Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Cream Cheese Glaze

These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are fluffy,creamy, and zesty. Made even more mouth-watering by a drizzle of cream cheeseglaze, they’re sure to become a new go-to breakfast for leisurely weekends.

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Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: Western

Diet: cream cheese, lemon, pancakes, ricotta

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Servings: pancakes

Author: Eff | Food Daydreaming

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cream Cheese Glaze

100 g cream cheese, softened
¾ cup icing sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or extract
Zest of 1 lemon + 3 tablespoons lemon juice

For the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour, scoop and levelled
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 eggs, separated
¾ cup milk
Zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon Juice
250 g full cream, firm ricotta
Butter for cooking
Maple syrup to serve, optional

Instructions

Before you start, check the texture of your ricotta. If it seems like it’s a normal, dry-ish texture that keeps its shape (see ingredient photo), you’re good to start cooking. If it seems too wet, let it sit in a fine mesh sieve for 20 to 30 minutes to let the excess liquid drain away.
250 g full cream, firm ricotta
To make the cream cheese glaze, add the cream cheese and icing sugar to a small bowl and mix until smooth using a handheld electric mixer.
100 g cream cheese, ¾ cup icing sugar
Beat in the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice – 1 tablespoon at a time – until the desired consistency is achieved. Cover and set aside until the pancakes are ready.
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, Zest of 1 lemon + 3 tablespoons lemon juice
To make the ricotta pancakes, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Then add the egg yolks, milk, lemon zest and juice and whisk until it just comes together into a thick batter. Break pieces of ricotta into the batter and fold through.
1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, Pinch of salt, 2 eggs, ¾ cup milk, Zest from 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon Juice, 250 g full cream, firm ricotta
In a separate small bowl, beat the egg whites with a handheld electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Then, add the egg whites to the batter in thirds, gently folding the egg whites throughout the batter to keep as much air in them as possible.
2 eggs
Heat a crepe pan, frying pan or griddle over medium-low heat (too hot and the middle of the pancakes will not cook). Melt a small amount of butter in the pan and then wipe the excess out with a paper towel – keep this handy to add butter as you cook the pancakes.
Butter for cooking
Use a 1/3 cup or a large ice cream scoop to drop batter into the pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and fluffy. Set aside and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter, buttering the pan each time.
Drizzle the ricotta pancakes with the cream cheese glaze and serve immediately.
Maple syrup to serve

Notes

These pancakes need a firm ricotta for best results, so use a fresh, full-cream ricotta from the deli rather than the pre-packaged ricotta found in tubs. Or try your hand at making your own ricotta right at home!

Don’t forget to check your ricotta before starting to cook so you can strain it if it’s too wet.

Cook these lemon ricotta pancakes over a lower heat than usual so that the middle isn’t undercooked by the time the outside is lovely and golden brown. A lower heat helps keep them fluffy too!

Keep cooked pancakes warm on a parchment-lined baking tray in a low oven.

Any leftover cream cheese glaze can be stored in the fridge for 4 days.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @food_daydreaming or tag #fooddaydreaming on instagram. I love seeing what you all come up with!

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