Dreamy Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Incredibly fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes that are plump little clouds of sunshine. They are bright, cozy, and utterly delicious, yet super simple and ready in under 30 minutes.
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Medium bowl
- Whisk
- Griddle or non-stick pan
- Wire rack for cooling leftovers
- Airtight container for storage
- Freezer bag for storage
- Baking Sheet for flash freezing
- Toaster for reheating
- Toaster oven for reheating
- Microwave for reheating
- Pan for reheating
Ingredients
Pancake Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 cup ricotta cheese full-fat recommended
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest only the yellow part
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Butter or oil for cooking
- Maple syrup for serving
- Fresh lemon wedges for garnish/serving
- Mint for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Grab a large bowl and whisk together all your dry ingredients: the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Give it a good whisk to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
- In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients. Add the ricotta cheese, buttermilk, eggs, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is well combined and the ricotta is mostly smooth (a few tiny lumps are okay).
- Gently pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir just until the dry ingredients are barely moistened. It's okay to have some lumps; avoid overmixing.
- Heat your griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat. Add a little butter or oil and let it melt and coat the surface. It's ready when a drop of water sizzles quickly.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto the hot griddle. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until you see bubbles forming on the surface and the edges look set. The underside should be golden brown.
- Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the second side, until they are golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed.
- Serve immediately with warm maple syrup, fresh lemon wedges for an extra squeeze, and a sprig of mint if desired.
Notes
Tips & Substitutions:
- Avoid overmixing the batter; lumps are good for tenderness.
- Optional: Let batter rest 5-10 mins for extra fluffiness.
- Get griddle temperature right (medium heat, water sizzles).
- Flip when bubbles form on surface and edges look set.
- Keep cooked pancakes warm in a low oven (200°F / 90°C) while cooking batches.
- Gluten-Free: Try 1:1 gluten-free baking mix.
- Dairy substitutes: Make quick buttermilk with milk + vinegar/lemon juice; smooth cottage cheese or Greek yogurt might work for ricotta in a pinch, but ricotta is best.
- Additions: Stir in 1/2 cup fresh blueberries or raspberries.
- Different Citrus: Use orange zest and juice instead of lemon.
- Extra Richness: Use mascarpone instead of ricotta. Storage:
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container or freezer bag for 3-4 days (stack with parchment paper).
- Freeze for up to 2 months (flash freeze first on a baking sheet).
- Reheat in toaster, toaster oven, microwave, or pan. Toaster/toaster oven gives best texture. FAQ:
- Don't make batter too far ahead; baking soda reaction is best when fresh. Can mix dry and wet separately night before and combine in morning.
- Lack of fluffiness likely due to overmixing or old baking powder/soda.
- Regular milk doesn't work as well as buttermilk for texture/fluffiness.
- Avoid overmixing the batter; lumps are good for tenderness.
- Optional: Let batter rest 5-10 mins for extra fluffiness.
- Get griddle temperature right (medium heat, water sizzles).
- Flip when bubbles form on surface and edges look set.
- Keep cooked pancakes warm in a low oven (200°F / 90°C) while cooking batches.
- Gluten-Free: Try 1:1 gluten-free baking mix.
- Dairy substitutes: Make quick buttermilk with milk + vinegar/lemon juice; smooth cottage cheese or Greek yogurt might work for ricotta in a pinch, but ricotta is best.
- Additions: Stir in 1/2 cup fresh blueberries or raspberries.
- Different Citrus: Use orange zest and juice instead of lemon.
- Extra Richness: Use mascarpone instead of ricotta. Storage:
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container or freezer bag for 3-4 days (stack with parchment paper).
- Freeze for up to 2 months (flash freeze first on a baking sheet).
- Reheat in toaster, toaster oven, microwave, or pan. Toaster/toaster oven gives best texture. FAQ:
- Don't make batter too far ahead; baking soda reaction is best when fresh. Can mix dry and wet separately night before and combine in morning.
- Lack of fluffiness likely due to overmixing or old baking powder/soda.
- Regular milk doesn't work as well as buttermilk for texture/fluffiness.