These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are fluffy, creamy, and zesty. Made even more mouth-watering by a drizzle of cream cheese glaze, they’re sure to become a new go-to breakfast for leisurely weekends.
Are you a pancake or a waffle person? Or perhaps an avocado or ricotta toast person?
I’ve always been a pancake sort of girl, from a simple plain stack with butter and golden syrup (yes, golden syrup) to choc chip pancakes to savoury cheesey potato pancakes. Though if I had to choose one kind to have for the rest of my days, it would be ricotta pancakes. No question.
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What Ingredients are in these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes?
Aside from the typical pancake ingredients like flour, baking powder, sugar, milk, eggs and butter, you’ll need:
Ricotta. This is the star of the show, but without knowing it’s the star of the show. Your pancakes won’t taste ‘cheesy’ because ricotta is a neutral and versatile cheese that works in both savoury and sweet dishes. It adds moisture and creaminess and a bit of something extra to more traditional pancakes.
Lemon. These aren’t called Lemon Ricotta Pancakes for nothing. Fresh lemon is essential to the recipe, adding freshness, brightness, and of course, a little tartness.
Cream cheese and icing sugar. These pancakes are good plain, maybe with a smear of butter and some maple syrup. But if you have the time, make the cream cheese glaze, you won’t be sorry. Mix the cream cheese with some icing sugar, a bit of vanilla, lemon zest and juice and you’ll struggle to not eat it straight out of the bowl with a spoon!
The Secret to Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes
The baking powder helps, but the secret to making these ricotta pancakes as fluffy as the ones you get in drool-worthy brunch cafes is whipped egg whites. So don’t be tempted to skip this step. Using electric beaters, whisk up those egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and then gently – gently – fold them into the batter. Keeping the egg whites full of air is key.
What to serve with Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
I love serving these ricotta pancakes with a drizzle of cream cheese glaze, but they work equally well as is with just a bit of butter and maple syrup. Other toppings that would pair well include sweetened whipped cream with lemon zest, lemon curd or fresh or macerated berries.
Freezing and Reheating Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Ricotta pancakes can be made ahead of time and reheated just before serving. They freeze quite well too.
You can even make the batter the night before. Just follow the recipe below up until the point of folding in the whipped egg whites and store everything, tightly covered, in the fridge overnight. In the morning, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold them into the batter and cook the pancakes as directed.
To freeze the ricotta pancakes, allow them to fully cool before stacking them between pieces of parchment paper. Place them in a freezer-safe zip lock bag, making sure to squeeze out the air before sealing and freezing the bag. Store for around 1 month. Reheat in a low oven, around 180°C for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through.
Looking for other Breakfast Recipes? Try These:
These Lemon Ricotta pancakes are probably my most made weekend breakfast treat. What’s yours? Leave me a comment and let me know! Or tag me over on Instagram, I love seeing what you guys are making from the blog!
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Cream Cheese Glaze
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
