Although fall and winter are my favorite seasons, I also enjoy spring. What I enjoy about it is the abundance of seasonal fruits like avocados, strawberries, apricots, and lemons. Nothing says spring is here like a stack of fluffy lemon pancakes in the morning. They are full of zesty flavor and a texture that is irresistible!
I also added in a bit of ricotta to give it that fun-to-eat texture. This recipe is sure to be a hit with your family!
I've included a few topping ideas towards the end of this post. My family and I enjoyed our pancakes with syrup and a nice, big dollop of homemade whipped cream. Want to make your own whipped cream? Using a handheld frother or hand mixer, mix about ¼ cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Do this until you achieve your desired texture.
These pancakes were inspired by my fluffy chocolate pancakes recipe. Side note: you'll want to make those ones as well!
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you'll want to gather for this recipe. I try to stick to ingredients that are pantry staples.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Egg
- Granulated sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
- Ricotta
- Milk of choice
- Lemon
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make lemon pancakes
Below are some process shots for this recipe.
In a large bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients. Set aside.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together egg, vanilla extract, zest of 1 lemon, juice of 1 lemon (use same lemon), milk, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and ricotta.
Pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients. Combine well with a spatula.
After cooking pancakes on low heat, plate, add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Hint: try not to overheat your pan to avoid burning your butter, giving your pancakes a burnt taste and charring them. Keep stove setting on low heat.
Substitutions
Here are a few substitutions to keep in mind.
- Dairy free - if you prefer to keep this recipe dairy free, you can omit the ricotta. Note that the pancakes may not be as fluffy.
- Lemon - you can omit the lemon juice and zest if you prefer to keep these pancakes plain.
Topping ideas
- Homemade whipped cream
- Honey
- Syrup
- More lemon zest
- Butter
- Lemon curd
- Condensed milk
- Fresh fruits
- Nuts
- Powdered sugar
Equipment
Storing leftover pancakes
Store any leftovers at room temperature for up to 2 days. Keep in an airtight container.
Top tip
When cooking your pancakes, set stove setting to low heat. Once pan is hot, add in a bit of butter and vegetable oil. The vegetable oil helps keep the butter from burning.
FAQ
It's due to a combination of the ricotta lemon juice and leavening agents.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
The Best Lemon Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup ricotta
- 1 cup milk can use plant-based
- 1 lemon for zest and juice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients. Set aside. In a medium size bowl, whisk together egg, vanilla extract, zest of 1 lemon, juice of 1 lemon (use same lemon), milk, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and ricotta. Pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients. Combine well with a spatula.
- Place your pan's heat setting to low heat. Once pan is warm, add about ½ tablespoon of butter with a bit cooking oil (do this for each pancake that you make).
- Once butter is melted and incorporated with the oil, use a ladle to pour pancake batter onto hot pan. Once you start to see air bubbles forming on top, that will be your cue to flip the pancake over. This will take about 2-3 minutes. After you flip it, cook for another minute then plate it. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
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