Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Syrup (Printer-friendly)
Soft pancakes with ricotta and zesty lemon served with warm maple syrup for a bright, comforting start.
# What You'll 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 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 Prepare:
01 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
02 - In another bowl, blend the ricotta, egg yolks, milk, melted butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth.
03 - Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and gently stir until just incorporated without overmixing.
04 - Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then carefully fold them into the batter in two additions to retain airiness.
05 - Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter or oil.
06 - Pour 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the skillet. Cook 2–3 minutes until bubbles form and edges set, then flip and cook another 1–2 minutes until golden.
07 - Continue cooking remaining batter, greasing the pan as needed.
08 - Plate the pancakes warm, drizzled with maple syrup and garnished with fresh berries and powdered sugar if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- They're so light and airy you'll forget you're eating breakfast.
- The lemon flavor is bright without being overwhelming, which means your coffee gets to shine too.
- Ricotta does something magical here—it keeps them tender even the next day.
02 -
- Cold egg whites won't whip into peaks no matter how hard you try, so let them sit out for a few minutes first if your kitchen is cold.
- Overmixing the batter is the number one reason these turn out dense—stirring until you can't see flour anymore is the sweet spot.
- The batter is best used immediately; if you wait more than 10 minutes, those beaten egg whites lose their lift.
03 -
- If you want more lemon punch, bump the zest up to 2 tablespoons and reduce the milk by a tablespoon so the batter stays the right consistency.
- A small spoon dipped in water between pancakes makes pouring the batter onto the skillet so much easier and more consistent.