Light and fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes served with delicious blueberry compote to pour on top. The perfect breakfast treat! Each griddle cake is made by folding whipped egg whites into a citrus-infused cheese batter and cooked until golden brown.
Recipe Science
- Incorporating ricotta into the pancake batter adds moisture and richness, resulting in a fluffy and tender texture.
- The lemon juice’s acidity reacts with the baking powder, releasing carbon dioxide and helping the pancakes rise, making them light and airy.
- Cooking the blueberry compote allows the natural sugars in the berries to break down and caramelize, creating a thick, flavorful sauce that complements the tangy pancakes.
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Featured Comment 13
“Love the taste of these pancakes! The compote is the perfect compliment. YUM!”—Lokness
Why It Works
Ricotta pancakes are an Italian twist on classic buttermilk pancakes. This recipe makes for a light and fluffy texture by folding in whipped egg whites instead of baking soda. For added flavor, lemon and orange zest are concentrated with essential oils and mixed into the batter for delightful citrus notes.
The pancakes are lightly sweetened with honey to complement the mild and creamy cheese. Instead of maple syrup, I’ll show you how to make homemade blueberry compote. That’s just a fancy way of saying cooking down the berries in orange juice to make a sauce. The berries pop as they simmer, adding a deep purple color to the topping.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ricotta cheese: Adds creaminess and moisture, giving the pancakes a light, fluffy texture.
- Eggs (whites and yolks separated): The yolks add richness, while the whipped whites create a light, airy batter.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure and base for the pancakes.
- Lemon zest and lemon juice: Add a bright, tangy citrus flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the pancakes.
- Blueberries (fresh or frozen): Provide the main fruity component, adding sweetness and a burst of flavor.
- Honey: Naturally sweetens the compote and enhances the flavors of the berries.
- Orange zest and orange juice: Complement the lemon in the pancakes with a sweet citrus note, balancing the flavors.
- Mint leaves: Add a fresh, herbal touch to the compote, elevating the flavor.
- Kosher salt: Enhances and balances the sweetness and citrus flavors in both the pancakes and compote.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
- Ricotta cheese: Substitute with cottage cheese for a similar creamy texture.
- Honey: Use maple syrup or agave nectar as an alternative sweetener.
- Blueberries: Replace with strawberries or raspberries for a different fruit compote.
- All-purpose flour: Use whole wheat flour or a gluten-free flour blend to accommodate dietary preferences.
- Mint leaves: Swap with basil or leave out for a simpler compote flavor.
How to Make Ricotta Pancakes
Step 1: Make the Blueberry Compote
A compote is whole pieces of fruit cooked in a sweetened syrup. This recipe is a simple reduction of blueberries, fresh lemon juice, orange juice, citrus zest, honey, and mint. The mixture is simmered on the stovetop until the blueberries become tender and burst, creating a lightly thickened sauce.
Step 2: Thicken the Consistency
It only takes about 20 minutes to make, and then you have a tasty sauce that you’ll be licking from the spoon! You can add any of your favorite stone fruits or berries, like strawberries, blackberries, peaches, or nectarines, to the blueberry or switch them out.
Step 3: Make the Pancake Batter
When making lemon ricotta pancakes with mild and creamy cheese, you have to find a way to make them fluffy and tender. Compared to traditional pancake recipes, a small amount of flour is added to the batter. Since the batter does not have much acidity, this prevents the pancakes from becoming tough and rubbery.
This recipe does not use chemical leavening agents like baking soda or powder. For these ricotta pancakes, I use an egg foaming technique. The egg whites are whipped until medium-firm peaks are formed and then gently folded into the batter, similar to making a mousse or meringue. This method makes the pancakes incredibly light and fluffy with a golden brown exterior.
Step 4: Prepare the Pan
Lightly grease a nonstick pan or griddle with cooking spray, melted butter or oil.
Step 5: Cook the Pancakes
Add about ¼ cup of batter about 2 inches apart on the pan. Cook each pancake for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until the bottoms are golden brown and the edges are set. You can tell they are done when they spring back when lightly touched.
Step 6: To Serve
Place some pancakes on a plate and serve with warm blueberry compote. I like to garnish with any extra remaining ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe uses egg whites that have been whipped to incorporate more air bubbles into the batter. Very gently fold egg whites into the pancake batter a third at a time. This will help retain as many air bubbles as possible. Never press the pancakes down in the pan when cooking. Otherwise, they’ll become dense and flat.
Ricotta cheese is a spreadable, high-moisture cheese with a mildly sweet flavor. Traditionally, it is made from “recooking” the whey separated from the cheese curds from cows, sheep, sheep, or buffalo milk. Most commonly, you’ll find ricotta cheese in the markets made from coagulated and strained whole cow’s milk instead of whey.
More Breakfast Ideas
If you tried this Lemon Ricotta Pancakes recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Compote
Ingredients
Blueberry Compote
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 16 mint leaves, whole
- pinch kosher salt
- 3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
Ricotta Pancakes
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 4 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Make the Blueberry Compote – In a medium saucepan, combine orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, honey, and mint. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring occasionally for 6 minutes. The syrup should be slightly thickened and reduced to about ½ cup.Turn off the heat and add a pinch of salt, stirring to combine. Carefully remove and discard the mint leaves. Add 3 cups of blueberries and stir to coat with the syrup.
- Thicken the Consistency – Over medium heat, cook the blueberries until a dark purple thickened sauce forms, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir as needed to ensure the sides and bottom of the pan do not burn. The blueberries will pop, and large pieces will remain. Cook the compote longer if you want a thicker jam-type sauce. If it gets too thick, add water until you achieve the desired consistency. Keep warm to use as a topping for the pancakes.
- Make the Pancake Batter – In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, orange and lemon zest, egg yolks, ricotta cheese, and salt. Add flour and whisk until just combined. Place the egg whites in a bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk at medium-high speed until medium-firm peaks are formed, about 3 to 4 minutes.Add about ⅓ of the beaten egg white into the batter, gently folding until just mixed. Fold the remaining whites ⅓ at a time, ensuring not to deflate the batter, which should be light and airy.
- Prepare the Pan – Lightly grease a nonstick pan or griddle with cooking spray, melted butter or oil.
- Cook the Pancakes – Set the pan over medium heat until hot. Add about ¼ cup of batter, 2 inches apart. Cook each pancake for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until the bottoms are golden brown and the edges are set. They are done when they spring back when lightly touched. Lightly grease the pan between batches as needed.
- To Serve – Place pancakes on a plate and serve with warm blueberry compote.
Notes
- Sauce Yield: 1 cup of compote
- Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour. I recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
- Blueberry Compote: Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Amy says
What is the amount per serving? It doesn’t say in the nutrition information. Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
The nutritional information is based on 1 pancake plus some of the blueberry compote.
Jay Alhadeff says
I’m allergic to Orange Juice and was wondering if I could switch it with Apple Juice?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can use apple juice instead of orange juice. It will be a little sweeter. Cranberry or pomegranate juice would work as well.
Sue Hale says
I made these and the compote was excellent. Not sure what I did with the pancakes but the dough was so stiff and had to pat them down in the pan. They cooked well, tasted great but did not hold together. I used just coconut flour, since I didn’t have a “gluten free” flour should I have used some xanthan gum? I really want to try these again as I really enjoyed the flavor.
Jessica Gavin says
Great to hear that you enjoyed the compote Sue! I haven’t made these with coconut flour but after some researching, I know that you cannot use it as a 1:1 substitution. The reason why the dough was so stiff is because the coconut flour can get very dense and dry, which is also probably why it didn’t hold together. I’ve read that you should use 1/4-1/3 cup for every 1 cup of flour, and you will need more eggs to help be a good binder and perhaps more milk. You can use all-purpose flour if you are not looking for a gluten free option. Otherwise keep playing with the batter with coconut flour if you prefer to use that ingredient. Let me know how it goes!
JUDY says
Hey Jessica,
Thrilled to have this new recipe, especially the blueberry compote. I always get that at Market Tavern on the weekend if we go out to breakfast and now I can make your recipe and have it at home.
I have been telling my husband he needs to get back to making pancakes. He use to make them when the kids were growing up. He’d make cinnamon, chocolate, all kinds. He taught our 3 kids to cut their pancakes by rocking their fork tines up an down from top to bottom. I still remember them all gathered at their places practicing. Good memories.
Judy says
The recipe looks delicious. I wonder for the blueberry compote could I replace sugar with maple syrup or honey? I just received your book of 25 recipes. Thank you so much Jessica.
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so glad you received the book Judy! Yes, you can absolutely substitute honey or maple syrup for the sugar.
Judy says
Is there anything else I can replace the sugar with in the compote like honey or maple syrup. Looks wonderful.
Jessica Gavin says
Absolutely Judy! Honey, maple syrup,agave or coconut sugar would work great 🙂
Jessica Gavin says
@Lokness thank you! Let me know if you try the recipe!
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness says
Love the taste of these pancakes! The compote is the perfect compliment. YUM!