Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Light and fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes made with homemade ricotta cheese and topped with a mixed berry compote and blueberry butter. It’s the perfect Sunday brunch.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Let’s see how many adjectives I can come up with for these pancakes. Delicious, scrumptious, divine, tasty, fruity, mouth-watering, mind-blowing, fluffy – just simply perfect! I used homemade ricotta cheese in the pancake batter, topped it with a homemade blueberry compound butter then served it up with a mixed berry compote that was to die for. TO! DIE! FOR!

Tips to making Fluffy Pancakes

Here are a few tips and tricks that can lead to success in the kitchen and make you the breakfast queen!

• Mix your batter with a large balloon whisk. The open shape of the whisk will help to incorporate air into the batter. It will also give you better control over mixing the ingredients so that you don’t over-mix the batter. Some lumps are good. Don’t make a super smooth batter. More air, a lighter pancake.
• Use science to make them fluffy! This recipe uses baking powder (a base) and lemon juice (an acid) and we all remember from science class that when an acid and base mix, things explode. Don’t worry your pancakes won’t explode, but the combination of two released carbon dioxide causes air bubbles to be released in the pancakes as they cook. More air, more fluff!

• Cook on a hot griddle. An electric griddle or a gas-top griddle is preferred to make pancakes. the larger flat area makes it easier to batch cook more pancakes at once, plus you don’t have to work around the edge of a skillet. Set that electric griddle to 375F for a perfectly even temperature for cooking pancakes.
• The ricotta cheese. The addition of ricotta is another acidic addition for the baking powder to work with. When you flip the pancakes, don’t press them down! Those air bubbles popping on the top let you know when the pancakes are ready to be flipped, so do it gently, and don’t pop them!

How do I store leftover pancakes?

If you have prepared extra pancakes, you can plan on enjoying them throughout the week. Wrap them in foil or place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. They can last 3 to 4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze pancakes. I like to place parchment squares between pancakes to prevent them from sticking. Remember to completely cool the pancakes before storing them.

5 ways to reheat cold pancakes

1. Use a toaster oven. It works great for frozen pancakes.
2. In an air fryer. Set the air fryer to 350F for 2 – 3 minutes and they are ready!
3. Use the oven. This works great when you have a crowd. Preheat the oven to 350 and place the pancakes in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Cover the pan with foil to prevent them from drying out and warm up for 5 minutes.
4. In a frying pan. Use the stovetop to warm up the pancakes. Use a low setting and flip your pancake often to prevent it from getting burned.
5. Pop them into the microwave. This is the best option for the kiddos. I add a damp paper towel over the top and heat for 10-15 seconds. If frozen, try 30 – 45 seconds.

Making the Mixed Berry Compote

I gotta tell you the truth here. This mixed berry topping was the result of cleaning out my fridge. I had a little bit of everything but not enough to make one something. I decided to toss my blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and a few sad strawberries into a pot and cross my fingers. Best decision ever.

What is fruit compote?

A compote is simply a cooked fruit sauce. The fruit breaks down and released the juice, but no mashing or pureeing is needed. We aren’t making jam. I added a little honey to sweeten the berries and lemon juice to thicken the compote while giving it a little lemon flavor boost.

How do I store a compote?

I served it warm over the pancakes but if there is any leftover, place your compote into a glass jar and seal it tight. It will last in the fridge for 7 – 10 days.

This recipe is part three of a three-part recipe series including Blueberry Butter and Homemade Ricotta Cheese.

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Yield: 12

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

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These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes were light and fluffy! The flavor combination of the lemon and mixed berries was amazing!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the Mixed Berry Compote

• 2 cups of mixes Berries - blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for coating the frying pan and serving
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon packed finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir the milk and butter until the butter melts. Then allow to cool.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and give it a little toss to mix.
3. Separate the eggs. Place the egg yolks into a large bowl and the egg whites into your mixer bowl.
4. With your whisk attachment, whisk the egg white on medium speed. Add in 1 tablespoon of sugar and salt when the whites are foamy. Continue whipping the eggs until soft peaks form.
5. Mix the yolks, 1 tablespoon of sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla, and whisk until it is light yellow and creamy. Gradually whisk in 1/4 of the warm milk being careful to temper the eggs and not cook the eggs. Then pour in all the milk in and stir until smooth.
6. Add the flour to the egg/milk mixture and gently stir until just combined.
7. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Gently fold the batter over the whites, careful not to pop the air bubbles out.
8. Fold in half the ricotta the same way, followed by 1/3 of the egg white, the remainder of the ricotta, and the rest of the egg white.
9. Heat a large griddle to 375 deg F or a frying pan over medium-high heat.
10. Lightly coat the griddle with some butter and pour a 1/2 cup of batter onto the hot surface. Watch for bubbles to form and the edges to firm up, then flip over and cook for another minute. If you like a "marbled" pancake skin, add more butter before each addition. If you prefer an all-over brown pancake, then do not add any more butter between batches.
11. Store in a warm oven or in a Pancake Keeper until ready to serve.

Recommended Products

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• 
  3-Piece Stainless-Steel Mixing Bowl Set
• 
  Cuisinart GR-4NP1 5-in-1 Griddler, 13.5"(L) x 11.5"(W) x 7.12"(H), Silver With Silver/Black Dials
• 
  Norpro Tortilla Pancake Keeper, One Size, Brown

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 3Cholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g