Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Back when I was a kid, I remember trying to make pancakes from scratch and struggling to figure out how to get them to be fluffy, slightly sweet, and not at all dense. Over time after a lot of experimentation, I found out there were so many ways to make pancakes fluffy; one way was to use ricotta cheese. Thus, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes were born.

“Just a stack of sweet dreams on a plate.” ―

Anonymous

Why You’ll Love This Ricotta Pancake Recipe

• Easy to make
• 11 wholesome ingredients
• Makes 6 giant extra fluffy pancakes
• vegetarian friendly
• sweet and tart lemon and berry taste

Inspiration for Ricotta Pancakes

I first tried ricotta pancakes at First Watch, a mostly East Coast, Midwest, and Southern breakfast and brunch chain in the States. The food is always made fresh, and their fresh juices are to die for. It was their Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, which they served with lemon curd, fresh strawberries, and powdered cinnamon sugar, that got me hooked on having pancakes with lemon curd.

I used to mainly use buttermilk and yogurt to make pancakes, but once I tried ricotta cheese, I pretty much stuck with it because the pancakes come out super fluffy like a cloud. Also, I honestly use ricotta cheese more often than buttermilk and yogurt when cooking and baking, so it’s a space saver in the refrigerator.

The trick to delicious and soft pancakes every time

For consistent pancake results, try these tips:

1. Preheat the pan: Preheat your griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat before you start cooking the pancakes. This ensures even cooking and helps prevent sticking.
2. Check the batter consistency: Make sure your pancake batter is not too thick or too thin. It should pour easily but still be thick enough to hold its shape on the griddle. Adjust the consistency by adding a bit more liquid or flour as needed since we all purchase different flour brands. My personal favorite is King Arthur.
3. Don’t overmix: Mix the pancake batter until just combined. Overmixing can lead to tough pancakes because it activates the gluten in the flour.
4. Let the batter rest: Allow the pancake batter to rest for a at least 10 minutes before cooking. This allows the gluten to relax and the leavening agents to activate fully, resulting in lighter, fluffier pancakes.
5. Use the right amount of batter: Pour the pancake batter onto the griddle in the desired size using a ladle or measuring cup. Avoid overcrowding the pan, as it can make it difficult to flip the pancakes. These pancakes in particular are large, so use a large enough pan so that flipping the pancakes is easy.
6. Watch for bubbles: Once you pour the batter onto the griddle, watch for bubbles to form on the surface of the pancakes. When the bubbles start to pop and create holes that stay open, it’s time to flip the pancakes.
7. Flip carefully: Use a spatula to gently flip the pancakes when they’re ready. Avoid pressing down on them with the spatula, as this can deflate them and make them dense.
8. Cook until golden brown: Cook the pancakes until they are golden brown on both sides. This usually takes about 1-2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the pancakes and the heat of the griddle.
9. Keep Warm: If you’re making multiple batches of pancakes, keep the cooked pancakes warm in a low oven (around 200°F or 95°C) while you finish cooking the rest.

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Special Tools and Equipment

• Large or medium skillet
• Spatula
• Large mixing bowls

Print

Ricotta Pancakes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

• 3 ¼ cups (300g) self-rising flour
• ½ tsp (2g) baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups (352ml) whole milk
• ½ cup (100g) ricotta cheese
• 4 tbsp (60g) vegetable oil
• 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp (30g) cane sugar
• powdered sugar, for dusting
• lemon curd, for topping
• berry compote, for topping

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking soda.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ricotta cheese, and vanilla. 1/3 at the time, add the liquid to the flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Mix in the vegetable oil until combined, but still lumpy.

3. Let the pancake batter rest for at least 10 minutes; this will help the baking soda create bubbles to raise your pancakes.

4. Heat a medium or large skillet on medium heat and spray with your favorite cooking spray. You can test a quarter sized dollop of batter on the pan; if it bubbles on top and browns attractively on the bottom, then it’s ready.

5. Pour 3/4 cup of batter onto the skillet and cook on low to medium heat until bubbles begin to form at the surface of the pancake. Once bubbly and the bottom is golden brown, flip over the pancake and cook the other side until golden brown.

6. Spray the pan and repeat cooking the remaining batter until all of the batter has been used.
7. If you’re serving a large number of pancakes, it helps to keep the cooked pancakes in the oven at the lowest temperature until ready to serve.

8. Batter makes 4-6 large pancakes.

9. Dust the tops of the pancakes with powdered sugar, and serve each one with a scoop of lemon curd and berry compote.

Did you give this Ricotta Pancake recipe a try? If so, please rate it and tell us how it went in the comments below!