh lemony flavor, makes this a delicious option for breakfast or brunch.
The ricotta adds a creaminess to these pancakes. Not usually the word we would use to describe pancakes, but trust me, these are super moist, tender, and creamy. With a bright and citrusy flavor, these heavenly little cakes actually seem more refined than your ordinary pancake. Although they can easily be made thick and fluffy, we kind of like the delicacy of this thinner pancake.
These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes use a bit of golden flaxseed meal, which is full of omega-3 fats. Flaxseed is also extremely rich in dietary fiber. Using flaxseed in this pancake batter adds moisture and a mild nutty flavor, that tastes great! A serving of these pancakes provides over 16 grams of protein, and double the fiber of regular pancakes.
Just 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal contains more fiber than 1 cup of all purpose flour!
Besides added dietary fiber, flaxseed meal has polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3), lignans (which contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties), manganese, copper and potassium. The added benefit from the flaxseed is these pancakes don’t leave you feeling sluggish for the rest of the afternoon!
We adapted the recipe for these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes from a Bobby Flay recipe. I know, you are probably thinking, how could we improve on a recipe from the Flayster?! Well, we did! We just pimped it up a bit, by making them a little more creamy, and allowed the primary flavors of these lemony pancakes to become the star of the recipe.
To get the best results from this recipe, take a look at our recipe tips below.
Our 4 tips to making a great pancake:
Use a griddle or heavy bottom pan (like a cast iron pan) to obtain nice even heating. Medium heat cooks up a darker golden brown pancake that cooks more quickly, and is more cake-like. If you prefer a lighter, golden brown breakfast cake, then try cooking it on Medium-low heat. You must be patient though, as it takes double the time to cook up these little babies. It’s worth it, if you want a super moist and creamy pancake.
Do NOT overmix! You want the batter to be lumpy. This will result in lighter and creamier pancakes.
Use fresh lemon juice and zest. Or the next best thing would be to use frozen juice and zest. See Tips #3 and #4 in our Tips & Tricks page for details.
Whether you use maple syrup or agave nectar, use the best quality you can find. This makes such a difference in the finished dish.
Want to customize this recipe?
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it Gluten Free: Replace all purpose flour with Gluten-Free 1:1 Flour.
Make it Healthier: In place of 1 cup all purpose flour, replace with ½ whole wheat flour and ½ cup all purpose flour. This will add more fiber and nutrients to your pancakes, without compromising flavor. The whole wheat flour will make the pancakes more dense, whole wheat absorbs more liquid. Just add a little milk if the batter becomes too thick. Use agave nectar instead of maple syrup.
Make it Extra Healthy: In addition to using the whole wheat flour swap above, try adding more flaxseed. Just add 4 tablespoons of golden flaxseed meal to the wet ingredients (not the dry ingredients). The flaxseed meal will absorb some of the moisture and expand, to make it extra moist and healthy. Instead of pouring agave nectar over the pancakes, pour some onto your plate and dip in a piece of pancake. The pancakes won’t soak up all the agave nectar or maple syrup and you will still get the flavor.
Make it Rich: Use whole milk and whole milk ricotta cheese in the batter. If you want super rich and creamy pancakes, try adding 1 tablespoon melted butter to the batter, during the last few stirs. As a finishing touch, add plenty of butter on top of each pancake after it’s been flipped over, while it’s still on the griddle.
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment and rating, and/or following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to NOT overmix your batter.
Adapted from the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Fresh Raspberries recipe by Bobby Flay, we’ve taken this great recipe and made it a little healthier and more flavorful.
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