Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Thanks to the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the big island of Hawaii for sharing this recipe. I’ve added a few notes for ease of preparation at home. The ginger syrup is great but there are options, including sugar-free. Add fresh berries, and you have a fabulous breakfast treat.
Servings: 4 Yield 18-20 small pancakes
Calories: 856kcal
Equipment
- Large non-stick pan or griddle
Ingredients
Ricotta Pancakes
- 6 large eggs separated
- 1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 4 ounces unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons fresh, finely grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup all purpose flour or GF flour
- ¼ cup natural sugar or monk fruit blend
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional ginger Syrup (makes ¾ cup)
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 5 tablespoons small chopped pieces of peeled, fresh ginger root
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
Toppings
- Powdered sugar for dusting optional
- Assorted strawberries raspberries, blackberries and blueberries for garnish
Instructions
Making the Pancake Batter
- Heat a flat griddle, large sauté or fry pan over medium heat. Using an immersion blender fitted with a whisk attachment or with an electric hand mixer, whip egg whites until they hold firm, glossy peaks. Set aside.
- Beat Ricotta, butter, egg yolks and vanilla together. Set aside. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt and zest. With a flexible rubber spatula, stir dry ingredients gently into the Ricotta mixture. Stir a spoonful of the whipped eggs whites into the batter; then gently fold in the remainder of the whites.
Cooking the Pancakes
- Grease the heated griddle or pan with butter or non-stick spray. Drop a scant ¼ cup of batter for each pancake on the griddle. Cook until golden on the underside and the top shows small bubbles. Gently flip pancakes and cook until other side is golden. Set aside on a plate and keep warm until all pancakes are made, or serve as you go.
- To serve, dust the pancakes with powdered sugar and pour warmed ginger syrup. Serve with fresh berries if desired.
Optional ginger syrup
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan; stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil until reduced to ¾ of a cup, about 5 minutes. Cool, then refrigerate until serving.
Notes
Syrup options
- Try a flavored monk fruit syrup from Wholesome Yum (my go-to). While they don’t offer ginger, the vanilla, maple, or hazelnut versions pair beautifully with lemon ricotta pancakes. They also make a sugar-free honey we love.
- Make the ginger syrup (classic version with sugar) up to two weeks in advance. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- For a sugar-free ginger syrup, infuse monk fruit simple syrup with fresh peeled and sliced ginger. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, then strain.
Nutrition
Calories: 856kcal | Carbohydrates: 105g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 354mg | Sodium: 472mg | Potassium: 261mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 88g | Vitamin A: 1477IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 247mg | Iron: 2mg