A delightful twist to a delicious breakfast, these Eggless Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are perfect for any morning when you want something different, flavorful, easy to make, and yummy. The recipe includes step-by-step photos and lots of tips.
Eggless Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe Highlights
Pancakes are always a hit around here. No one needs anything fancy; just those sweet cakes and some syrup really start a morning outright.
So I wanted to take eggless pancakes to the next level, because why not? We love lemon, so I made it the main flavor. It adds a tanginess that just can’t be beaten.
The result is my Eggless Lemon Ricotta Pancakes that are fluffy, moist, and melt in your mouth. The lemon adds a perfect refreshing flavor that you are going to love, and adding ricotta into the pancakes creates a combination that is hard to beat! Plus, they are super easy to make with simple ingredients.
Eggless Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are delicious with basic butter, syrup, and some fresh berries but add a little whipped cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and you have some fancy pancakes on your hands. For another twist, try them with a homemade strawberry or blueberry sauce. You really can’t go wrong!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here; skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Make sure they’re not expired or too old.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar o caster sugar.
- Milk: For cooking/baking, I like to use whole milk. However, you can use any milk you have handy.
- Ricotta Cheese: I like to use full-fat ricotta. However, low fat will work too, but I’ve found the fat-free just doesn’t taste good.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
- Oil: Vegetable or canola oil – Or any light-tasting/neutral oil of your preference.
- Lemons: You will need the juice and zest in this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract!
- Plus, butter, maple syrup, fresh berries, and/or fresh whipped cream for serving (optional).
Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
1 – Mix Dry Ingredients
Measure out your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar into a medium bowl and whisk them together.
2 – Mix Wet Ingredients
Grab another bowl and whisk together the milk and ricotta. Then toss in the rest of the ingredients.
3 – Combine Dry And Wet
Whisk the wet and dry ingredients together, just until combined, then let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
4 – Cook the Pancakes
Heat a frying pan or electric griddle and grease it with a light layer of butter (you don’t want your pancakes to stick!)
Pour a ¼ cup of the batter onto the heated frying pan. Flip your pancakes when the bubbles rise to the top and the bottom is golden brown.
Recipe Variations
Add berries: I like to add the berries to individual pancakes after I’ve ladled out the batter onto the griddle. Strawberry or blueberries are a great addition.
Cinnamon: Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for cannoli flair.
Chocolate Chips: For my chocolate lovers!!
Orange: swap the lemons for oranges.
Serving Ideas
These egg-free ricotta pancakes are so delicious that they barely need any topping. However, these are our favorite ways to serve them:
- With butter and maple syrup.
- Chopped fresh berries.
- Whipped Cream and toasted nuts on top.
- Homemade Strawberry Sauce.
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Eggless Lemon Curd
Recipe Tips
Don’t over-mix batter – use separate bowls for wet and dry ingredients and then mix them together until just combined.
I like to use full-fat ricotta. However, low fat will work too, but I’ve found the fat-free just doesn’t taste good.
You can store pancakes on a baking sheet in the oven heated to 200º F (95º C) degrees until you’re ready to serve them. Cold pancakes are not fun!
Frequently Asked Questions
They keep well for about 3 days in the fridge.
No, I don’t recommend it. As soon as the batter is mixed together, the baking soda and baking powder are activated, so if they are not cooked right away, they will not rise properly.
I wouldn’t recommend it since the cottage cheese wouldn’t blend into the pancake batter, and rather it would remain chunky.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
STORE: Eggless Lemon Ricotta Pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
FREEZE: Once the pancakes have cooled, wrap them individually in wax paper, then stack them in a large freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible (you can use a straw, if you have one available, to suck out all the extra air, then quickly finish the seal!) to prevent freezer burn.
Reheating Pancakes
Take your pancakes out of the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for five minutes. Then you can use the oven or microwave to heat them.
- OVEN: Cover the pancakes with foil and heat them in a preheated oven for 6-8 minutes or until they are warm.
- MICROWAVE: Wrap an individual pancake in a damp paper towel, then microwave it for 30 – 40 seconds, or until heated through.
More Eggless Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love!
Love my Eggless Lemon Ricotta Pancakes? Try one of these other eggless breakfast recipes and add some delightful combinations to your mornings!
- BEST Eggless French Toast
- Fluffy Red Velvet Pancakes (No Eggs)
- Eggless Waffles
- Eggless Blueberry Muffins [Video]
- Eggless Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Eggless Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- Easy Eggless Crepes
- more eggless breakfast recipes…
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Eggless Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup (50 g) white sugar
- 1/2 cup (120) ml milk
- 1/2 cup (120 g) ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) canola oil
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (just the yellow part of the skin)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Butter maple syrup, fresh berries and/or fresh whipped cream for serving (optional)
Important
Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!
Instructions
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl and stir using a balloon whisk to combine.
- In another medium bowl, add the milk and ricotta and whisk until well blended and no lumps. Then add butter, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients. Mix until just combine. Be careful not to overmix the batter. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat a medium non-stick frying pan, or electric griddle, over medium-low heat. Wipe over with a little butter to lightly grease the pan.
- Pour a 1/4-cupful of batter into the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles rise to the surface and the base is golden brown. Use a spatula to turn and cook the other side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve pancakes warm, with butter, maple syrup, honey, fresh berries, and/or whipped cream.
- Don’t over-mix batter – use separate bowls for wet and dry ingredients and then mix them together until just combined.
- I like to use full-fat ricotta. However, low fat will work too, but I’ve found the fat-free just doesn’t taste good.
- You can store pancakes on a baking sheet in the oven heated to 200º F (95º C) degrees until you’re ready to serve them. Cold pancakes are not fun!
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
Originally posted in May 2021, the post content was edited to add more helpful information, with no change to the recipe in July 2022.
Excellent pancakes, very tasty! I used gluten free flour (Ardent Mills from Costco online). So happy to find an eggless and gluten free recipe that turned out well. No other substitutes needed. Gluten free pancakes tend to take much longer on the griddle, more like 5 minutes a side. Thank you very much!
Hello Susan! Thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m thrilled to hear the pancakes turned out so well with gluten-free flour and that you enjoyed them. Great tip about the longer cooking time for gluten-free pancakes—it’s super helpful for others who might try the recipe. Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with joy, love, and more delicious breakfasts! x- Oriana
I found this because I was out of eggs but had some ricotta to make ricotta pancakes. This was excellent! I even messed up and forgot to mix in the milk with the wet ingredients, so added it to the final batter, but they still turned out really good. I did use salted butter in the recipe and pan, which added a savoriness. Thanks!
Hello Aeliz! I’m so glad you found the recipe and that it worked out, even with the little mix-up! Sometimes those happy accidents lead to delicious results, and it sounds like they turned out great. The salted butter must have added a nice savory touch—thank you for sharing that! I’m so glad you enjoyed the pancakes, and I hope you continue to find more egg-free recipes that work for you!
I only looked up the recipe because I had in mind to make ricotta pancakes, only to find out I’d run out of eggs. But in fact, it turned out really well – light and fluffy- and I’d make it again, even if I had sufficient eggs.
Hello Elise! I’m so happy to hear that! It’s awesome when a recipe turns out even better than expected. I’m glad you enjoyed the ricotta pancakes and found them light and fluffy. Sometimes those little twists lead to the best surprises. Thanks for sharing your experience, and I hope you continue to enjoy making (and eating) them!
I’m always on the lookout for a best pancake recipe and I am surprised this has no egg, but so happy to have found my favorite so far 🙂
Hello Jasmine! It sounds like you nailed it! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
These are ridiculously good. My family has made these several times. Each time we have to make a double batch and there are never any leftovers.
Hi Allese! Right? These are our fave! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Can I leave out the sugar? I’d like to make this for my 1 year old son with an egg allergy but I’m not ready to introduce him to sugar yet.
Hello Carolyn! The sugar does not only add sweetness but also helps with moisture and texture. I would not recommend omitting the sugar. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
This is an outstanding recipe! I made it for my daughter who has an egg allergy but the whole family agreed they were better than any pancakes I have made with eggs. Beautiful texture, easy to cook (a very easy to follow recipe). Thank you!!
Hello Emma! These pancakes are our fave! So glad you enjoyed this recipe too. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know!
Made these this morning. I had some ricotta I needed to use up and they were amazing. So good I love the fresh lemon flavor and I served them with fresh strawberries. I did not want to hide that wonderful flavor with syrup. I have to reduce my salt so I left that out and used no sodium baking powder to reduce the amount of sodium and they were still so delicious. I will be making these again and again. Thanks as always for such easy and good recipes.
Hello Caryn! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. We LOVE these pancakes. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know!
Hi Oriana,
Sure looks like another interesting recipe to try sometime. One question though: In the second step under “Instructions”, we need to combine ricotta and milk? Or do we need to use buttermilk instead? And, if buttermilk, how much do we need to use – since the ingredients list does not include buttermilk.
Thank you.
Hello Andy! Sorry for the confusion. This recipe only requires milk. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)