These lemon ricotta pancakes are bright, moist, and wonderfully fluffy. Easy to make with 10 ingredients, they're a delicious breakfast or brunch!

Jeanine Donofrio

Phoebe Moore

Published Feb 12, 2026

Jump to recipe

It’s official: these lemon ricotta pancakes are my favorite weekend breakfast. They’re gloriously light and fluffy, like bouncy pancake pillows, and they have a wonderful zesty flavor. Topped with blueberry compote or a drizzle of maple syrup, they’re lightly sweet, bright, and delicious. You know you’re going to have a good day when it starts with these lemon ricotta pancakes. 🙂

Ok, if you’re thinking, “Cheese? In pancakes?!” I hear you. But you don’t actually taste the ricotta here. It acts like Greek yogurt and sour cream do in many sweet recipes, making these pancakes exceptionally moist and tender.

It also makes them sound a little fancy, but they’re still super easy to make. You just need 10 ingredients and basic equipment to make this recipe. Try it for a special breakfast this weekend!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Ingredients

I adapted these lemon ricotta pancakes from my go-to pancake recipe. It starts with the same basic ingredients:

All-purpose flour – Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
Cane sugar – For sweetness.
Baking powder and eggs – They help the pancakes rise.
Milk – For moisture. Any kind works here. I love this recipe with whole milk and almond milk. Oat milk would work well too.
Melted butter or neutral oil – For richness. I use oil more often because I keep it right by my stove and it’s easy to reach for, but butter adds amazing flavor.
And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop.

Then, I add the ricotta for that delicious puffy texture and lemon juice and zest for bright flavor. A touch of vanilla extract adds warmth to the batter too.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These lemon ricotta pancakes come together in the same way that many of my other pancake recipes do.

Start by making the batter. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, ricotta, eggs, oil, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Then, cook the pancakes. Brush a nonstick skillet or griddle with butter or oil and heat it over medium-low heat. Working in batches if necessary, use a 1/3-cup scoop to portion the pancake batter into the skillet.

Cook for 1 to 3 minutes per side, or until the pancakes are puffed, golden brown, and cooked through.

Tip: Reduce the heat to low as needed if the pancakes are browning too quickly.

Serve topped with maple syrup or whatever fixings you like—find more of my favorite toppings below!

Recipe Tips

Thin out the batter if necessary. This batter should have a thick, but pourable consistency. If it’s too thick to pour, stir in a little more milk to loosen it.
Keep them warm in the oven. Spread the pancakes on a large plate or baking sheet, tent them with foil, and hold them in a 200°F oven until you’re ready to serve.
Leftovers freeze well. We rarely end up with leftovers when I make this recipe, but if you happen to have some, they freeze well! To reheat, just pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

How to Serve Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

You don’t need to serve these lemon ricotta pancakes with anything more than a drizzle of maple syrup. But if you’d like to dress them up more, feel free! Here are a few other toppings I love:

a pat of butter
a dollop of Greek yogurt
fresh fruit like berries, cherries, or peaches
blueberry compote or strawberry compote

For an extra-special treat, top them with a dollop of lemon curd.

I hope you love these pancakes as much as I do!

More Breakfast Recipes to Try

If you love this lemon ricotta pancakes recipe, try one of these delicious breakfasts next:

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

rate this recipe:

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Serves 4

Save Recipe Print Recipe

These lemon ricotta pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast recipes! The ricotta makes them super moist and fluffy, and the lemon fills them with delicious bright flavor. Serve with maple syrup or one of the topping suggestions in the blog post above!

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 tablespoons cane sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup milk, plus more as needed
½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, or neutral oil, plus more for the pan
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, ricotta, eggs, melted butter, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. A few lumps are ok. If the batter is very thick, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to loosen it slightly.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and brush lightly with butter or oil. Use a ⅓-cup scoop to pour the batter into the skillet. Cook for 1 to 3 minutes per side, or until the pancakes are puffed, golden brown, and cooked through in the middle. Reduce the heat to low as needed if the outsides of the pancakes are browning before the middles are cooked through.
Serve with maple syrup.