Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Published: July 12, 2017 · Modified: March 14, 2023
These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are the best pancakes ever!! Made with creamy ricotta and slathered with homemade tangy lemon curd, the combination of sweet and tangy is perfect. Top them with your favorite fruit and whipped cream for an over-the-top breakfast!
If you love both lemon and pancakes, you’re going to absolutely think you’ve died and gone to heaven when you bite into these divine Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. They’re over-the- top scrumptious, I promise!!
If you’ve ever made my Easy Homemade Lemon Curd recipe, you know how good it is on so many things. One of my favorite foods to use it on are my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. I love to spread lots of lemon curd on them, top them with freshly made whipped cream, and some strawberries or blueberries. They are simply the best!
I originally posted this recipe a few years back, but I’m updating it today, making some adjustments from my original post. Don’t worry, it’s a good thing! The new version also saves time.
In my original recipe, I separated the eggs, whipped the egg whites and folded them in at the end. This was done to obtain a more airy and fluffy pancake. However, after some tweaking of the baking powder and baking soda, my testing resulted in a fluffier pancake without having to whip the egg whites.
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
1. Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar and lemon zest and set aside.
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, lemon juice, buttermilk and Ricotta cheese. Make sure all ingredients are combined thoroughly.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just to combine.
5. Don’t over mix! The batter should be slightly lumpy, spongy and thick. The addition of lemon juice contributes to the spongy batter.
6. Brush the hot griddle with butter. Using a 1/3 measuring cup, add 1/3 cup of batter to the hot griddle for each pancake. Don’t overcrowd the griddle. I usually make batches of three. Don’t flip the pancakes until you can lift up the edge and see that it’s golden brown on the bottom. This is a thick and spongy batter so you may not see bubbles form on top until the bottom is too brown. It takes at least one minute per side. Once I flip them, I go ahead and add the butter on top.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Make sure to use room temperature eggs, buttermilk, and ricotta cheese.
- Make sure your griddle is very hot before pouring your batter. I preheat my electric griddle to 350 degrees. For a non electric griddle, I suggest heating your burner to no more than #7. To check to see if the griddle is hot enough, drop a tiny bit of butter on it. If it sizzles right away it’s hot enough.
- Don’t over mix the batter. The batter should have small lumps remaining in it. Over mixing the batter will result in dense and heavy pancakes.
- Try to use real buttermilk. If you don’t have real buttermilk you can make a substitution by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and allowing it to sit for a couple of minutes.
- Unlike most pancakes, you probably won’t see bubbles form on top to let you know they’re ready to flip. This is due to the thick spongy batter (from the addition of lemon juice). Use the edge of your pancake turner to left up the edge of the pancake to see when it’s golden brown before flipping it.
- Measure your flour correctly. Too much flour equals dry pancakes. I use the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off with the edge of a knife.
- Don’t let the batter sit for too long before using it. The baking soda activates and starts doing its job as soon as it’s added to the wet ingredients. It only works once. The baking powder activates twice, first when added to the wet ingredients and again when added to heat. However, I still wouldn’t wait too long to use the batter.
- If you’re not serving the pancakes as soon as they’re made, place them on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven to keep them warm.
- You should only flip pancakes one time. Once you flip them don’t press down on them with the pancake turner. This will flatten them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the batter in advance?
I suggest only mixing the dry ingredients together ahead of time, if you want to save a little time when making them. Once you mix the wet ingredients with the baking powder and baking soda, the BP & BS will activate and be less potent by the time you make the pancakes. You’ll end up with flat pancakes.
Can I freeze pancakes?
Yes. Pancakes freeze well, but make sure to separate each pancake with a piece of parchment or waxed paper or they will stick together. Wrap securely with plastic wrap, then place in a large freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or place straight from the freezer into the microwave. I freeze pancakes in stacks or 3. I place pieces of parchment paper between them. Even when you refrigerate pancakes overnight, they will stick together if you don’t place paper between them. I don’t suggest freezing for over 3 months.
Why are my pancakes flat?
This recipe contains both baking powder and baking soda. If your pancakes are flat check both of them for freshness. Here’s how to check them for freshness. The shelf life isn’t more than about 6 months once BP or BS are opened. If you don’t use either of them often, make sure to check them before using. Also see my tip above about making the batter in advance.
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Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Griddle
- Cuisine: American
Description
These light and fluffy pancakes are covered in a tart lemony curd and are simply delicious!!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spoon & level
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly zested lemon zest
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, (about 1 large lemon)
- 1 cup full-fat buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup full-fat Ricotta cheese, room temperature
- Butter for griddle and tops of pancakes
- Homemade Lemon Curd or store-bought
- Whipped Cream, optional but highly recommended
- Fruit, optional
Instructions
- Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, lemon juice, buttermilk and Ricotta cheese. Make sure all ingredients are combined thoroughly.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just to combine. Don’t over mix! Batter should be slightly lumpy and thick. After it’s mixed, it will become thick and spongy looking.
- Brush soft butter onto the hot griddle.
- Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, pour batter onto the hot griddle, spacing them far enough apart to be able to flip. I only fix 3 at a time. Flip pancakes over once you see air bubbles start to form on top, or when the bottoms become golden brown. I butter the tops while they are still on the griddle. Remove pancakes from the griddle once both sides are golden brown and transfer to a warm plate. If you’re not serving them right away, you can place them on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.
- Top with fresh lemon curd instead of syrup.
- Add whipped cream and fresh fruit or marinated berries and serve.