Light and airy, these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes will make your mornings shine even on rainy days! Fresh lemon and ricotta cheese make these pancakes stand out from ordinary pancakes.

Sarabeth's Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

I first had lemon ricotta pancakes while enjoying brunch at one of my favorite restaurants in NYC, Sarabeth's. So light and delicious with a delicate lemon flavor. At Sarabeth's you'll find these tasty morning treats are most often served with blackberries as a garnish and with butter and real maple syrup. Her lemon ricotta pancakes are light and fluffy with a delicate lemon flavor. They are just delightful!

While this pancake recipe I've made isn't the exact Lemon ricotta pancake recipe from Sarabeth's (it must be a secret, because I wasn't able to find it anywhere!), it is a delicious copycat and they're a nice change from regular Buttermilk Pancakes.

They cook up light and fluffy, with a nice lemon flavor and make a great breakfast for any occasion.

Can I use Ricotta Cheese in pancakes? 

You betcha! I'm not sure scientifically what the addition of ricotta cheese does to these pancakes, but I do know it helps make them super light and fluffy. Ricotta cheese is essential to this recipe because it gives these lemon ricotta pancakes the best texture in a pancake I have ever eaten.

You can use full fat ricotta cheese or low fat ricotta cheese in this pancake recipe. I've used both full fat and low fat ricotta cheese and they both yield excellent results. I cannot tell the difference from a pancake made with full fat ricotta from one made with a lower fat cheese.  

How to make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

There's no secret to making these luscious Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. They are just as easy to make as regular pancakes.

Take note, there's no added oil or butter in the batter of this Lemon Ricotta Pancake recipe. That might surprise you, but this pancake recipe doesn't need it. You could add a TBSP or so of either oil or butter to the batter if you like. but it does decrease the rise a little. They really are perfectly fine without added fat.

Can I use lower fat cheese and milk in this recipe for Lemon Ricotta Pancakes?

You can substitute lower fat dairy products (milk, cheese) for the full fat ones and still get light and fluffy, great tasting pancakes.

Can I freeze Lemon Ricotta Pancakes?

You can freeze any leftover lemon ricotta pancakes you have leftover in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave from frozen when ready to serve. They may lose a little bit of their tenderness once frozen, but they will still be delicious to eat.

What to serve with Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

I love to serve fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries) with these ricotta pancakes. The fresh berries with a dusting of powdered sugar is my favorite way to enjoy them.  Whipped cream, sweet cream butter, and pure maple syrup are also great accompaniments to these pancakes. 

To complete the meal, you can serve sausage and/or bacon alongside. 

These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes make a great addition to a lazy Sunday breakfast or a fabulous weekend brunch!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Breakfast, Brunch

American

Yield: 6 servingsAuthor: Renee Paj

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

prep time: 10 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 30 mins

Light and fluffy pancakes made with fresh lemon and ricotta cheese, similar to the ones served at Sarabeth's in NYC for breakfast and brunch!

ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• zest from 1 - 2 lemons
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (full fat or low-fat)
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (juice from 2 lemons)
• powdered sugar, for dusting

instructions:

1. In large bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, salt, lemon zest, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
3. In a large 4 cup glass measure or bowl, whisk together egg yolks, ricotta cheese, milk, and lemon juice. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients then, gently fold in the whipped egg whites in thirds.
4. Heat nonstick griddle or pan sprayed with cooking spray. Drop batter by 1/4th cups to make pancakes. Batter is a bit thick, so drop in a circular motion and spread around to make pancake. Flip when underside is done (pancakes won't bubble on the surface). Keep warm in oven and repeat process with remainder of batter.
5. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup!

NOTES:

Nutritional information is an estimate

calories
361

fat (grams)
7.3

sat. fat (grams)
3.6

carbs (grams)
61

protein (grams)
15

Copyright © 2018 Renee's Kitchen Adventures

Created using The Recipes Generator

Adapted from Food Network

Pin Lemon Ricotta Pancakes to your breakfast and brunch boards!

More citrus recipes you might enjoy!

• Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Simple Meyer Lemon Margaritas 
• Meyer Lemon Creme Brulee

Even more lemon recipes to make you smile!

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Pork Chops Romano in Lemon Butter Sauce 

Meyer Lemon Loaf Cake

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