Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Do it right with some of our other favorite breakfast recipes like Overnight Sourdough Waffles, German Pancakes, Cinnamon French Toast Sticks, or Southern Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy. I love, love, love pancakes. They are so easy, there are so many great variations, and best of all, you get to top them with delicious syrups and jams and sauces. I remember as a kid going out to eat for the occasional special breakfast (usually when my dad’s job was transferring us and the company was paying all the expenses) and feeling compelled to try every last syrup variety that was offered. I might as well have just held the jars of blackberry or apple cinnamon or apricot syrup (my favorite) over my gaping mouth and poured, because I absolutely drenched my pancakes in the stuff. I’m not much different as an adult as far as wanting lots of syrup and ALL THE FLAVORS. These lemon ricotta pancakes with coconut syrup were the perfect opportunity to unleash my inner child (like she is ever very restrained to begin with) and slather already delicious pancakes that are subtly rich and tart from the ricotta cheese and lemon zest and then bathe them in scrumptious coconut syrup. With a little dusting of powdered sugar and a few fresh blueberries on the side for good measure. Oh heavens, this is my kind of breakfast. (Incidentally, I have a recipe for Toasted Coconut Pancakes that you most definitely need to try as well!) Also, it’s a great way to use up leftover ricotta cheese after making a batch of lasagna or stuffed shells the day before. I adore this flavor combination. I have seen coconut syrup with banana macadamia nut pancakes (it’s a Hawaiian thing and delicious, I’m positive, though I don’t recall seeing it the last time we were in Maui) and examples of lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry syrup (also wonderful – another syrup that I adore and make on a regular basis), but never lemon and coconut together. And I have to let my little corner of the internet know that this is an opportunity that is a’wasting because man alive are those two things AMAZING together. Sorry for the caps shouting but I want to lemon-coconut everything up now and I’m feeling a little amped up about it. For reals, though, these lemon ricotta pancakes are so light and tender that you could eat them with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar and be happy. And it is frighteningly easy to eat 3 or 8 of them without blinking an eye. But then you top them with a super easy, creamy smooth coconut syrup and it’s like you are transported to some imaginary island where coconuts and lemons grow together on a magical lemon-coconut tree because of course that is how nature intended it to be. And all is right with the world. We could certainly use more of that, couldn’t we? Seriously though, you have to try this coconut syrup. Not only is it amazing with these lemon ricotta pancakes, but you can use it on lots of other things. Waffles, french toast (OMG it would be amazing on french toast, especially cinnamon roll french toast – that’s it, this is happening soon), as an ice cream topping (chocolate & coconut – another flavor pairing that puts stars in my eyes), or even as a dipping sauce for coconut shrimp (note to self, make coconut shrimp and dip it in this stuff, pronto). The possibilities are, well, maybe not endless, but there are a lot of possibilities!
Recipe Ingredients
Ricotta cheese: This ingredient adds wonderful richness and flavor to the pancakes. Look for whole milk ricotta cheese, although part-skim milk ricotta cheese will work as well.Lemon: One juicy lemon is all you need to add wonderful citrus flavor to these pancakes. Be sure to zest the lemon before juicing it.Flour: Regular all-purpose flour works great for fluffy, light pancakes.Milk: There really is no need for buttermilk in these pancakes because of the acid in the lemon juice that goes into the batter. Regular milk works just fine.Eggs: You need eggs for binding and to help the pancakes rise.Baking powder: There is a good amount of baking powder which is what makes the batter rise so your pancakes are fluffy.Butter: Don’t skip buttering your skillet! Not only does it help the pancakes not stick to the pan, but it also adds wonderful flavor.Vanilla extract: A little vanilla adds a hint of sweetness to the pancakes. I love using my homemade vanilla extract.Salt: Just a bit of salt helps make sure the pancakes aren’t bland.
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
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Recipe Tips & Tricks
Be sure not to overmix the batter. When it comes to pancakes and muffins, once you add the flour to the wet ingredients you will want to stir by hand just until everything is combined so the pancakes stay tender and light instead of tough. It’s okay for some streaks of flour to remain and for the batter to be lumpy.Ricotta Chocolate Chip Pancakes: The sweet cream ricotta pancake base can be easily customized by leaving out the lemon and adding chocolate chips instead.Let the batter rest. I learned this trick from Ina Garten. The Barefoot Contessa recommends letting pancake batter rest so the gluten can relax after stirring for a more tender pancake. It really does seem to make a difference!Making pancakes for a crowd? Keep them warm in a 250 degree F oven on a baking sheet while you cook the batches so they can be served piping hot all at once. Don’t dust them with powdered sugar until just before serving.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes to Try
Toasted Coconut PancakesEasy Chocolate CrepesAebleskiver | Danish PancakesBig, Fluffy Buttermilk PancakesRaspberry Streusel MuffinsChunky Monkey PancakesEasy Belgian WafflesHomemade Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Toppingand see all my breakfast recipes here
This post was originally published in July, 2016. The photos and content were updated in May, 2021. Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
