American
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Tender stovetop pancakes get lift from ricotta and bright lemon zest. A quick blueberry-maple sauce goes over the stack for an easy brunch plate.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy

Photo: emmadiscovery (CC BY). Source
Why you’ll love it
- Ricotta keeps the crumb soft without extra oil.
- Lemon zest cuts through the mild cheese.
- A lightly buttered skillet browns the cakes evenly.
- Leftover cakes reheat without turning rubbery.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Whisk ricotta, eggs, milk, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a medium bowl until smooth.
- 2
Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir just until no dry streaks remain.
- 3
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- 4
Drop 1/4-cup scoops of batter; cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and set.
- 5
While cakes cook, simmer blueberries, maple syrup, and remaining lemon juice in a small saucepan 4 to 5 minutes until saucy.
- 6
Add remaining butter to the skillet as needed between batches.
- 7
Plate the pancakes and spoon warm blueberry sauce over the top.
Pro tips
- Do not overmix the batter or the pancakes toughen.
- Keep finished cakes on a plate tented with foil while you finish the batch.
- If the skillet runs dry, wipe it and add a thin film of fresh butter.
Easy substitutions
- whole-milk ricotta
- low-fat ricotta plus 1 tbsp milk
- fresh blueberries
- frozen blueberries, not thawed
- maple syrup
- honey
Storage and reheating
Storage
Cool completely, then refrigerate pancakes and sauce separately in airtight containers up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm pancakes in a skillet over low heat or microwave 30 to 45 seconds; reheat sauce gently on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 43 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Moderate · Stovetop · Vegetarian
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
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An air fryer with a real basket
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A half-sheet pan
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