Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These lemon ricotta pancakes are tender, lemon-flecked, golden-edged beauties. The ricotta batter is bolstered with a bit of almond flour and enriched with olive oil.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

If we go camping together, you’re going to get pancakes. The bigger question is what type? I’ve been on a ricotta pancake kick lately, and decided to pack everything needed to make these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes on our road trip down the California coast last week. I tend to go through different pancake, waffle, crepe phases, but for the moment I’m all in here. These pancakes are tender, lemon-flecked, golden-edged beauties. The ricotta batter is bolstered with a bit of almond flour and enriched with olive oil. They are pancakes so delicious and pillowy tender it’s easy for two people to crush the whole stack.Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
There are a couple things that can make these pancakes even better - toppings and setting. If you can enjoy them outside, perhaps at a picnic table - go for it. I love an outdoor breakfast and was happy to enjoy a string of them last week. We beach-camped in Pismo, then Santa Barbara (finally visited Lotusland!), and then a couple nights in Malibu - outdoor meals everyday. I'll post a few pics below :)
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Lemon Ricotta Pancake Toppings

I have a few suggested toppings here. I often like to make a break with maple syrup for these pancakes. Don’t get me wrong, maple syrup is good here, I just really like a ricotta-honey combo. These pancakes are incredibly good generously drizzled with saffron honey. I infuse a few threads of saffron in 1 teaspoon of almond extract, and then stir that into 1/3 cup of honey. I also brought a strong pink cinnamon honey along on the trip made by whisking ground Vietnamese cinnamon, cayenne powder, pitaya powder, vanilla extract and a few other ingredients to taste in some local honey.
Items on a Picnic Table with Green Plaid Tablecloth

Level-up Your Butter

Alternately, you can play around with compound butters. Whenever we go on a road-trip or camping I tend to bring stacks of frozen things. Thin stacks. Sauces, pestos, curry pastes and the like, frozen flat in baggies. I always bring a compound butter or two. Usually one sweet, for pancakes, biscuits, oatmeal, etc. And one savory - to toss with noodles, and veggies, quick pasta dishes, and that sort of thing. I like a salted butter mashed up with lots of lemon zest and brown sugar with the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. Or butter mashed up with a splash of honey and some crushed freeze-dried berries.
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

What if I don’t have Ricotta?

That’s okay! Do you have cottage cheese? You can swap that in for the ricotta. I suspect you could even swap in full-fat Greek yogurt, but I haven’t tested that version yet.
Lotusland
A few shots of Lotusland here, and the Mailbu Hindu Temple as well. Both highlights of our trip.
Malibu Hindu Temple

Ricotta Pancake Variations

There are a lot of ways to switch up this recipe with whatever citrus, spices, and seeds you have.

  • Lemon Poppyseed Ricotta Pancakes: Sprinkle a tablespoon of poppy seeds across the batter before folding in the whipped egg whites.
  • Lemon Olive Oil: Replace the olive oil with lemon olive oil for an added lemon boost.
  • Orange Ricotta Pancakes: Substitute the zest of one orange for the lemon zest.
  • Market Lime Ricotta Pancakes: I have a market lime tree on my patio and these pancakes are amazing with the zest of two makrut limes in place of the lemon zest.

Lotusland
I hope you love these ricotta pancakes as much as I do! There are more pancake recipes around in the the archives as well. Here's where to go if you're looking for more of a classic pancake recipe, if you're looking for a good vegan pancake recipe, these blueberry beet pancakes sound wild, but are beautiful and delicious. And all things pancake are better with this blackberry saffron honey, a berry version of the saffron honey  I mentioned up above. I've also been making a really great adventure pancake mix to take on trips - packed with chia, oats, whole grain flour, etc. The recipe is in this PDF.

Related recipe: Glazed Lemon Cake

101 Cookbooks Membership

Premium Ad-Free membership includes:
-Ad-free content
-Print-friendly recipes
-Spice / Herb / Flower / Zest recipe collection PDF
-Weeknight Express recipe collection PDF
-Surprise bonuses throughout the year

spice herb flower zest
weeknight express

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

4.55 from 11 votes

I like these pancakes best when made on the medium-small side. If you’re cooking for a crowd consider making double or triple the batter.

Ingredients
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup ricotta
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons almond flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • zest of two lemons
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
  1. Separate the eggs and whisk the whites into stiff peaks in a clean bowl. In another bowl combine the egg yolks, ricotta, olive oil, almond flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and flour. Gently fold the whites into the ricotta mixture until uniform with no streaks.
  2. Place a skillet over medium-low heat, rub with a bit of olive oil, and ladle 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. You want to cook these slow and low until golden on the bottom, a couple minutes. Flip to cook the second side until golden. This side takes less time, just a minute or so. Serve immediately or keep warm in a low temperature oven.

Notes

Makes 12 pancakes.

Serves
12 pancakes
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it - tag it #101cookbooks on Instagram!
Available!
weeknight express
101cookbooks social icon
Join my newsletter!
Weekly recipes and inspirations.

Post Your Comment

4.55 from 11 votes (10 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




Comments

I have just made these ricotta pancakes for my grandchildren’s lunch, except I made the recipe as waffles merely because it is quicker and easier in the waffle maker. It was a great success and they disappeared fast. Next time I will make double quantity. I swapped the sugar for maple syrup which worked well. I thought the olive oil might be a bit strong but the flavour blended in well. Next time will try upping the almond flour and leave out the regular flour. Will this work? Will let you know. Thanks Heidi, this one’s a keeper.5 stars

Anniem

    Thanks Anniem! I’m so happy you had success! I’m not sure about eliminating the flour, please let me know if you try it. I have tested the reverse, you can omit the almond flour and they’re still A+…

    Heidi Swanson

Are these pancakes freezer friendly? I would like to make a batch of them for my children and freeze them.

Amy

    Hi Amy – I’m not sure! I can imagine they might be. Let me know if you try it!

    Heidi Swanson

More Recipes

101cookbooks social icon
Join my newsletter!
Weekly recipes and inspirations.

Popular Ingredients

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of its User Agreement and Privacy Policy.

101 Cookbooks is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Any clickable link to amazon.com on the site is an affiliate link.