Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes – Homemade pancakes are given the gourmet treatment with the addition of fresh lemon zest, blueberries, and creamy ricotta cheese. Served with blueberry syrup for an added punch of flavor.
Lemon is a flavor I never, ever thought I’d like. I turned my head at lemon favorites like lemon pound cake, lemon bars, and even lemon meringue pie. I don’t know what it was – maybe it was too tart? Maybe it wasn’t rich enough? I’m not exactly sure – I just know that, if it had lemon, I wasn’t haven’t any of it.
But somewhere in adulthood, my distaste for lemon shifted. I think it started with savory dishes like refreshing lemony pasta or lemon butter sauces for fish. And then, like witchcraft, I started liking lemon desserts, too. I even had a lemon bar not too long ago and actually LOVED it!
But this recipe isn’t about lemon desserts. Today’s recipe is all about lemon ricotta pancakes. I first tried them at a cute little brunch spot here in Atlanta. I was drawn more to the ricotta in the pancakes than the lemon (at the time). I figured creamy cheese could only make pancakes better, so how could these go wrong?!
And holy moly – they were oh so right! Slightly thick and creamy in the center, but still perfectly crispy on the outside. Why did it take so long for me to find these?!
Ever since then, I’ve continued to order them whenever I’ve seen them on a menu. But I have yet to try them for myself at home. So here it is – my attempt at lemon ricotta pancakes. As you can see, I’ve added my own twist with the addition of fresh blueberries and blueberry syrup.
Check out my Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes!
One thing that I’ve always loved for breakfast are blueberry pancakes. So when thinking through this recipe, I needed to add some blueberries to make them extra special. It’s quite fitting that lemon and blueberry are a match made in heaven so the blueberries only made the lemon pancakes even better.
And for an added blueberry kick, I like to serve my pancakes with blueberry syrup!
Okay now let’s get to the recipe for these incredible pancakes. The key to an incredible pancake is that it taste delicious even before you’ve put any syrup on them. To ensure that flavor is right on point, all my pancakes are made with the following:
- A hint of sugar in the batter – this helps form a little crust on the pancakes when cook
- Vanilla extract – this helps take the sweet flavor to a deeper level
- Butter for grilling – this is a MUST for all my pancakes. When pancakes bake on the sizzling butter, you get a perfectly crispy crust on the pancake that cannot be skipped. TRUST ME.
Let’s get a close-up of that buttery crust:
Before you get going on this recipe, here are a couple tips:
- To make the pancakes extra fluffy, the eggs are added separately. This is done so we can whip the egg whites and fold them in. You’ll see the batter gets light and airy, which translates into light and airy pancakes.
- Only add batter to a hot pan. A good way to know if the pan is hot is to add the butter and see if it sizzles. Once the butter sizzles and starts to brown a little, ladle in the batter. If you add the batter to a cool pan, the pancake will take forever to cook and will never get a good crust on top.
- You’ll know when the pancakes are ready to flip when you begin to see bubbles form on top. I also like to check the edges by sliding a spatula under the pancake to see if it easily releases from the pan. If so, it’s ready to flip.
Alright there you have it – an incredible new recipe to enjoy for your next weekend breakfast or brunch. It’s perfect for all the spring events coming up – Easter, Mother’s Day, you name it! Let me know how you like them by commenting below!
Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 4 large eggs separated
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons sugar divided
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 dry pints blueberries
- 3 tablespoons butter
- blueberry syrup for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk together until combined, Set aside.
- Whisk ricotta cheese, egg yolks, vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons sugar, and lemon zest together until smooth. Whisk in milk. Add to flour mixture and whisk until most flour lumps are gone. Set aside.
- Beat egg whites with a hand mixer or stand mixer until foamy. Add remaining 2 tablespoons and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add 1/2 of mixture to batter. Fold together until almost completely combined. Add remaining 1/2 egg white mixture to batter and fold to combine.
- Heat griddle or skillet to medium heat. Add 1/2-1 tablespoon of butter, enough to coat the pan or griddle. Once the butter begins to sizzle and become fragrant, add pancake batter, 1/2 cup per pancake. I could only fit one pancake in my skillet, but you'll fit more in a griddle. Grab a small handful of blueberries and sprinkle on raw pancake batter.
- Cook pancake until bubbles begin to form on top and edges turn crispy. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
- Serve immediately with blueberry syrup and fresh blueberries.
Notes
Pin for later:
More Blueberry treats you’ll love:
Blueberry Muffin Tops
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Blueberry Crumb Bars
These flavors are SO perfect for spring! And I’m obsessed with pancakes as it is, so I can only imagine how delicious this recipe would be. Can’t wait to try!
Well this pancake is just perfect. I mean who doesn’t love blueberries plus ricotta! It’s a winning combo and absolutely delicious
I like the color of this pancakes so much! The blueberry season is almost here and I can’t wait for it!
I totally relate to how you feel about lemons. I used to hate them too, but they’ve definitely started to grow on me! Blueberries are my favorite, so I could for sure go for these pancakes. They look so fluffy and delicious! Perfect for brunch. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I’m on the opposite end of where you started, I add lemon to any and everything and I am quite fond of this specific combination of blueberries and pancakes so I know this tastes amazing!
I love the combo of lemon and blueberries in these – so perfect for spring! And I’ve got to try adding ricotta to pancakes!!
I’ve never thought to add ricotta to pancakes before! What a great idea. And I love blueberries, especially when they are so fresh and in season. Delicious looking recipe
I love a great pancake recipe. I can’t wait to try these ones! I love lemon and ricotta together too. You should try it in a stuffed french toast. Will change your life!
This looks wonderful! I can’t wait to try your recipe for a yummy start to the day!
this pancake is screaming “spring” and i am adding this to my weekend list of things to make immediately.
Yesss you’re gonna love them!
Oh, this looks super yummy. I will definitely have to try this. I love trying new recipes!!
Thanks!
I love everything about these. Those blueberries look so plump and juicy. Yum! What a beautiful breakfast treat. I love the lemon, too.
Thanks!
Well don’t these sound fantastic. LOVE blueberries…especially in pancakes. The ricotta would make these so moist and totally delicious. Perfect for brunch on the weekend.
So true! The moisture that the ricotta adds is UNREAL!
You can see how the pancakes are a little crisp on the outside edges and so light and tender inside. Your cooking in butter tip is great. I’d never tried that before.
OMG butter makes all the difference! Hope you try it out next time!
Those pancakes remind me of some of my favorites from a brunch I went to a few months ago. I’ll have to try making these for my hubby this weekend!! Yum!!
Angela
Yay! Hope thee taste even better than the ones you tried before 😉
Yup, need these in my life ASAP. Perfect for Easter brunch!!
So true!
Lemons + blueberries are so soso great together. I adore homemade pancakes, but I’ve never used ricotta! I need to try this stat.
Yes! let me know how you like them!
My kids are going to flip over these. So yum. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome!
I love, love, love lemon with blueberries! And with the addition of the ricotta – oh my! Such beautiful photos too!
Thanks so much!
Ricotta, lemon and blueberries has to be one of the best flavor combos ever! These pancakes look amazing! I can’t wait to try them.
Thanks Allison!
I also first tried ricotta pancakes at a brunch spot, we were on vacation and I have been craving them ever since! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Also, lemon and blueberry is one of my favorite flavor combinations.
Right?! Such a winning duo!
I love ricotta pancakes and this has all the flavors that I like. Those blueberry goodies are all so tempting.
Thanks so much!
Beautiful! I could just stare at these pancakes! Is this syrup that thick or did you cook some of the blueberries?
It’s that thick! If you heat it up, it thins out. But I actually liked it super thick.
I love the combo of lemon and blueberries, too! Looks like I need to get my hands on this blueberry syrup.
Blueberry syrup is so great! It’s from a local Georgia producer. But you can find some in your area, too, I’m sure. On on Amazon!
Love lemon and blueberry together. These pancakes would be a big hit around my house
Right?! That duo is so yummy!