Photography by Victoria Pearson for Sweet July Magazine, Spring 2020 Issue

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Honey Butter

By Sweet July

Let us start out by saying, we have nothing against the classic boxed pancake mix. But we also can’t deny that a made-from-scratch pancake just hits different.

Serves: 4

Time: 30 minutes

These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are definitely worth the extra effort.

The key to a perfect pancake is all in the texture, a perfect balance of moistness and airiness. The ricotta cheese helps to achieve that while the lemon adds a bright, citrusy flavor. Start with cold butter in your skillet when it’s time to fry so that the pancake has time to cook without the butter burning. For serving, make sure to be generous with the honey butter and use a pure, high quality maple syrup. Our Canadian founder takes her maple syrup very seriously and recommends you do the same.

Ingredients

- 6 tbsp softened unsalted butter, plus 2 tbsp cold butter
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pure maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

step 1

Stir together softened butter and honey in a small bowl until blended. Cover and chill honey butter until ready to use.

step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, ricotta, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Slowly whisk flour mixture into milk mixture until just blended.

step 3

Melt 2 tablespoons cold butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until sizzling. Spoon batter onto hot skillet in 1/3-cup amounts. Cook until edges look dry and small bubbles form, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until set and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.