Light and fluffy whole wheat and refined sugar free ricotta pancakes with bright pops of lemon and juicy, sweet blueberries makes for a fabulously delicious breakfast!
Happy National Blueberry Pancake Day!
It actually seems appropriate that this beautiful food holiday lands on a Monday – because enjoying light, fluffy pancakes studded with pops of fresh, sweet blueberries and covered in luscious, rich maple syrups seems well-deserved for a cold, snowy Monday morning. And much needed!
For you to celebrate, I created these lemon blueberry ricotta pancakes. The lemon gives them a burst of brightness. The ricotta makes them so light and airy. And the blueberries and a pop of sweetness. Plus, lemon and blueberries go perfectly together.
Let’s get to cooking!
There are two secrets to making these pancakes light and fluffy. One, the light ricotta cheese. First, the addition of ricotta makes you feel all sophisticated and fancy – again much needed for Monday! It also keeps the pancakes super moist and fluffy. Finally, ricotta and lemon pair wonderfully together making these pancakes super flavorful.
The second secret is adding whipped egg whites to the batter. The egg whites add air to the batter making for an incredibly fluffy pancakes. It’s such an easy extra step that makes such a difference in the end product.
So here’s the quick rundown on how to make them: First, separate your eggs, whisk together the dry ingredients, combine wet ingredients including the egg yolks, combine the wet and dry together until just combined, do not over-mix, then add the beaten egg whites, and let the batter hang out for 5 minutes or so while you heat your skillet with coconut oil or butter on medium/low heat. Add batter to pan and top with some blueberries. Fry, flip, eat, and repeat.
Woo! It’s as easy as that!
A quick tip on frying the pancakes. Be careful not to add too much oil to the pan or it will lead to greasy pancakes. Also, make sure your heat is not too high or it will burn the outside without fully cooking the inside. I think medium-low heat works best. Finally, do not overcrowd the pan or the pancakes will combine and you will be left with one enormous pancake (which hey, might be something you like, but if you want individual pancakes, give each pancake enough room to do their thang!).
I promise these pancakes are as good as they sound. They are light and fluffy (thank you whipped egg whites and ricotta). The ricotta also gives them a luxurious, moist texture. The lemon provides a bright pop of acidy. The blueberries are little bursts of sweet, juicy magic. And it’s all taken to the next level with a dollop of greek yogurt, a drizzle of rich maple syrup, and a sprinkle of extra blueberries and lemon zest.
I hope you enjoying a snow day and can stay in on this chilly Monday morning and make these delicious pancakes (we got almost a foot of snow in Chicago and it’s still going!). But if you are stuck going to work/school (sorry hubby!), then definitely save this recipe for later. You are going to want to make them!! And devour them!
Which is what I am currently doing right now 💙
Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light ricotta cheese room temp.
- 1 cup non-dairy milk room temp.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Zest of 2 whole lemons
- 1/4 cup lemon juice about juice of 1 lemon
- 2 large eggs separated and at room temp.
- 1 cup blueberries extra for topping
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt for topping
- Extra lemon zest for topping
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
Instructions
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Separate the egg yolks and whites.
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Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, ricotta cheese, lemon juice, vanilla and honey.
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Just combine wet ingredients with the dry ingredients – it is ok if there are lumps. Be careful not to over-mix.
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In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they become whipped and soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold them into the batter.
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Allow batter to rest for 5 minutes.
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Heat coconut oil or butter in a skillet or on a griddle on medium-low heat. Ladle equal amounts of the batter onto the hot skillet and top with a couple of blueberries. Once bubbles start to form, flip the pancake and continue to cook until they are fully cooked through and both sides are nicely browned. Continue process until all the batter is used.
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Top pancakes with greek yogurt, extra blueberries, lemon zest, and maple/honey.
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Serve and enjoy!
