These zesty lemon ricotta pancakes are absolutely divine! They are so flavorful, buttery, and moist with the perfect lemon flavor. Truly one of the best pancake recipes ever and one of our favorite lemon recipes too!
Check out my perfect pancakes recipe, pumpkin pancakes and ricotta cake too!
After having the lemon ricotta pancakes at Plow in San Fransisco, I knew I needed to come up with my own recipe. They had a strong lemon flavor, so I knew I couldn’t be shy with the lemons. Whoever thought of adding ricotta to pancake batter – hats off to you! It really is an inspired addition to a regular pancake recipe.
The pancakes definitely don’t taste ‘cheesy’ but have a wonderfully milky richness and creaminess to each bite. You have to give them a go, they are my favorite pancakes!
Shopping List and Ingredient Notes
All-purpose Flour – Add structure to the pancakes. The gluten in the all-purpose flour helps bind the other ingredients in the batter together and gives structure to the pancakes as they cook. Make sure to measure the flour properly too!
Baking Powder – This acts as a leavening agent for the pancakes and helps them rise.
Granulated Sugar – White sugar adds sweetness to the pancakes.
Egg – Use organic eggs when possible. They add structure, texture, and richness to the batter. Eggs help bind the other ingredients together and give pancakes a light, fluffy texture.
Unsalted Butter – This butter is melted and added to the wet ingredients. It adds flavor and richness to pancakes while providing a good moisture balance.
Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract when baking. The vanilla adds flavor and also enhances the flavors in the recipe.
Creamy Ricotta Cheese – Adds a creamy flavor and tender texture to pancakes. You can use store-bought ricotta cheese or make your own homemade cheese! Making homemade ricotta takes more time, but the flavor really is so delicious!
Fresh Lemon Juice – This is another key ingredient in these pancakes. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
Lemon Zest – Adds a bright, citrusy flavor to a lemon ricotta pancake recipe. It can be used to top the pancakes just before serving or added to the batter while mixing.
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Using homemade ricotta really does make the difference. If you want to make your own, Ina’s recipe is so simple, you’ll be amazed!
Essentially, heat and stir your ingredients, let stand for a moment and then drain through cheesecloth. Super simple and so delicious!
However, if you want to save time (and dishes) you can use store-bought ricotta. Get a good, organic brand if you can.
How to Store and Reheat
How to Keep Pancakes Warm
Preheat your oven to around 200 °F (95 °C) to keep the pancakes warm. Place your pancakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place them in the oven while you cook up batches of pancakes. This will prevent them from getting soggy or cold while you prepare the rest of the pancakes.
How to Freeze Pancakes
To freeze pancakes let the cooked pancakes cool completely and lay them out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the freezer until the pancakes are frozen solid. Then, place them in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also individually wrap each pancake with plastic wrap before freezing.
How to Reheat
You can reheat pancakes in the microwave, in the oven, or on the stovetop.
Microwave
Put each pancake on a plate and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 30-45 seconds until heated through.
Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, cover the pancakes with foil and arrange them on it. Bake for 5-7 minutes until heated through.
Stovetop
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and melt butter or oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Place one pancake in the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until heated through and golden brown on both sides. Repeat with remaining pancakes.
Pancake Topping Ideas
Add some festive toppings to your delicious lemon pancakes! We love adding blueberries to the top of make lemon blueberry ricotta pancakes! Here are some more ideas to get you started:
- Chocolate chips
- Fresh berries
- Whipped cream
- Caramel sauce
- Chia Seeds
- Fresh Blueberries
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon curd
- Jam or jelly
- Coconut flakes
More Recipes You’ll Love
Best Brunch Recipes
Here are more of our favorite recipes to serve for brunch:
- The Best Banana Bread Recipe Ever
- Coconut Loaf Cake
- Our Favorite Blueberry Muffins
- Best Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Monkey Bread
- Monkey Bread Muffins
Lemon Recipes
If you have leftover lemons, here are a few of our favorite lemon recipes:
- Real Lemon Pie Recipe
- The Best Lemon Bars
- Rosemary Lemon Loaf
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- Best Lemon Pots
- Refreshing Lemon Mocktail
Let me know if you make my lemon ricotta pancakes recipe by leaving a comment and review below!
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Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Homemade Ricotta
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Whisk lightly a few times to mix.
- In a large bowl, combine the milk, ricotta cheese, egg, melted butter, vanilla, lemon juice and zest.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Do not over mix or you will get tough pancakes. The batter will be thicker and a little clumpy from the cheese.
- Over medium heat, melt butter on a griddle or nonstick pan.
- Pour 1/3 cup of the batter and let it become a nice golden brown before flipping!
- Top with organic maple syrup, a little lemon zest and some powdered sugar. Yum!
Notes
- Do not over-mix your ingredients or you will get tough pancakes.
- The batter will be thicker than the regular pancake batter and will be clumpier with the cheese.
- Use a measuring cup to pour the pancake batter onto the griddle to ensure even pancakes.
- Make sure your pancakes are nice and golden brown before flipping.
- Always use a large nonstick skillet or griddle when making pancakes.
- Use good quality ingredients.
Nutrition
I’ve been making these pancakes for about a year now and my friends and I absolutely love them! They are so fluffy and delicious I can’t go back to pancake mix ever again. I make them so often I have the recipe memorized! Thanks again for the recipe. 🙂
Thank you Kristine!! I LOVE hearing this! Happy you love it!!
What did you service w them. Syrup?
Today we made them, and they are soooooo deliciouss…..we loveeeee them, my husband is so happy with this recipe…..thanks eden
That is so great to hear! Thank you for taking the time to let me know they turned out great. It means the world!!
OMG – my office is less than 1 mile from Plow but I’ve never even heard of it! Gotta run there soon and try these pancakes – they sound heavenly!
Could you do this with store bought ricotta? Would it change the consistency?
yes you can, the consistency is the same- ( just for future people making it)
How many pancakes can you make with one recipe?
mine made 12 decent size
Hi!
I am soo excited to try this recipe! Since I was a child my mom used to make similar pancakes. Do you know if I can substitute farmers cheese for the ricotta? Thank you!
they look lovely!
So nice to have found your site through foodgawker! I love ricotta pancakes and yours, with the lemon, look so perfect! I’ve got some ricotta in the fridge right now…looking forward to making these this weekend!
wow, these look so soft and yummy and delightful. i might need to make these for dinner… it’ll be brunch o’clock somewhere in the world, right?!
Why is this post showing up in my rss? good anyway
Finally got around to making these and oh my gosh yum! Great recipe and easy to follow, however my batter was really thick and had to use a spatula to spread out the batter on the pan
Making these when I wake up!
Delicious! Never buying ricotta again, and I used a champagne vinegar with citrus essence. Also I served the pancakes with marionberry preserves. YUMMY!
The pancakes look fantastic. The milk bottle caught my eye in 2nd grade I lived 2 blocks from the Broguiere’s Dairy in Montebello, CA I would walk down to visit the cows. They have the best chocolate milk I have ever had very creamy.
Ran across this recipe on Pinterest and it caught my eye because of the Broguiere bottle, of course. Thank you for this comment, the dairy is still in Montebello! love hearing about when people went years ago, thank you for your business!
Beautiful pancakes the flavour of the lemon sounds very good!!
I’ve never tried a lemon flavored pancake and this recipe seems to be quite interesting to make them.
Pancake is my husband’s favorite but I haven’t tried it at home. This is quite different. Thanks for the recipe.
I have heard about these pancakes being delicious.Now that I have found a trusted recipe…I will definately give them a try.
The sound of lemon ricotta pancakes is making my mouth water like nothing else. Pancakes are my number one weakness. Thanks so much for posting the recipe. Can’t wait to make them!
Maria xx
http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com
You’re welcome Maria!! I have a weakness for pancakes too… really breakfast/brunch in general! I could eat pancakes for dinner 🙂
these look incredibly delicious!
Thanks Sarah! They were delicious!!