These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are going to be your family's new favorite breakfast. They have a light lemony flavor, ricotta to make them extra fluffy, and adding whole blueberries gives you a burst of freshness in every bite!
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Although I have outed myself as being 100% Team Waffle, these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes could be the ones that change that lineup.
The quick and easy batter uses both whole milk ricotta cheese and milk for fluffy pancakes that are even more moist than the usual. The lemon sugar sweetens the pancake just enough to make it delicious all on its own and the addition of whole blueberries adds just the right pop of freshness to every bite.
Top it all off with warm, real maple syrup and more blueberries for a pancake experience you won't soon forget. There's no coming back from this!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Whether you make your own ricotta or use store bought is up to you. I will say, making your own saves on going out to the store when you have everything else 😊 Also, pretend those are real blueberries in the picture below. We had finished eating all the pancakes when I realized I forgot them in the picture. Delicious oops.
I know what it's like to be craving something and waking up to find that you're missing an ingredient. Here's what to do if you want to make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes:
- Ricotta - Like I said, making ricotta is simple. Whole milk, a bit of cream, an acid like lemon juice, salt and half an hour. Skip the store. You can also do it the night before.
- Milk - Feel free to use buttermilk or or yogurt for an even richer pancake, although you may need to add up to ¼ cup more. A milk alternative will also work if you don't have milk.
- Butter - If you don't have butter, use vegetable oil or melted margarine.
See recipe card for quantities.
💡Time-saving Tip: Keep a large batch of Homemade Pancake Mix in your pantry and cut your time-to-table in half! Just add milk, egg, and butter or oil and you have breakfast in a snap!
Variations
I happen to think these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are perfection, but you can always play with your food.
- Blueberries - You can skip the blueberries in the pancakes and just swirl them with blueberry jam or swap them out for any other fruit you like. Oooh, raspberries!
- Lemon - If you swap out the lemon for orange, you will not be disappointed!
- Orange chocolate spin - As long as you're popping in with orange flavor, swap the blueberries out with chocolate chips. Give it a try!
Don't have milk? Try using yogurt, like in my extra fluffy and delicious One Bowl Greek Yogurt Pancakes!
Instructions
As with most pancake, waffle, and muffin recipes, we are just doing a quick wet/dry ingredient situation. Easy peasy, starting with lemon squeezy (technically, lemon zesty).
Step 1: Add sugar to a bowl and zest your lemon directly over the sugar, capturing all the zest and its oils.
Step 1: Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar. This will further release the oils and flavor into the sugar. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt iand press into the zesty sugar to further infuse everything with fresh lemon flavor.
Step 1: Combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl or measuring cup. Add the ricotta and mix well. For a smoother texture you can blend it completely with a standing blender or immersion blender.
4. Add the juice of the zested lemon to the wet ingredients and mix fully.
5.Add the wet ingredients and mix just to combine. Some dry pockets will remain.
6. Add in the cooled melted butter and mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. It will be lumpy. Allow to rest for 10 minutes while you heat your cast iron griddle or nonstick pan.
7. Add butter to your griddle or pan and drop batter by ¼ cup scoopfuls.
8. Press a few fresh blueberries onto the surface of each pancake. (You can also fold the blueberries into the batter before scooping.)
9. When the edges are set and surface bubbles pop, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip and cook until done.
10. Serve with more blueberries, butter, and warm maple syrup or a mixed berry fruit salad on the side.
Variation
Why stop at simply blueberries? Sometimes I like to fold in my blueberries and add swirls of my homemade blueberry jam right into the batter.
Step 1: Fold the blueberries into the batter and then add dollops of blueberry jam on top. Use a chopstick or a long skewer to gently swirl the jam into the batter.
Step 2: I like to use a medium scoop to gently portion the batter onto my electric griddle or nonstick pan. I find it to be the best way to preserve the swirls. Cook as you would any other pancakes.
Another dollop of jam on top and I have the most blueberry of lemon ricotta pancakes ever and we all live happily ever after!
Fancy some fancier fruity pancakes? Try my Strawberry Crepes. Filled with a fluffy Greek yogurt whipped cream and drizzled with the dreamiest strawberry sauce, you'll love them!
Cynthia's Helpful Tips
There is a myth that the first pancake is always a throw away because they tend to be burnt or a deformed beast because they get flipped too soon. Nah. I ain't wasting a whole pancake on a learning curve. Here are a couple of tips to ensure pancake success:
- My first tip is to make sure your burner is turned to medium-low heat. Too often, cooks crank the heat to start cranking out the pancakes. The key to perfectly browned pancakes that are perfectly cooked inside is to cook them on a lower heat than you normally would.
- Second, I like use a small silicone spatula to take a teensy peek under my pancakes from time to time, just to make sure they get the perfect golden brown before flipping. Not to light, not too dark, but the Goldilocks of pancake color.
Less time, less fuss: Try making my Oven-Baked Pancakes that cook on a sheet pan, for easy cleanup, and no stove time!
Recipe FAQ's
Yes you can. Buttermilk definitely adds a tanginess and tenderness that you can't get with those other milks, but the ricotta and lemon do much of the same work. If you use buttermilk, you may need to use up to ¼ cup more due to its thicker texture.
Place leftover lemon ricotta pancakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, put on a microwave safe plate and cook for 1 minute per pancake. Add 30 seconds for each additional pancake on the plate.
You can, and let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat them as directed in the above question.
Short on time or ingredients? Shortcut your way to pancakes with my 3-Ingredient Pancakes! Made with self-rising flour, eggs, and sweetened condensed milk, they are unbelievably fluffy and delicious!
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-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberries
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons (9 g) lemon zest from one lemon
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Wet ingredients
- ¾ cup (240 g) milk
- ¾ cup (186 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 large (100 g) eggs
- ¼ cup (60 g) lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
Also
- 1 cup (150 g) fresh blueberries
- Real maple syrup
Instructions
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and set aside to cool.
- Add the sugar to a large bowl, then grate the zest of the lemon directly into the sugar. Using your fingers, gently rub the zest into the sugar to release all of the lemon oils into the sugar.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk the milk, eggs, and vanilla. Add the ricotta cheese and lemon juice and mix until thoroughly combined. For smoother texture, use a standing blender or immersion blender to fully mix.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together until combined. Add the cooled, melted butter and mix until well combined. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat a large cast iron griddle or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When warm, add a teaspoon or so of butter and let melt. Drop ¼ cup scoops of pancake batter onto griddle or pan.
- Drop a few whole fresh blueberries on top of each and give them a little push into the pancake. After 2-3 minutes, bubbles will start to form on the edges and surface of the pancake.
- When the edges look dry and surface bubbles begin to pop, use a thin pancake spatula to gently lift one side and peek underneath. If the pancake is golden brown, flip and cook on the other side for 2 to 2 ½ minutes, or until the bottom of the pancake is golden brown.
- Place cooked pancakes in a pancake or tortilla warmer, or on a plate with a large bowl turned upside down over the top, to keep them warm.
- Serve with warm maple syrup and more fresh blueberries.
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
Notes
- Place leftover lemon ricotta pancakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, put on a microwave safe plate and cook for 1 minute per pancake. Add 30 seconds for each additional pancake on the plate.
So moist and fluffy! Great recipe!