Ricotta brings the softness, lemon brings the lift, and the blueberries do what they do best, spill, stain and make the whole plate look like a small occasion.
Hey Lolly
Lemon ricotta pancakes are for the Sunday morning that has promised you softness.
Not the thick, rubbery kind that sit heavily on the plate and ask too much of your jaw. These are lighter, quieter things: golden at the edges, tender in the middle, with ricotta giving the batter a creamy softness and whipped egg whites doing the delicate work of lift.
The lemon matters. Without it, ricotta pancakes can drift into richness. With it, they wake up, bright, clean, just sharp enough to make the whole stack feel less like pudding and more like breakfast with excellent intentions.
Then comes the blueberry compote, glossy and dark, slipping down the sides in slow, striking purple streaks.
A small Sunday luxury, really. No fuss. Just soft pancakes, sharp lemon, warm berries and the very good sense to eat them while standing at the hob.
The Sicily moment that started it
The idea began, as many good ideas do, with falling too far into old travel photos.
In Sicily, everything seems to taste faintly of lemon peel, warm stone and sea air. I remembered a ricotta citrus cake I ate there once, though “cake” feels a little too ordinary for it.
It had that Italian bakery cleverness, nothing showy, nothing overworked, just eggs, ricotta and citrus doing beautiful things together.
So, inevitably, I started wondering what would happen if that same softness found its way into a Sunday pancake stack?
The answer is these lemon ricotta pancakes: pillowy, golden, gently zesty, and super easy to make without ever asking too much of the morning.
Separating the eggs is the step you cannot skip.
I know. It adds another bowl. But it is the difference between nice pancakes and properly cloud-soft lemon ricotta pancakes.
– Hey Lolly
Why ricotta makes these lemon pancakes so soft
Ricotta is the quiet luxury in these pancakes.
It melts into the batter, giving them that soft, creamy middle, somewhere between a pancake and the memory of a very good lemon cake. Whole-milk ricotta is best here. Skimmed ricotta feels a little too thin, a little too sensible, and this is not the moment for sensible.
If your ricotta looks watery, drain it briefly or blot it with kitchen paper. You want creaminess, not puddles.
And then there is the lemon. Fresh, always. The juice brings brightness, but the zest does the real seducing. All fragrant oils and sunny sharpness, cutting through the ricotta so the pancakes feel light, not rich for the sake of it.
A little pancake science
There is a small amount of kitchen cleverness at work here, but nothing that needs a lab coat, I assure you.
Whisk the dry ingredients properly, so the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt are evenly dispersed. Then rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips. Tiny gesture, big reward. It wakes up the citrus oils and sends that lemon fragrance right through the batter.
The buttermilk brings its own magic. Its acidity works with the baking powder to help the pancakes rise, keeping them airy rather than stodgy.
And cook them gently. These are thick, tender pancakes, not something to be bullied over a fierce flame. Medium-low heat gives you golden edges and creamy middles! A little patience here will reap the rewards.
ARe you the type that loves a little something sweet for breakfast? If so, why not check out my Brioche French Toast – it’s really rather special.
I’d love to see you join me over on my instagram page – come say hi!
Use whole-milk ricotta, not skimmed. If it looks watery, drain it briefly before using.
Use fresh lemon juice and zest, not bottled juice.
Do not skip the egg separation. This is the fluffy pancake insurance policy.
Keep the pan on medium-low heat. These pancakes need patience because they are thicker and softer than standard pancakes.
This should give you a proper, soft, airy stack for 4 — rich from the ricotta, lifted by the egg whites, and bright enough from the lemon that they still feel light.
Ingredients
-
For the pancakes
- For the Blueberry Compote
- To Serve
Instructions
-
Make The Blueberry Compote
- Add the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest to a small saucepan. Cook over a medium heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some berries burst and the sauce turns glossy. You want it spoonable, not jammy. If it thickens too much, add a splash of water. Set aside while you make the pancakes. Rub The Lemon Zest Into the Sugar
- Add the caster sugar and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl. Rub them together with your fingertips until the sugar smells bright and lemony. This releases the citrus oils and gives the pancakes a much better lemon flavour. Mix The Wet Ingredients
- Add the ricotta, egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla to the lemon sugar. Whisk gently until combined. Do not worry if the ricotta stays slightly textured. You do not need a perfectly smooth batter. Add Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the ricotta mixture and stir gently until just combined. The batter should be thick, soft and slightly lumpy. Whip The Egg Whites
- In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. This is the important bit. The whipped whites are what make these lemon ricotta pancakes properly cloud-soft rather than dense. Fold Gently
- Add one spoonful of whipped egg white to the batter and gently loosen it. Then fold in the rest using a rubber spatula. Move slowly and gently. A few white streaks are absolutely fine. Overmixing will knock out the air and make the pancakes heavier. Cook Low and Slow
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add a little butter or neutral oil, then spoon in the batter, using around 2 heaped tablespoons per pancake. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the edges look set and small bubbles appear on the surface. Flip carefully and cook for another 2 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Because these are thick pancakes, avoid high heat. Too hot, and the outside will brown before the middle has time to set. Serve
- Stack the pancakes onto plates and spoon over the blueberry compote. Add a little extra ricotta, Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche, then finish with lemon zest, icing sugar and a small drizzle of maple syrup or honey.
Notes
Hey Lolly Kitchen Notes Use whole-milk ricotta, not skimmed. If it looks watery, drain it briefly before using. Use fresh lemon juice and zest, not bottled juice. Do not skip the egg separation. This is the fluffy pancake insurance policy. Keep the pan on medium-low heat. These pancakes need patience because they are thicker and softer than standard pancakes. This should give you a proper, soft, airy stack for 4 — rich from the ricotta, lifted by the egg whites, and bright enough from the lemon that they still feel light.
Ingredients
For the blueberry compote
- 250 g blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 –2 tbsp water only if needed
For the lemon ricotta pancakes
- 40 g caster sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 250 g whole-milk ricotta
- 3 large eggs separated
- 180 ml buttermilk
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- Butter or neutral oil for cooking
To serve
- Extra ricotta Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche
- Icing sugar
- Extra lemon zest
- Maple syrup or honey
Instructions
Make the blueberry compote
- Add the blueberries, caster sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest to a small saucepan.
- Cook over a medium heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring now and then, until some of the berries burst and the sauce turns glossy.
- If the compote thickens too much, add 1–2 tbsp water to loosen it. Set aside while you make the pancakes.
Rub the lemon zest into the sugar
- Add the caster sugar and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl.
- Rub them together with your fingertips until the sugar feels slightly damp and smells bright and lemony.
Mix the ricotta batter
- Add the ricotta, egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla extract to the lemon sugar.
- Whisk gently until combined. The mixture does not need to be completely smooth; a little ricotta texture is fine.
Add the dry ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and fine sea salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the ricotta mixture and stir gently until just combined. The batter should be thick, soft and slightly lumpy.
Whip the egg whites
- In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.
- Add one spoonful of whipped egg white to the pancake batter and gently stir to loosen it slightly.
Fold gently
- Fold in the remaining whipped egg whites using a rubber spatula.
- Move gently and slowly, keeping as much air in the batter as possible. A few white streaks are fine.
Cook the pancakes
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat and add a little butter or neutral oil.
- Spoon in the batter, using around 2 heaped tablespoons per pancake.
- Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the edges look set and small bubbles appear on the surface.
- Flip carefully and cook for another 2 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adding a little more butter or oil to the pan as needed.
Serve
- Stack the pancakes onto plates and spoon over the blueberry compote.
- Finish with extra ricotta, Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche, icing sugar, lemon zest and a small drizzle of maple syrup or honey, if using.
Notes
- Use whole-milk ricotta, not skimmed. If it looks watery, drain it briefly before using.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest are essential here. Bottled lemon juice will not give the same bright, clean flavour.
- Do not skip separating the eggs. The whipped egg whites are what give these pancakes their cloud-soft lift.
- Cook them gently over medium-low heat. These pancakes are thicker than standard pancakes, so they need time to cook through without burning on the outside.
- The batter should be thick and softly lumpy, not thin and pourable. If it looks a little rustic, you are probably doing it right.
- The blueberry compote can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm it gently before serving.
