Only a person studying for the RD Exam would know that evaporated milk can be reconstituted with water and used as a substitute for regular milk. You’re welcome.

I tell you this because, for the first time in a long time, this household was out of milk and pancake mix. Okay, I lied, we weren’t entirely out of milk. My spouse left about three tablespoons of milk in the jug. Seriously, who does that? And why?

I love him so much.

Today, I bring you Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Breakfast Pancakes. I know you’re asking yourself, how is a household out of milk, but they have ricotta cheese? I wish I knew the answer to that. I really wish I did. The only answer I can give you is to introduce you to this wonderful recipe.

Ricotta cheese adds incredible fluffiness and tenderness to this pancake mix. If the dietitian in me had to guess, I would say the acid from the lemon juice and the ricotta curds react with the baking powder to help tenderize the gluten in the batter. If I had to guess.

Ricotta cheese is not only a good source of calcium and minerals such as zinc and selenium, but a 1/4 cup serving of ricotta cheese provides 6 grams of protein.

Go on now and put this on your brunch menu this weekend.

Print Recipe

Lemon Ricotta Breakfast Pancakes

adapted by Kylee Cooks

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy, kosher, lemon, ricotta, simple

Servings: 8 pancakes

Author: Krystal Dunham, MS, RDN, LD

Equipment

• Cast-Iron Skillet

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Wet ingredients

• ¾ cup evaporated milk* *mix 3/4 cup of evaporated milk with 1/4 cup of water to reconstitute or use 1 cup of your choice of milk
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 Tbsp. lemon zest
• butter

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl until combined.
  1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp. baking powder, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt
• In a separate bowl, whisk together evaporated milk, water and ricotta until well combined. Add in eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
  3/4 cup evaporated milk*, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, beaten, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 lemon, juiced, 2 Tbsp. lemon zest
• Using a wooden spoon or spatula, gently fold wet ingredients INTO the dry ingredients. Making sure the batter gets wet. DO NOT OVERMIX YOUR BATTER! Small lumps in the batter are fine.
• Turn on burner to med-high.
• Melt about a teaspoon of butter on your cast-iron.
  butter
• Using a ladle or small measuring cup, pour batter on hot cast-iron. Pancake will be ready to flip when you see a lot of tiny bubbles on to the surface (about 3 mintues). Flip and cook other side for about 2 mintues.
• Garnish with powdered sugar, lemon juice, maple syrup or fresh fruit.

Krystal Dunham, MS, RDN, LD

Krystal Dunham, MS, RDN, LD, is an award-winning licensed and registered dietitian nutritionist based in Tulsa. A former NCAA Division II soccer player for Southwestern Oklahoma State University (Go Dawgs!), Krystal’s journey in nutrition has been both dynamic and impactful. She earned her Master’s in Nutrition and Food Science from The University of Central Oklahoma while completing her Dietetic Internship. A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Krystal brings a global perspective to her practice. She specializes in helping individuals heal their relationship with food while managing chronic health conditions, offering compassionate and evidence-based support.