Whole Wheat Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes bursting with fresh blueberries and made healthier with whole wheat flour. Covered in a fresh blueberry maple syrup, these pancakes are breakfast perfection!

Perfect for a Lazy Sunday Morning

These Whole Wheat Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are moist, fluffy and full of flavor from the lemon zest and lemon juice. The warm blueberry syrup complements the bright lemon flavor and makes this such an easy recipe that you can enjoy with your family on a lazy Saturday morning or with friends during a fabulous Sunday brunch. They’re amazing!

Our favorite weekends are the ones spent at home with absolutely no plans. Ones where we can wake up leisurely, lounge around in our pjs and whip up an awesome breakfast before going about the day. That’s what we call a perfect weekend!

A few Saturdays ago, we were all lounging around when someone put in a request for pancakes. No problem. Instead of our usual buttermilk pancakes or whole wheat banana pancakes, I decided to switch things up and use some leftover lemon and ricotta from our date night in the night before to create a fresh pancake recipe that hopefully the kids would all love.

We had lots of lemons leftover from some cocktails we had made and about a cup of ricotta from the whipped ricotta appetizer we had before dinner. So lemon ricotta pancakes it was! I threw in some fresh blueberries because they go so great with lemon and are awesome in pancakes. And I also simmered some blueberries in maple syrup with a little lemon zest and lemon juice for a special syrup that made these pancakes even more scrumptious.

These pancakes were such a huge hit with the family that the boys actually requested them the next weekend and then I made them again to share the recipe with y’all so we’ve pretty much been living off of them for weeks and nobody’s complaining.

Ingredients and Supplies

(see recipe card at the bottom of this post for measurements and details)

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour: adds fiber and structure while keeping the pancakes tender and wholesome. Whole wheat flour adds a heartier texture and more nutritional value over all-purpose white flour. You can sub white whole wheat flour for a lighter texture.
• Granulated sugar: sweetens the pancakes and also helps them brown beautifully on the griddle. You could swap in honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or even brown sugar, though liquid sweeteners may make the batter slightly looser.
• Baking powder: main leavening agent that makes the pancakes rise and turn fluffy instead of flat and heavy.
• Kosher salt: balances the sweetness and bright lemon flavor while enhancing all the other ingredients in the pancakes. Fine sea salt or table salt can easily be substituted, though you’d use a little less table salt since it’s finer.
• Large eggs: help bind the batter together while also adding richness, moisture, and lift for tender pancakes. You could substitute flax eggs, chia eggs, or a commercial egg replacer, though the pancakes may be slightly less fluffy.
• Skim milk: adds moisture and helps create a smooth batter without making the pancakes too rich or heavy. Any milk works well here, including whole milk, almond milk, oat milk, or buttermilk for extra tanginess.
• Part-skim ricotta cheese: makes the pancakes extra soft, creamy, and tender while adding subtle richness and protein. Cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, mascarpone, or full-fat ricotta can work as substitutes, though each will slightly change the texture.
• Large lemon: the zest and juice brighten the pancakes with fresh citrus flavor that pairs perfectly with the blueberries and ricotta. You could substitute orange zest and juice for a sweeter citrus flavor. The lemon in the syrup cuts through the sweetness and makes the blueberry flavor taste brighter and fresher. 
• Fresh blueberries: add juicy bursts of sweetness and freshness throughout the pancakes while complementing the lemon beautifully. Frozen blueberries work well too, just stir them in while still frozen so they don’t streak the batter purple. The blueberries in the syrup break down as they simmer, creating a naturally fruity topping with vibrant flavor and color. Frozen blueberries are an easy substitute for the syrup as well.
• Pure maple syrup: sweetens the blueberry sauce while adding warm, rich flavor that tastes classic with pancakes. Honey or pancake syrup can work instead, though pure maple syrup gives the most balanced and familiar breakfast flavor.

Supplies:

• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Small skillet
• Electric griddle or griddle pan
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Large cookie scoop

How to Make Whole Wheat Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
• In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs.

• Whisk in the milk, ricotta, lemon zest and lemon juice.
• Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
• Fold in 1 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries.

• In a small skillet, add 1 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup pure maple syrup and the zest and juice of half a lemon. Let simmer over low heat while you cook the pancakes. The blueberries will start to turn bright and rich in color and some will pop open a bit.

• Heat a griddle over medium-low heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop about 1/4 cup batter onto the heated skillet. Let cook until batter just starts to bubble on top. Flip pancakes and continue to cook until pancakes are set in the middle and golden on the outside, about 2-3 minutes per side.
• Transfer cooked pancakes to a platter or pan that you can keep in a 325°F warming oven while you cook the remaining pancakes. Clean off griddle with a wet paper towel and respray with non-stick cooking spray before the next batch. Continue to cook pancakes until all of the batter has been used.

• Stir remaining 1/4 cup maple syrup into the thickened blueberry syrup and then transfer the syrup to a pouring dish.

• Serve warm syrup over pancakes. Enjoy!

Storage

Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let the pancakes cool completely before stacking them, and place parchment paper between layers if needed to prevent sticking.

To freeze, arrange cooled pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen pancakes to a freezer-safe bag or container with parchment between layers and freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat, place the pancakes in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for about 20 seconds (30 seconds from frozen) or until heated through. Or you could reheat them in the oven at 300°F for about 5 minutes (10 minutes from frozen) or until heated through. And my favorites way to reheat pancakes is actually in the toaster. Just pop them in and toast them until slightly crisp on the outside and heated through.

If you make my Whole Wheat Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me  @thebakermama on Instagram so I can see. If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join my Friends of The BakerMama group to connect and share all the fun and yummy recipes of mine that you make! 😍 I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the ideas I share. Enjoy!

xoxo,

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