Super light and fluffy Ricotta Pancakes with lemon are sure to become a new family favorite breakfast! These puff up beautifully and have wonderful flavor with the zest of an entire lemon.
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Why We Love these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes:
These breakfast pancakes are satisfying and keep you full because they are high in protein – there’s a surprising amount of ricotta cheese in this recipe and you get to use the entire 15 oz container without wondering what to do with the rest of it.
Most ricotta pancakes that I’ve come across have about half the amount of ricotta which is basically a pancake with a little ricotta mixed in, but not these! Just like our Cottage Cheese Pancakes, the main ingredient here is Ricotta which keeps them super light and they go down easy in a melt-in-your-mouth kind of way.
Watch Ricotta Cheese Pancakes Video:
Watch how to make these EASY Ricotta Pancakes. The pancake batter is quick and easy to make and comes together in one bowl. All you need is a bowl and a whisk. You’ll feel so good about what’s in this recipe.
When to Flip Ricotta Cheese Pancakes:
Pancakes are ready to flip when you see bubbles pop and remain open on the surface. This is true for these Ricotta Pancakes and ALL pancakes.
Keep pancakes over medium heat so they don’t brown too quickly before they have a chance to cook through. We set to medium heat on the skillet or 325˚F on the griddle.
The Best Oil for Cooking Pancakes:
- Coconut Oil – We love coconut oil because it’s slightly healthier fat and if using unrefined coconut oil it is good for high heat cooking and adds a pleasant coconut sweetness.
- Cooking Oils – A flavorless high heat cooking oil like light olive oil or canola oil will work.
- Butter – If using butter that isn’t clarified, wipe the pan clean between every 2 batches to get rid of any browned butter. You can also do a combination of butter and oil which will increase your smoke point so the butter doesn’t burn as quickly.
Our Favorite Toppings for Ricotta Pancakes:
My personal go-to toppings for pancakes are sour cream, honey, and fresh berries. I find the combination of sweet and tangy irresistible. For company and special mornings, we love to elevate pancakes with these toppings:
- Raspberry Maple Syrup – a blended combination of real maple syrup with raspberries for the ultimate breakfast syrup
- Strawberry Sauce – our homemade topping is quick and easy to whip up and can’t be beaten.
- Cherry Sauce – filled with juicy plump cherries; this tastes like cherry pie filling.
- Fresh Fruit – we love a variety of berries and stone fruit depending on what is in season.
- Real Maple Syrup (from Vermont) – REAL maple syrup makes all the difference.
- Jams and Jellies – our homemade plum jam is a must-try – no pectin needed!
- Fruit Preserves – we love homemade peach preserves where you can see the texture of the fruit
Brilliant Ways to Reheat Pancakes:
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers of these pancakes, you can cover and refrigerate them for up to 3 days then reheat when you’re ready for pancakes again.
- Toaster – put pancakes individually into the slots of a toaster and toast as you would a slice of bread until they are heated through.
- Air Fryer – put cold pancakes into the air fryer basket and air fry at 350˚F for about 3 minutes or just until heated through.
- Frying Pan – set the burner to medium heat. Brush skillet with a little butter if desired and flip pancakes until warm.
More Pancake Recipes You’ll Make Over and Over:
These Ricotta Pancakes will make a breakfast person out of you! Below are our top-rated pancake recipes (all tested and approved by our family). You can explore all of our breakfast recipes here.
- Sour Cream Pancakes – with blueberries in the batter
- Buttermilk Pancakes – a quick and easy recipe with pantry staples
- Greek Yogurt Pancakes – super fluffy with more protein than traditional pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes – for pumpkin lovers! We always keep pumpkin puree in the pantry for these.
Here’s my sweet girl making these ricotta pancakes. This is one of those easy recipes the whole family can help with.
Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (VIDEO)

Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, (14-15 oz will work)
- 3/4 cup low fat buttermilk, (or kefir)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, (5 1/2 oz)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Olive oil or coconut oil to cook
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until well blended.
- Mix in ricotta cheese, buttermilk and salt and whisk until blended.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder then whisk the flour mixture into the cheese mixture.
- Stir in the zest of 1 lemon. If you let the batter rest for 10-30 minutes, the pancakes will be even fluffier.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat and melt in your oil. Spoon batter into the pan (about 2 Tbsp per pancake) and sautee 2-3 min per side. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Could you use Oat Flour vs. Regular Flour or would it effect the recipe?
Hi Samantha, I haven’t tried this with oat flour. If you give that a go, I would love to know how you like that.
Wow this recipe is the best one I’ve done thus far. I’ve made lemon ricotta pancakes many times and I’m always aiming for fluffiness. I’m happy i found this recipe now I’m going to use this to make my lemon ricotta pancakes! So fluffy and i love the consistency and the flavor is perfect. Recommend this recipe!!
Love it! Thank you for taking the time to leave your review here. I’m happy that you loved this recipe!
These pancakes are sensational! Best recipe I have found so far. Can’t wait to try different flavor profiles!
Thanks Natasha! ❤️
I’m so happy you enjoyed them, Laura! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Wow! These are delicious! I let the batter set about 30 minutes and used my large Pampered Chef cookie scoop to spoon them out. I got exactly 16 pancakes. I love your recipes!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Irma!
It’s a bomb! completely in love with the recipe thank you so much! please come up with a flan recipe
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Olga!
Natasha I am so happy to have stumbled upon your site. What a lovely recipe and your daughter is beautiful~! I can’t wait to see more of your recipes.
I’m so happy you discovered our blog. Welcome! 🙂
We had a bed and breakfast in Maine for 10 years. Wish I had this recipe for our guests! Topped with fresh fruit and toasted almonds, these are lovely to look at and have a light lovely texture. I might add a little fresh lemon juice next time to add a bit more lemon accent.
Sounds like a great plan, Karen. I hope it becomes a favorite for you and your guests!
Hello!
Can we use a different kind of flour lower in glouten, like dingel flour?
Thank you
This comment concerns lemon pancakes.
Hi Dorina, I have not tried that substitution to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi, what’s a substitute for buttermilk?
Hi MIvo, plain kefir will also work well instead of buttermilk. You can also make your own buttermilk at a ratio of 1 cup whole milk to 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice. Combine and let it sit 10 minutes to curdle then stir and use.
Recipe says 1 1/4 cups Ricotta, yet video says 1 3/4 cup Ricotta….I’m a bit confused. Which is correct please ?
Hi Julie, 15 oz on the container is a weight measurement, but when you transfer it into a US measuring cup, it measures to 1 1/4 cups ricotta. I hope that helps.
My 3 yo granddaughter gives me the same “two thumbs up” when I make her anything. So cute.
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
Oh my! These pancakes are light, lemony and luscious! What a way to start our Sunday morning. You’re becoming my go-to site for new recipes. Thank you!
Thank you, Carol! I’m very happy that you trust my recipes.
Wow, made these this morning and I am not a pancake lover , but these were so tasty, light and delicious! So yummy
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I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
This recipe is amazing. I made them for dinner tonight. Everyone loved them sadly we had no leftovers!
I’m glad everyone enjoyed this recipe! You can make more next time just to be sure.
This Ricotta pancake recipe is the absolutely. The tenderness of the pancake is delicate, yet hearty. The lemon zest is so refreshing. My only go to pancake recipe from here on out. Definitely 5 stars for this.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Cecilia!
I usually do not keep buttermilk on hand, but I made a good substitute with 3/4 c. 2% milk, a dollop of sour cream, and a splash of vinegar. I also whip the eggs until really frothy, and omit the salt and add a wee bit more baking powder. So delicious! And it feels better to be eating more protein in your pancakes. I’ve made these several times now, and they really are good.
I’m happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing that with us.
If you told me that I would enjoy a pancake with ricotta cheese in it I would’ve to you you’re crazy! OMG these are amazing! I made a few for my son without the lemon just to see how we liked that base batter. They were awesome! I then added the lemon and wowza what a yummy breakfast!
Yay excellent! I’m so happy that you and your son enjoyed these pancakes. Thanks for your awesome review!
Hi Natasha!
I am having a bit of trouble with these, they keep coming out kind of gummy and gooey in the center. I’ve tried changing the heat to low and medium low with no success. The outside is borderline burnt on low heat with the inside not cooked. Any suggestions? I cook all the time and rarely have trouble. Thanks
Hi Danielle, I haven’t had that happen – are you changing anything in the recipe? Maybe using too much ricotta?
These pancakes are outstanding! The only ones I will ever cook now. Thanks for this great recipe!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
These were amazing! Only made them today for the first time and we are already obsessed. So good!
I’m happy to hear that you found a new favorite, Mar. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Natasha for sharing your recipes!
God bless you and your family😊❤️
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you’re enjoying our recipes, Victoria!
I made two batches of these pancakes for my family and froze them. They are wonderful, fluffy and the flavors are spot on. I love your recipes and make something new almost every week!
I’m happy to hear that, Erin. Thank you!
You cannot mess these up! haha! My first try making these, had to go to the store for baking powder, then I was ready to cook. I cooked right along with the video, I was my own sous chef; used my little glass stacking bowls with ingredients measured out. Mixed batter and cooked my first four in the pan. Hmmm very thin and I’m thinking “looks like the baking powder didn’t work, I just bought it it has to be fresh!” THEN it dawns on me I didn’t put it in. I go to my purse and get it out, add it to the mix let it rest another 30 min. and proceeded to make the perfect pancakes. They rose and were fluffy just like the video. I will make them again soon as they were delicious. The lemon flavor was just right. We ate them with nothing on them, cooked in coconut oil was perfect! Thanks Natasha for another great meal with leftovers for breakfast.
Fantastic! Thank you Lea for sharing your experience making this recipe. That is a great comment and feedback, we appreciate it!