Why do restaurant pancakes taste better than homemade?

Restaurants use better quality ingredients Restaurants tend to use real, farm-fresh eggs and real milk when making their pancakes, which as you might guess, adds to a richer, higher-quality eating experience.

What makes pancakes fluffy and helps them rise?

Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda , which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

Why are IHOP pancakes so delicious?

Marie Grimm, IHOP's vice president of culinary innovation, revealed to Delish that to make a killer batter, the wet ingredients should be "ice cold." Using cold eggs, milk, butter, oil, and water prevents the ingredients from prematurely heating the gluten in the flour , explains Grimm, which is responsible for creating ...

Why do IHOP pancakes taste better?

The Grease The final diner secret IHOP revealed: Real pancake pros don't use any oil or butter on their griddles. Instead, they make sure to use nonstick appliances so no extra fat is needed for the pancakes to lift off the hot pan.

What is the key to making the best pancakes?

Making good pancakes depends on three key factors: mixing the batter to the right consistency, heating the griddle properly and recognizing when to turn the cakes. Whether making pancake batter from scratch or from a packaged mix, stir it just enough to moisten the dry ingredients.

Does adding more baking powder make pancakes fluffier?

Baking powder (double acting) provides two rises: The first occurs when the baking powder comes into contact with a liquid, the second when it's exposed to heat. Too much baking powder will create a very puffy pancake with a chalky taste , while too little will make it flat and limp.

Which is better for pancakes, baking soda or baking powder?

Adding baking powder is the easiest way to make fluffy pancakes. There's more than one way to make the bubbles that make a pancake fluffy, but the easiest way is by adding a raising agent such as baking powder.

Can I use mayo instead of eggs in pancakes?

" The oil in mayonnaise helps moisten the recipe and acts as an adequate substitute for the liquid an egg would have added ." It also does a bit of leavening, since mayonnaise is made from eggs and is already emulsified.

Why are my homemade pancakes not fluffy?

Flat pancakes are nearly always because of expired baking powder, too little baking powder for the recipe size, or too thin of a batter. How to fix flat pancakes: First, test your baking powder by adding a teaspoon of baking powder in a glass and adding a tablespoon of water or two.

Do pancakes taste better with water or milk?

Can I Use Water Instead of Milk in Pancakes? Milk adds both flavor and texture to pancake batter , so if you are looking to make pancakes without milk, a simple swap to water doesn't always do the trick. For pancakes made without milk, you'll want to add some flavor through melted butter and vanilla extract.

How does Gordon Ramsay make perfect pancakes?

Gordon Ramsay's recipe Whisk the egg whites “*ntil foamy”. MiX all the other ingredients in a second bowl, then fold in the egg whites. Grease a pan with butter and use a medium heat, ladle in the batter to cook until bubbles form (around 5-6 minutes) and then flip and cook for around 2 minutes.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe - Recipes by Carina % (2024)

Jump to Recipe

These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes will quickly become your favorite pancake recipe! They’re soft and fluffy while being melt in your mouth tender from the Ricotta Cheese. The perfect weekend breakfast!

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Why I love Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These are no ordinary pancakes, these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are like a delicious indulgent dessert for your weekend brunch or breakfast.

Just think of your favorite fluffy pancakes you usually make but take up a notch with tangy lemon and creamy ricotta cheese to make the most delicious pancakes you’ve ever tasted!

Yes I am hyping up these pancakes but you wont understand how good they are until you’ve tried out the recipe! Also they are super easy and quick to make – no separating and whipping of egg whites or a long list of ingredients.

I promise these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes will be some of the best pancakes you’ve ever eaten. Soft, thick, fluffy, and sweet while also being melt in your moth tender – what more could you ask for?

Ricotta Cheese in Pancakes?

Cheese might seem odd in a pancake recipe but ricotta is one of the best additions you can make! The Ricotta Cheese gives these pancakes an almost custard like interior – think of a baked or Japanese cheesecake for reference.

Like cream cheese where as it’s more known for it creaminess and moisture in baked goods rather than a cheesy flavor. I promise you these won’t taste like a lasagna filling – they’ll be some of the best pancakes you’ve ever eaten!

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Lemon Ricotta Pancake Variations

The flavors for these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are very simple but so delicious. You can add a few different variations to change up the flavour.

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

1/2 Cup of Blueberries can be added to the batter to make Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes. You can leave the lemon out of the pancakes but the combination of blueberry and lemon is delicious!

Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pancakes

Remove the lemon zest from the ingredients and add 1/2 Cup of chocolate chips to the batter with the dry ingredients.

Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Swap the lemon zest for orange zest to make orange ricotta pancakes. Chocolate chips can also be added here for a delicious orange chocolate chip pancakes combo.

What to serve with Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

One of my favorite ways to serve these pancakes are with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of lemon juice! Here are a few other options:

Lemon Curd – Take the lemon flavor up a notch with a spoonful of lemon curd. This is a great recipe to use up egg yolks!
Jam
Fresh Berries
Whipped Cream –Here is how to make perfectly whipped cream plus how to fix over whipped cream!
Syrup

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Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe Ingredients

1 Cup / 250g Ricotta Cheese –Full fat ricotta cheese works the best for this recipe but you can use low fat if you would like. Make sure to drain it before using so there is no extra liquid added to the pancake batter.

2 Eggs –Make sure you are using room temperature eggs for this recipe. If you keep them in the fridge just remove them about an hour before you start cooking.

1/2 Cup / 125ml Milk – Use whole milk for best results. Milk alternatives can be substituted instead.

Zest of 1 Lemon

1 Cup / 125g Flour –All purpose or standard flour work best for this recipe.

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Wet Ingredients

In a medium sized mixing bowl add the ricotta cheese. Make sure your ricotta has been drained so there is no extra liquid being added to the pancake batter.

Add in the remaining wet ingredients, the eggs, milk and lemon zest. Give the wet ingredients a mix together with a whisk or wooden spoon until well combined.

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Dry Ingredients

In a smaller bowl measure out the dry ingredients, the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Give the dry ingredients a quick mix together to combine.

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Pancake Batter

Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and begin to fold the pancake batter together.

Make sure not to over mix here, as soon as you stop seeing dry flour stop mixing. It’s normal to have small lumps in the batter.

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Cooking the Pancakes

Heat a medium sized frypan like a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1/2 tsp of butter to the pan and pour in 1/3 Cup of pancake batter.

Cook the pancake for about 3-4 minutes or until the edges are starting to look cooked. Check on the pancake a few times and adjust the heat so it doesn’t burn.

Flip the pancake over and cook for a further few minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.

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Common Questions about this Lemon Ricotta Pancake Recipe

What kind of Ricotta Cheese should I use?

To get the best results I recommend using full fat ricotta cheese. It should be thick and almost solid like but if yours isn’t you can drain it using a cheese cloth.

Can you freeze Ricotta Pancakes?

For most pancakes I would say no they are definitely best fresh but yes you can freeze Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. The ricotta cheese keeps these pancakes super moist and tender so they reheat super well.

Cook the pancakes as usual and place into a sealed freezer bag or container. Place into the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to reheat the pancakes let them come up to room temperature. Reheat in the microwave for best results.

What can I substitute Ricotta Cheese for in this recipe?

I wouldn’t recommend substituting ricotta cheese in this recipe. If you don’t have any ricotta cheese on hand you can make my favorite fluffy pancakes or these buttermilk pancakes instead.

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Equipment for this Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe

Digital Scales – Digital scales are the easiest and most accurate way to measure ingredients. I’ve given the recipe amounts in metric and imperial so if you do want to use measuring cups instead you can.

Mixing Bowl –This is my favorite brand of mixing bowls! The patterns are so lovely and the quality of the bowls are perfect.

Cast Iron Skillet –I recommend a cast iron skillet to cook your pancakes as it provides such an even heat but you can use a non stick frypan instead. To cook multiple pancakes at once a cast iron griddle works really well!

More Pancake Recipes

The Ultimate Fluffy Pancakes
Buttermilk Pancakes
Souffle Pancakes

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Yield: 8 Pancakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes will quickly become your favorite pancake recipe! They’re soft and fluffy while being melt in your mouth tender from the Ricotta Cheese.

Ingredients

1 Cup / 250g Ricotta Cheese
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup / 125ml Milk
1 Lemon Zested
1 Cup / 125g Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
3 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt

Instructions

In a medium sized mixing bowl add the ricotta cheese. Make sure the ricotta has been drained so there is no extra liquid being added to the pancake batter.
Add the eggs, milk and lemon zest to the ricotta cheese and use a whisk to combine the ingredients together.
In a smaller mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Whisk together until there are no longer any lumps.
Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and fold the pancakes batter together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see any dry flour, it's perfectly okay for the batter to have small lumps. This helps the pancakes from becoming dry and tough.
Heat a medium sized frypan like a cast iron skillet or a griddle pan over medium low heat. Once the pan is hot add 1/2 tsp of butter.
Pour 1/3 Cup of pancake batter into the frypan and cook the pancake for about 3 minutes or until bubbles are popping in the middle of the pancake and the edges are starting to set.
Flip the pancake and cook for a further few minutes. A tip to test the pancake is fully cooked through is to press the centre like you would a cake or cupcake. If it springs back its fully cooked and if it sinks it needs a little longer.
Place the cooked pancake on a plate, and repeat the process of adding butter and cooking each pancake until you have used up all the batter. You should get about 8 pancakes.
Serve the pancakes stacked up and dusted with a good amount of powdered sugar.

Notes

Full fat Ricotta Cheese is best to use in this recipe. If you do use low fat make sure to drain the ricotta really well so you don't have any extra liquid added to the pancake batter.

Use a 1/4 Cup to measure out the pancake batter to make 12 smaller pancakes.

The pancakes can be frozen in an airtight container or bag. Let them come up to room temperature before heating in a frypan with a little butter or in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.

Lemon Ricotta Pancake Variations

1/2 Cup Blueberries
1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips
Zest of 1 Orange

Lemon Ricotta Pancake Toppings

Syrup
Fresh Berries and Whipped Cream
Lemon Curd
Powdered Sugar and Lemon Juice

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 PancakesServing Size: 1 Pancake
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 145Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 264mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 7g

Nutrition information is estimated and may not be 100% accurate

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