Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberries

Wholesome, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, these Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes are an absolute dream. Made with flavorful ingredients like fresh blueberries, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, these tasty pancakes are guaranteed to spice up your morning routine.

Living in Southern California, I’m blessed with jaw-dropping scenery just about everywhere you turn. It makes for some pretty incredible hiking, so I try to get outside often. About once a month, my close friends and I go on a rewarding hike to explore the natural beauty of California. Once we’ve had our fill of mother nature and are sufficiently sweaty, we treat ourselves to an indulgent brunch. There’s usually bacon and there’s always at least one mimosa.

When we go for our monthly hike and brunch, we typically try out a different restaurant each time. Living in Los Angeles, that’s not hard to do. Recently, we went to a restaurant that had the most delicious Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes I could have imagined. I couldn’t stop thinking about them afterward and knew that I had to find a way to make them at home for myself. I mean, for the family… Ha!

I started from a Giada de Laurentis recipe and adjusted it to be lighter, then incorporated the lemon. After a few failed attempts, I finally perfected the ultimate copycat recipe for the pancakes that had me drooling at brunch.

These Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are seriously out of this world. If you’re a lover of pancakes, then I guarantee you are going to fall in love with this recipe just like I did. Serve them up for a special Saturday brunch with the family and make sure to freeze the leftovers so you can enjoy them at your leisure.

Key Ingredients

The key ingredients you will need for this flavorful breakfast dish include:

• All purpose flour: You will want to make sure you properly measure the flour to ensure that the pancakes wind up light and fluffy.
• Blueberries: I prefer to use fresh blueberries, but you can also use frozen blueberries if that’s what you have. If you opt for frozen, don’t thaw them out beforehand or you run the risk of mushy blueberries that will bleed and turn the whole pancakes a blue-ish tint.
• Lemons: For this recipe, we’re going to get a ton of bright flavors from both lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Ricotta: This adds a light creaminess and a rich flavor that is the perfect amount of sweet.
• Vanilla extract: This enhances all the other flavors in the pancakes, so you don’t want to forget it!
• Sugar: We use just a teaspoon of sugar in this recipe to enhance the sweetness of the other sweet ingredients.

Serving and Substitution Tips

Here are some of my top serving and substitution tips for this recipe:

• You can switch out the blueberries for the berries of your choice. Raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries will all work.
• If you’re on a sugar-free diet, you can use coconut sugar for a natural alternative to traditional sugar.
• You can replace the egg with mashed banana or applesauce if you’re allergic to eggs, but keep in mind this will slightly alter the consistency and flavor of the pancakes.
• Try topping these pancakes with a pat of butter, a drizzle of maple syrup, and some powdered sugar for the ultimate presentation.
• If you like your pancakes extra fruity, try topping them with some blueberry compote.
• If you don’t have almond milk, you can use any type of milk you like. Cashew milk, soy milk, and regular dairy milk will all work.

Why You’ll Love These Ricotta Pancakes

I’m fully confident that you’re going to love this dish as much as I do, but in case you need a bit more convincing, here are some of the reasons why:

• They’re easy to make. All you have to do is whisk up the ingredients and the pancakes cook up in just a few minutes.
• They’re wholesome. These pancakes are made with wholesome ingredients, making for the perfect guilt-free indulgence.
• They store well. You can store these pancakes in the freezer for up to 2 months and enjoy them whenever you’re in the mood for a delicious breakfast.
• They’re absolutely delicious. Quite possibly the most important part, these pancakes are out-of-this-world tasty!

How to Store This Dish

I’ll be totally honest here, you probably won’t have leftovers unless you make a really big batch. These pancakes are that delicious. However, if you think ahead and make an extra large batch of them, they can be easily stored. You will need to let them come down to room temperature first, then transfer them to an airtight bag or container. Once you’ve got them sealed up, you can store them in one of two ways:

• In the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
• In the freezer for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most frequently asked questions about this healthy breakfast recipe:

Can I freeze this dish?

Yes! To freeze this dish, spread out the pancakes in an even layer on a baking tray and place the tray in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Then, transfer them into an airtight bag or container and freeze them for up to 2 months.

Are these pancakes healthy?

By making pancakes from scratch, you can control what goes into them. When you order pancakes at a restaurant, they’re most likely loaded with tons of sugar, butter, and other not so healthy ingredients. This healthy pancake recipe uses much healthier ingredients and, when consumed in moderation, is a perfectly healthy addition to any diet.

What can I use instead of ricotta?

If you can’t find ricotta cheese at the store or want to try something else, you can substitute it for Greek yogurt, sour cream, or regular yogurt.

More Healthy Pancake Recipes

Like this recipe? Try these next:

• Polenta Berry Pancakes
• Blender Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
• Healthy Greek Yogurt Pancakes
• Three Ingredient Banana and Egg Pancakes
• Flaxseed Meal Pancakes