Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are the perfect breakfast or brunch dish for a lazy Sunday morning. Fluffy, rich, tender, and great with some bacon! Whether you like butter and syrup, berries and whipped cream, or homemade fruit syrup or apple butter, these are delicious. The whipped egg whites gives them a lovely lift and the ricotta and buttermilk give a richness and tang that balances the sweetness.
I like a sweet weekend breakfast on Sunday mornings. We rotate between pancakes, French toast, and waffles most weekends. Paired with some eggs, breakfast sausage or bacon and plenty of pancake topping options, you have a wonderful breakfast spread. These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes might seem involved, but the light egg whites make all the difference. But, they don’t bubble like “normal” pancakes while cooking, so be sure to check edges for browning before flipping. If you don’t have quite enough buttermilk you can fill in with some whole milk or cream.
I prefer some blueberries in my pancakes. Frozen berries work great, just roll them in a bit of flour and add them to the cooking pancakes. I lucked into a sale on blueberries last weekend so I was able to use fresh and it really makes a positive difference. A blueberry compote is another easy add on. Just lightly mash some blueberries with powdered sugar and a small pinch of salt, let them sit for an hour (or overnight), stirring occasionally, and top your pancakes with the compote and syrup or whipped cream.
This recipe makes about 20 4″ pancakes so, if you have leftovers, put them in the freezer for weekday snacking. Let them cool, cut squares of parchment paper or waxed paper to go between the pancakes, and place in a freezer safe zip top bag. When you need a snack or quick breakfast, pop them in the toaster to reheat.
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs separated
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1¾ cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- lemon zest from 1 lemon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the egg yolks, buttermilk, sugar, and ricotta cheese.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, lemon zest, nutmeg, cardamom and salt, stirring to thoroughly combine.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry, and gently fold them into the batter, stirring until no streaks of white remain.
- Heat a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium heat until hot enough to immediately evaporate a drop of water. Drop the batter, by quarter-cupfuls, onto the heated griddle. Use the back of the scoop (or a spoon) to gently spread the cakes into circles; the batter is a bit stiff, and might need some coaxing.
- If using blueberries, fresh is best but frozen work just fine. Sprinkle them onto the cooking batter before flipping the pancakes.
- Serve hot pancakes immediately with butter and syrup.
