Fluffy Lime Ricotta Pancakes Recipe: A Delicious Twist On a Classic Breakfast Brunch

The original New York Times Cooking recipe for these pancakes called for lemon zest, but alas, when I opened my fridge to make them on a Sunday morning, there was no lemon hiding in the crisper like I thought. I also refused to buy a whole bottle of buttermilk to only use a quarter cup! So, I improvised quite a bit with these fluffy ricotta pancakes, substituting a lime for the lemon and discovering I could make my own buttermilk by adding some vinegar (or lemon) to whole milk.

The result was heavenly, light and fluffy pancakes that reminded me more of more of crepes than heavy flapjacks that make you feel stuffed and sluggish all day! To make this easy pancake recipe you will need all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, a lime, pure vanilla extract, eggs, ricotta cheese, buttermilk (see Recipe Notes) and butter.

Serve these tender ricotta pancakes slathered in butter and some fruit or a drizzle of honey. (They’re sweet enough to forego the maple syrup!) Yummy for breakfast or brunch, these pancakes are also pretty good straight out of the refrigerator as a quick snack!

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (you can use gluten-free flour)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 lime, zested
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs or 2 jumbo eggs
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese (whole milk)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, preferably whole milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus butter to grease the pan

Recipe Notes

• You can easily substitute lemon for the lime.

• Make your own buttermilk by adding about 1/4 tablespoon of vinegar to whole milk, stir and let it sit for at least five minutes.

• To make these pancakes gluten-free, use gluten-free flour.

• The batter is thin and spreads quite a bit so be sure to space your pancakes out in the pan.

Here’s how to make it:

1. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large measuring cup.
2. In a bowl, add the sugar and zest the lime directly over the sugar, gently rubbing the zest into the sugar with your fingers.
3. Add the vanilla and mix to evenly moisten the sugar with vanilla. Whisk the eggs into the sugar mixture until the batter is foamy on top.
4. Add the ricotta, buttermilk and melted (slightly cooled) butter, and give it a good whisk until everything is well-blended. Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir well.
5. Meanwhile, butter a large pan and heat it over medium heat. You can adjust the heat if they're cooking too fast. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter per pancake in the pan, spacing the pancakes at least an inch apart. Cook until the tops are bubbling, and the bottoms are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip to brown the other side.
6. Serve warm with butter.

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by HappyForks. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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