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Healthy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

By Snejana Andreeva

on Aug 23, 2023, Updated Nov 15, 2023

My Lemon Ricotta Pancakes 🥞 are fluffy, soft, sweet, and have a big secret: they’re some of the healthiest pancakes you’ll ever make. At 30g of protein , and gluten-free , these are pancakes I could eat every morning without worrying about a sugar crash. And the best part is the batter takes just seconds to make in a food processor .

Why You’ll Love Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
How to Prepare
Nonna’s Tip 🥞
Variations and Substitutions for Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Tips for My Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Best Served With
Healthy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe
Common Questions

A stack of sliced pancakes topped with blueberries and an orange slice is drizzled with syrup from a small white pitcher, with a lemon half in the background. - 5

Why You’ll Love Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These pancakes are the perfect blend of fluffy, soft, and sweet, and here’s the secret – they’re incredibly healthy too. Packed with a whopping 30 grams of protein and completely gluten-free 🤯, they’re the perfect guilt-free breakfast treat that will keep you feeling fuller for longer. What’s even better? Whipping up the batter is a breeze, taking mere moments in a food processor.

How to Prepare

A flat lay of baking ingredients on a white surface, including two whole lemons, three brown eggs, flour, butter, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, vanilla extract, baking powder, and two small bowls with clear liquids. - 6

🍋 Gather your ingredients: ricotta or cottage cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon extract (or lemon juice), and oat flour. First, in a food processor, blend ingredients until smooth.

👩‍🍳 Then, heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat , lightly grease it, and ladle the batter onto the hot surface to form pancakes. Next, cook until you see bubbles on the surface, then flip and cook until golden brown on both sides.

🥞 Serve your Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with your favorite toppings , like fresh berries, honey, maple syrup or powdered sugar, and enjoy!

Nonna’s Tip 🥞

You can purchase oat flour at your local health food store (or any grocery store) or simply make your own by blending organic rolled oats into flour in your blender.

A tall stack of pancakes topped with orange peel and blueberries, with syrup dripping down the sides onto a plate. The background is a white tiled wall. - 7

Variations and Substitutions for Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Whether you’re looking to switch up the flavors or adapt the recipe to your dietary preferences, there are plenty of variations and substitutions to explore.

You can replace the oat flour with ⅓ cup of quick-cooking rolled oats . The pancake texture will be crunchier, but I personally prefer the fluffy texture that oat flour lends.
No oat flour? No problem. Simply make your own by blending organic rolled oats into flour in your blender.
The lemon extract can be replaced with 1 ½ tablespoons of fresh lemon juice ; be sure to increase the oat flour by 1 tablespoon when using fresh lemon juice, as it increases the moisture of the batter.

Tips for My Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (you pick, based on your preference) and eggs make this recipe super moist and protein-rich . Additionally, lemon zest 🍋 and lemon extract add the perfect brightness, which complements the ricotta so well.
A bit of oat flour binds everything together. But, before you add “oat flour” to your grocery list 📝, remember that you can make your own by pulsing dried oats in a food processor until a powder-like flour forms.
You can also replace the lemon extract with 1.5 tablespoons of fresh and delicious lemon juice . ☝️ Please be sure to increase the oat flour by one tablespoon when using fresh lemon juice, as it increases the moisture of the batter.

Best Served With

These lemon ricotta pancakes are delicious alongside my Healthy Breakfast Skillet with Potatoes .
Serve my Yogurt Chia Pudding alongside these pancakes for an even more filling breakfast.
My High Protein Breakfast Casserole is a great option to add some additional protein to your morning meal.
Try these pancakes alongside my Zucchini Egg Bake for some added veggies with your breakfast.

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Video

Equipment

▢ Ceramic Pans
▢ Large Food Processor

Ingredients

▢ 3 large eggs
▢ ¼ cup ricotta or cottage cheese , 55 grams
▢ zest of 1 lemon
▢ 1 teaspoon lemon extract
▢ pinch of salt
▢ ⅓ cup oat flour , 40 grams
▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract , optional
▢ avocado oil spray , or butter for the pan
▢ honey, maple syrup, berries, or powdered sugar for serving , optional

Instructions

▢ In a food processor or blender, add the eggs, ricotta, lemon zest, lemon extract, salt, oat flour, and vanilla (if using), and process until combined. I processed mine for about 20 to 30 seconds.
▢ In a pan over medium-high heat, add a touch of avocado oil and cook the pancakes for a few minutes on each side.
▢ Feel free to add a small drizzle of honey, maple syrup, berries, or enjoy them plain, as I often do as well.
▢ Tip: you can make the batter two days in advance and keep it in the fridge. You can also freeze the already cooked pancakes and pop them in the toaster straight from the freezer!

Nonna’s Notes

Oat flour alternative: No oat flour? No problem. Simply make your own by blending organic rolled oats into flour in your blender.
Lemon extract substitute: The lemon extract can be replaced with 1 ½ tablespoons of fresh lemon juice; be sure to increase the oat flour by 1 tablespoon when using fresh lemon juice, as it increases the moisture of the batter.
Cheese alternative: If you’re trying to hit your protein goals, you could substitute the ricotta for cottage cheese.

My Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Common Questions

Yes, these delicious pancakes can be cooked, cooled, and then stored in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Then, you can transfer them straight from the freezer into the toaster to be reheated.

These pancakes are perfect for meal prep: you can make the batter 2 days ahead of time and store in the fridge. Alternatively, you can cook and freeze the pancakes and reheat them individually in the microwave or on a pan over medium-high heat.

Yes, you can use ⅓ cup of quick-cooking rolled oats for this recipe instead of oat flour.

Yes, you can use all-purpose flour or a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend.

You can purchase oat flour at your local health food store (or any grocery store) or simply make your own by blending organic rolled oats into flour in your blender.