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Bursting Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. Everyone needs a go-to blueberry pancake recipe, and this is it! These pancakes are made with a touch of fresh ricotta cheese, a little squeeze of lemon, and each one is swirled with plenty of sweet blueberries. They’re light, extra fluffy, perfectly sweet, and all around delicious. And as if that wasn’t enough, they’re served drizzled with a lemony poppy-seed syrup. Perfect for a lazy weekend morning breakfast!
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It’s become the time of year when I’ve decided I’m pretty over winter and ready for spring. This is a bit of a problem, since officially we still have over a month of winter left. It’s even more of a problem for me, because up here in the mountains we definitely have way more than a month of winter left. Usually we’ll have a snow into May. Very, very long winters around here.
Anyway, it’s not that I’m totally over winter, but more like a craving for more bright and fresh, you know? Pretty sure I’m not the only one feeling this way. So I thought I’d take it upon myself to share a more spring forward recipe today…
Blueberry pancakes!!
If I’m being honest, I threw up a photo of these pancakes cooking on the stove last week on Instagram. Soo many of you inquired about the recipe. When I realized my messages were full of blueberry pancake recipe requests, I figured I’d better share the recipe. And sooner rather than later. Since some of you seemed like you were in desperate need of the perfect blueberry pancake!
Trust me, I get it. Pancakes are a weekend staple around here. Nothing really beats a good blueberry pancake. I like to make mine with two additions that I find make the pancakes a smidge better than the rest.
Enter in a little whole milk ricotta cheese, and fresh lemon. The couple that can do no wrong.
Since pancakes are a morning thing, I like to keep mine very, very simple. No fancy whipped egg whites or overnight rises. I mean, those things can be good, but for everyday pancakes, simple is truly best.
SO. I just mix fresh ricotta (use whole milk ricotta cheese for best results) with a little buttermilk, vanilla, lemon, flour, and the traditional pancake ingredients. The ricotta really adds a nice lightness and sweet flavor to the pancakes that we truly love. While the lemon adds a fresh, almost spring like touch.
My other secret? In addition to plenty of fresh blueberries (or frozen, honestly either works just the same), I swirl in a little bit of blueberry jam as well. I know it might seem like overkill, but I’m telling you, it’s not. It’s delicious and leaves you with a blueberry pancake that’s actually bursting with BLUEBERRY flavor. So very good. The jam caramelizes a bit on the edges while it cooks, but also creates pockets of sweet jam throughout. A nice contrast to the whole blueberries.
AND then, as if that was not plenty enough right there. I love making a little poppy-seed syrup to drizzle over each pancake. It’s literally just lemon zest, poppy-seeds, and real maple syrup. But it feels special and tastes sweet and perfect.
When it comes to making a really good pancake, I have two tips.
One, keep the the batter loose. Meaning, don’t add too much flour. I prefer to have a batter that’s on the more liquidy side than thick. I’ve always found this to yield extra soft pancakes.
Two, let the batter sit/rest for at least 5 or so minutes before you begin cooking. This helps the batter to settle, and makes for an even lighter and more delicate pancake.
OK. And with that, here’s my recommendation. Find yourself some ricotta cheese, lemons, and blueberries and plan on making pancakes. It could be this weekend, but don’t feel constrained to only cooking pancakes on the weekends. These are easy enough for any day of the week. And let’s be real, they also make a great lunch…or even dinner…love breakfast for dinner!
Just be sure to enjoy them warm, with a small pat of butter, and a good drizzle of that poppy-seed syrup…
If you make these blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, or use whole milk
- 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon honey, adding in more honey if you like a sweeter pancake
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 3-4 tablespoons blueberry jam , (optional)
Poppy-Seed Lemon Syrup
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon poppy-seeds
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- 1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, ricotta, eggs, butter, honey, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined. It’s OK if the batter is a little lumpy. If the batter feels a little too thin, add 1/4 cup additional flour.2. Fold in the blueberries, and if desired 2-4 tablespoons of the blueberry jam, for an extra berry filled pancakes. Allow the batter to sit 5-10 minutes.3. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and add a little butter, or spray with cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup pancake batter onto the center of the hot pan. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Using a spatula, gently flip the pancake over and cook the other side for a minute, or until golden. Repeat with the remaining batter.4. To make the syrup, warm the maple, poppy-seeds, and lemon zest over low heat.5. Serve the pancakes topped with the poppy-seed syrup, butter, and fresh blueberries, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Tried making these this morning. No matter how long I let them cook the inside was still batter. What did I do wrong?
Hi Alissa
So sorry to hear this. Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Were they just too thick? Maybe your heat was too high and they needed to cooke longer. Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
How much would we use for the serving if we used your pancake mix from your cookbook? Would we just use 2 1/2 cups of that mix and keep everything else as is?
Thank you!
How much would we use for the serving if we used your pancake mix from your cookbook? Would we just use 2 1/2 cups of that mix and keep everything else as is?
Thank you!
Hi there! Yes, I would just use 2 1/2 cups mix 🙂 Enjoy! xTieghan
The flavor is fantastic! My daughter has an egg allergy so we substituted flax eggs instead, but the inside wouldn’t cook fully (despite cooking it slowly) and was mushy. Any suggestions on a better egg substitution? Thank you! I LOVE your recipes.
Hey Allison,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry I have never tested without the egg! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I can’t wait to try this pancake recipe! We love pancakes in our household, and this recipe is perfect for summer. I’m featuring this recipe on my blog!
Thanks so much!! I hope you love this recipe!! xTieghan
Oh my… such a amazing alternative to the plain ol’ pancake of youth. These are fantastic. I used frozen blueberries. They thawed on the counter as I put the recipe together. Also added my own blueberry jam. Then I cooked them slowly to cook them thoroughly. Perfect. Family loves them. Thanks! ?
Hey Karry,
Happy Saturday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Don’t use frozen blueberries!!!!!!
This is my first ever review but they were such a fail I needed to warn others. I wish I loved these pancakes, but we used frozen blueberries and every pancake wouldn’t cook properly. Took forever to cook, and still were burnt on the outside, raw inside. We cook homemade pancakes all the time, and this was a huge fail. I suggest removing frozen berries as an option in the recipe, and adding way more flour.
Hey Carolyn,
So sorry you had issues with these, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
My husband’s typical breakfast is half a pot of black coffee. Full stop. On the weekends he’s willing to try my handiwork. He is not a sweets person, but he is obsessed with these pancakes. Whipped them up this morning and we devoured them! Perfect amount of sweetness mixed with light, citrus flavors. And the ricotta is a brilliant addition. One of our favorite recipes!
Hey Jen,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
This was DELICIOUS! My boyfriend and I loved the taste – it was perfection. The only thing is that my whole batch came out a little undercooked on the inside and I’m not sure why. I tried cooking it on a lower setting and it still came out the same. Do you think this could be from the frozen blueberries or the jam? Any thoughts/tips you have are appreciated 🙂
Hey Olivia,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! I think you just need to cook longer:) Have a great week:) xTieghan
These were HANDS DOWN the BEST pancakes I’ve ever made. . . No exaggeration. The texture is amazing, thick and chewy, and the creamy lemon flavor is incredible !! I used soy milk instead of buttermilk but otherwise followed the recipe. Highly recommend !! Thank you Tieghan !!
Hey Abby,
I am thrilled that you liked the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have an awesome week:) xTieghan
Can you make these ahead of time?
Hey Kerri,
I prefer to serve pancakes hot off the skillet. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hello Tieghan,
I love love love your recipes, thank you so much! Just wondering when you say the calories above – is that per serving?
Thanks so much, Rachel.
Hey Rachel,
Yes that is an estimate per serving. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What a terrific recipe! Easy to make. Followed the recipe and they were the most delicious pancakes I ever made or tasted. Love blueberry with Lemon. The surprise was the ricotta. First time using ricotta in a breakfast dish. Can’t wait to share this with guests. Thanks!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xTieghan
When I made these pancakes, they never cooked properly. The texture was gooey. I think the recipe has too much liquid. I’m not sure what the issue is. I followed the recipe exactly as it said. Maybe the ricotta cheese was not the right kind. It was too bad. I ended up throwing out the whole thing.
Hi Bolanle! I am really sorry to hear that. Please let me know if there is anything I can help with, or if there is anything that could have gone wrong. xTieghan
I just made these and the flavors were so good! I did use whole fat yogurt (what I had on hand) so I don’t know if that’s why they came out rather thin. Will try and play around with them a bit.
I am glad these turned out well! If there is anything I can help you with, please let me know!! xTieghan