Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (Printable)

Light, tangy pancakes featuring ricotta and lemon zest, paired perfectly with maple syrup and fresh berries.

# What You Need:

→ Pancakes

01 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
07 - 2 large eggs, separated
08 - 3/4 cup whole milk
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
10 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ For Cooking

13 - Butter or neutral oil, for greasing the pan

→ To Serve

14 - Warm maple syrup
15 - Fresh berries (optional)
16 - Powdered sugar (optional)

# How-To:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
02 - In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, egg yolks, milk, melted butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.
03 - Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined; avoid overmixing.
04 - Whip egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form, then carefully fold into batter in two additions to preserve airiness.
05 - Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter or oil.
06 - Ladle approximately 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto skillet; cook 2 to 3 minutes until bubbles appear and edges set, then flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes until golden and cooked through.
07 - Continue with remaining batter, greasing pan as needed.
08 - Plate pancakes warm, topped with maple syrup, fresh berries, and powdered sugar if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The ricotta makes them cloud-soft inside while staying delicately crispy on the edges, a texture you can't quite replicate any other way.
  • Fresh lemon cuts through the richness so beautifully that you don't need as much syrup as you'd expect, making them feel almost light despite being pure indulgence.
  • They're genuinely easy to make but taste like you spent hours perfecting them, which is the best kind of kitchen magic.
02 -
  • Separating and whipping the egg whites is non-negotiable—this is what gives you that cloud-like texture that makes these pancakes different from every other version.
  • Overmixing the batter will deflate those whites and give you dense, tough pancakes, so mix until *just* combined even if you see streaks of flour.
  • If your lemon isn't bright and fragrant, the whole dish loses its character, so taste your juice and zest before committing to the quantities.
03 -
  • Measure your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling with a knife—scooping directly creates dense pancakes that never quite rise right.
  • If you don't have fresh lemon juice, you can squeeze a lemon the night before and refrigerate it, but avoid bottled versions which taste chemical and flat by comparison.

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