Lacy Gluten-Free Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Rich, tender & lacy! These gluten-free lemon ricotta pancakes make a decadent breakfast or brunch in about 30 minutes. Find more gluten-free pancake recipes here!

This gluten-free ricotta pancake recipe turns out lacy, pillowy ricotta pancakes in about 30 minutes. These little pillows of ricotta love taste like if cheesecake and pancakes had a baby.

These pancakes are:

• golden and lacy on the outside
• moist and pillowy on the inside
• gluten-free with sweet rice, oat, and millet flours
• rich and flavorful
• hearty and substantial
• ideal topped with fresh fruit (berries, stone fruit, figs, etc.)

I've adapted this gluten-free ricotta pancake recipe over the years from 2 sources: Plow's famous ricotta pancakes (an always-packed breakfast and lunch spot in my San Francisco neighborhood) and Smitten Kitchen's ricotta pancakes which she adapted from Gourmet.

I've made both versions as written, and I took my favorite aspects of each, swapped the AP flour for gluten-free flours, and turned out my favorite gluten-free lemon ricotta pancakes ever. I've made these many times over the years and they never disappoint!

Laced with lemon and vanilla, lightly sweetened, and moistened with butter and whole-milk ricotta, these luscious ricotta pancakes make a dreamy breakfast or brunch. They come together in about 30 minutes and they store well for future breakfasts too. Let me know if you try them!

Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions

These pancakes turn a handful of simple ingredients into something special. For best results, use the best-quality whole-milk ricotta you can find!

• Ricotta cheese is the diva of this gluten-free lemon ricotta pancake show, so be sure to use the most rich, luscious ricotta you can find. I prefer Bellwether Farms whole milk basket ricotta, which is tasty enough to eat straight, with a spoon. I once tried making this recipe dairy-free using Kite Hill almond ricotta and they were ok – not as good as the originals but better than no pancakes!
• Eggs moisten and lift the batter.
• Butter adds richness.
• Granulated sugar rubbed with lemon zest adds sweetness and fresh citrus flavor. Meyer lemon is divine here if you have some. Or you can use half lemon half tangerine, or use orange zest for orange ricotta pancakes. Sub maple sugar by weight for refined sugar-free.
• Lemon juice adds another hit of citrus and the acidity keeps them extra tender.
• A blend of gluten-free flours – millet, sweet rice, and oat – lend a neutral flavor as well as some whole grain goodness. You can sub by weight GF AP flour for the sweet rice, corn flour for the millet flour, and sorghum flour for the oat flour. You can also try this with 1 cup all-purpose wheat flour if you're cool with gluten.
• Vanilla perfumes the batter. I couldn't decide whether I preferred these with or without the vanilla, so I made it optional. Choose your own adventure!
• Baking powder and baking soda help the batter lift, spread, and brown.
• Salt sharpens the flavors.

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These gluten-free ricotta pancakes are so easy to make in about 30 minutes. This recipe makes 16 petite pancakes; 4 per serving for 4 servings.

1. First, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips until moist and clumpy. This draws out the oils in the zest for more lemony goodness.
2. Next, whisk together the lemon sugar, ricotta, eggs, melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla.
3. Sift in the flours, baking soda and powder, and salt. Stir until just combined.
4. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. These pancakes like to cook low and slow. Add a pat of butter or ghee, and scoop the batter onto the hot griddle. I like to use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop for uniform pancakes.
5. Cook until the pancakes are firm enough on top to flip, 2-3 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to flip the pancakes over. Cook on the second side until golden, about a minute.
6. Serve warm topped with your goodies of choice.

Is Ricotta Gluten-Free?

Yes, ricotta cheese is gluten-free!

I prefer whole milk basket ricotta from Bellwether farms in California. Milk and salt are the only ingredients. Or if you're craving a cheese-making adventure, you can easily make your own ricotta.

How to Serve Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These mildly flavored pancakes go well with fruit of any season. Add a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, dollops of creme fraiche, Greek yogurt, or more ricotta, and a sprinkle of something fun – bee pollen or hemp hearts.

Here are some ideas:

• Spring (shown here): strawberry rhubarb chia jam, berries, yogurt, maple syrup, bee pollen
• Summer: honey-roasted apricots, peaches, plums, and/or nectarines, whipped ricotta, mint
• Fall: blackberries, fresh figs, or maple-roasted pears, hemp hearts, yogurt, dark maple syrup
• Winter: supremes of blood orange, grapefruit, cara cara oranges, tangerines, and sliced kumquats, or candied Meyer lemons, whipped mascarpone, poppy seeds

Got leftover ricotta? Try these gluten-free recipes with ricotta cheese:

• Gluten-Free Ricotta Crepes
• Savory Ricotta Pancakes with Peas & Saffron
• Italian Ricotta & Jam Tart
• Savory Ricotta Tart with Beets & Pesto
• Gluten-Free Shortcakes with Ricotta and Berries

*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make these gluten-free lemon ricotta pancakes, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

4.82 from 11 reviews

Gluten-Free Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

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Rich, tender & lacy! These gluten-free lemon ricotta pancakes make a decadent breakfast or brunch in about 30 minutes.

Alanna Taylor-Tobin

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 pancakes, 4 servings

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (25 g) organic granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons packed finely grated lemon zest (from 2 large lemons)
• 12 ounces (1 ⅓ cups / 340 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons (42 g) melted unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) strained lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)

Dry Ingredients

• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (63 g) sweet rice flour (or GF AP flour)
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (55 g) millet flour (or corn flour)
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (35 g) oat flour (or sorghum flour)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ghee or high-heat cooking oil, for cooking the pancakes

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Instructions

• In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips until moist and clumpy.
• Whisk together the lemon sugar, ricotta, eggs, melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla.
• Sift in the flours, baking soda and powder, and salt. Stir until just combined.
• Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. These pancakes like to cook low and slow. Coat the pan lightly with ghee or oil. Drop ¼-cup scoops of batter onto the hot griddle. I like to use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop for uniform pancakes.
• Cook until they're firm enough on top to flip, 2-3 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to flip the pancakes over. Cook on the second side until golden, about a minute.
• Serve warm topped with your goodies of choice.
• Leftover pancakes keep well, refrigerated airtight, for up to 4 days. Or freeze for longer storage. Reheat before serving.

Notes

Variations

Orange Ricotta Pancakes: use orange zest in place of lemon

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes: Try stirring 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter. (Disclaimer that I haven't tested this yet!) 

Nutrition facts are for 1 of 16 pancakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 4gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 124mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 220IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1mg

Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!