These easy lemon ricotta pancakes are light, fluffy, and delicious! Made with fresh lemon juice and just the right amount of sugar, these homemade pancakes are perfect for spring and summer. Plus, they make the perfect addition to any Easter or Mother’s Day brunch!

a stack of pancakes being cut into a with a fork

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Pancakes are one of my favorite weekend treats, even if I don’t always love being the one who gets up to make them. I’m more than happy to eat pancakes every Saturday morning, especially now that I know how many different kinds there are!

And honestly, I can say pancakes might be the most surprising recipes I have on the blog, not because anything is surprising about pancakes.

But because I never in a million years imagined I’d have this many pancake recipes to share! (This makes number five, in case anyone is counting.)

a stack of pancakes on a plate, the pancakes have whipped cream and a lemon slice on them

Lemon, however, is not surprising, especially given that it’s one of, if not my favorite, flavors for both sweets and breakfast. Actually, the lack of lemon recipes I’ve shared in the past four years is a little shocking. But that’s a story for another day.

These lemon pancakes came from an old recipe I saw ages ago, back when I didn’t realize people used ricotta cheese for anything besides pasta dishes.

At first, I didn’t like the idea of putting ricotta in my pancakes, but I was intrigued nonetheless and decided to give it a try.

a close up of a stack of pancakes, that is being cut into with a fork

And well, to make a long story short, I fell in love. I loved the perfectly light, fluffy, almost airy texture it created, not to mention the perfect addition of fresh lemon.

Needless to say, I knew these pancakes were going to be a keeper; they just needed a little tweaking first.

A few years (and a lot more lemon) later, I finally created the delicious, fluffy, lemony Saturday morning pancakes I’d been dreaming about.

Over time, this recipe has become my go-to birthday breakfast, and since I’ve been making it since I was 18, I figured it was high time I got around to sharing it.

Trust the process on this one, and trust me, you won’t regret adding ricotta cheese to your pancakes!

a stalk of pancakes that has a slice cut out of it.

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Dry Ingredients

All-purpose flour
Cane sugar or white sugar
Baking soda
Baking powder
Sea salt
Fresh lemon zest

Wet Ingredients

Whole milk
Ricotta cheese, I prefer full-fat, but low-fat and fat-free work too
Eggs. I like to use free-range eggs in this recipe to give a richer color
Melted butter
Vanilla extract
Fresh lemon juice, I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor!
Lemon extract, optional, for extra lemon flavor.

a stalk of pancakes with whipped cream and lemon slices on top. You can also see a dish of whipped cream next to the pancakes

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and lemon zest). Whisk to combine, making sure the lemon zest is evenly distributed with no clumps.

Add the milk and eggs to the flour mixture and whisk to combine.

Then add the remaining wet ingredients (ricotta cheese, melted butter, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon extract, if using) and mix well. Be careful not to overmix the batter; a few lumps are okay!

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease it with butter or a neutral oil if needed.

Once hot, pour about 1/3 cup of batter onto the skillet (or griddle). Cook until small bubbles form on the surface and remain open, and the edges are golden brown. Flip and cook until the second side is golden brown.

Remove the pancake from the pan and repeat with the remaining batter. Feel free to cook as many pancakes per batch as comfortably fit in your pan or on your griddle.

Top with any of your favorite toppings and enjoy!

a forkful of pancakes being held over a plate of pancakes

Recipe Notes

Leftover lemon ricotta pancakes can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days. Pancakes can easily be reheated in the oven, a toaster oven, or even a toaster!

These pancakes are great with a pat of butter and maple syrup. I especially love serving them topped with nothing but sweetened homemade whipped cream. But there are plenty of other delicious toppings too. Here are a few of my favorites!

Lemon curd
Fresh berries (fresh blueberries are especially good!)
Blueberry syrup or strawberry syrup. Be sure to check out my easy homemade recipes HERE!
Chocolate chips
Fresh fruit
Lemon glaze
Powdered sugar
Blueberry jam

And here’s my easy homemade whipped recipe, in case you want to make some for yourself!

Ingredients