Whip up a batch of these light fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes and start the day with sunshine on a plate! Bright lemon flavour, not too sweet, soft as a cloud.
Hi! How are you? We’re a week away from Christmas…are you all set?
As of today, we’ve already gone to three holiday parties. And have done zero minimal workouts. I think of it as Santa’s gift to me lol.
If you’re looking for a break from all the rich, decadent holiday food (all that glorious food), you’ve come to the right place!
I have these fantastic lemon ricotta pancakes for you. Light, bright flavours. Soft and airy. A most wonderful way to start the day.
So whether it’s Christmas morning or just your regular Saturday, make a batch of these pancakes and start the day happy.
Official Pancake Maker
I want a proper Belgian waffle maker
for Christmas (Red, are you reading this?). We’ve owned a few over the years, each of which we returned to the store because, well, they suck.
I’ve been asking around so that our next one will be The One (do you have a recommendation?) but in the meantime, I’ve been busy experimenting with all kinds of pancakes, earning me the much coveted title of Official Pancake Maker.
Have you tried these?
While I love both of them, these light fluffy lemon pancakes are my favourite.
Light fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes
First because it’s lemon. Those of you who’ve been with me since the start of TUB (thanks xoxo!) know I’m Team Lemon all the way (I have a whole category dedicated to lemons!).
But more than that, these pancakes are super soft and fluffy. You’d need to work the egg whites separately to give the pancakes their height and fluffiness but it’s totally worth it.
Third, it’s light and bright.
Pancakes are usually rich and decadent but these are not overly sweet and I find that I prefer not to drown them in maple syrup (don’t judge me).
It’s really a great recipe if you don’t feel like eating dessert for breakfast (let’s get real for a moment…I say no to dessert for breakfast too…sometimes…ok not very often…but it happens!).
Lemons > winter
Most people bake and cook with lemons in the spring and summer but I really love working with them in the winter. Citrus fruits are at their best in the winter and how can you say no to cheerful yellow things in the midst of a snow storm?
Hope you try these lemon ricotta pancakes one weekend soon. They are happy dance-worthy.
Light Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 3 egg yolks slightly beaten
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 egg whites
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt divided
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 cup milk, 3 egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar, 3 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp lemon zest until smooth and fully incorporated. Set aside.
- Using a handheld electric mixer, a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl and a balloon whisk, beat the 3 egg whites until foamy. Add ⅛ teaspoon salt and continue whisking until you reach soft peaks.
- Prep your pan by placing it on the stove on medium heat so it’s ready as soon as you mix your wet and dry ingredients. In the meantime, go back to your ricotta cheese mixture and sift 1 ½ cups cake flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, and the rest of the salt over it. Stir until just combined (see note 1).
- Then gently fold your egg white mixture into your batter a third at a time. What you’re looking for is a light, fluffy mixture.
- Put some oil or butter (or a combination) into your pan and pour the pancakes ⅓ cup at a time. Cook until golden brown at the bottom (2-3 minutes) then flip. Cook another 1-2 minutes (see note 2).
- Serve warm topped with maple syrup and your favourite toppings like dried blueberries.
Notes
- Do not over stir the batter. At this stage, you’re not looking for a smooth and creamy mixture. Little lumps of flour is OK.
- Every stove is different so time and watch your first couple of pancakes to see what the right cook time is for you.
- These pancakes freeze really well. Just put them in a Ziploc bag (separated with parchment paper so they don’t stick together) and freeze. Then just microwave each pancake for about a minute (no need to thaw) and you’ll have good-as-new lemon ricotta pancakes!
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy cooking!
Did you make lemon ricotta pancakes? What’s your favourite kind of pancakes? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
And let’s get social! Find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter.
Denise Wright
I agree about citrus in winter….it really can brighten your mood. I too am on team lemon. However my hubby is an even bigger lemon fan. I already tagged him on FB. Let’s see if he gets the hint and makes these. He’s our official waffle maker so I think he’s up to the task.
Jolina
Nice! I love how you guys have an office waffle maker haha 🙂 Hopefully I get my very own waffle maker soon. Hope you’re having a great day Denise!
Alicia Taylor
Oh my! I will have to try these for Sunday breakfast when we have company over. They seem like a nice upgrade from standard fare. I’ll bet my homemade blueberry syrup would accent that lemon nicely.
Jolina
Homemade blueberry syrup sounds amazing Alicia!
Cassie
YES PLEASE! I absolutely love pancakes but have never tried a combination like this before! Sounds delicious! Can’t wait to make up a batch.
Elizabeth
Yes please… oh I love pancake for breakfast. Would definitely whip this up in Christmas morning. Merry Christmas to you and Red!
Jolina
Thanks Elizabeth! Merry Christmas to you and yours too 🙂
Sharon
These photos are instagram worthy!! My son loves pancakes and this is going to be a big hit comes weekend. Thanks for the recipe!
Lois Alter Mark
Oh my goodness, these sound absolutely delicious- and they look it,too! What a great way to lighten up a typically heavy morning staple. Would definitely help to start my day off on a bright note.
Scott
Certainly an interested flavor combination! They sound super-light – what would it take for you to send over a batch?!
Stephanie
These sound great! I’ve never heard of putting ricotta in a pancake like this, sounds awesome!
Anna
Not fond of ricotta…. I can’t get past the texture. Is there anything you suggest to swap out the ricotta for? Those pancakes look delicious though…
Jolina
This link should help, lots of options: https://tastessence.com/substitutes-for-ricotta-cheese
Heather Johnson
Your light fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes sound and look absolutely amazing! The lemon flavor must be super refreshing!
Brandi
You had me at light and fluffy! These look amazing!
Liz Mays
Oh what a wonderful way to start the morning. These pancakes sound super good and would be a great change of pace.
Tonya
I mean, what is better than lemon with blueberry!! Nothing! Lol! These look AMAZING! Plus “soft and airy”? Yes please!
Can’t wait to try these!
Nellwyn
They used to have amazing lemon ricotta pancakes at this breakfast place near by house and I was SO sad when they look them off the menu recently. I’m very happy to have found this recipe so I can make them for myself at home!
Jolina
Nice! Now you can make them anytime you like. And it’s super easy too!
Neely Moldovan
We had blueberry ricottapancakes recently but I love the idea of lemon! Totally going to try these!
Jolina
Yummm now I want to have blueberry ricotta next! 🙂