Vegan Lemon Ricotta Oat Pancakes
These vegan “ricotta” pancakes are fluffy, delightfully lemon-y, and insanely delicious! Made with an easy homemade almond ricotta and nutritious whole grain oat flour. Serve with maple syrup and fresh berries for the ultimate pancake breakfast!
Lemon ricotta pancakes are one of my all-time favorite pancakes, up there with pumpkin, banana, and blueberry. They’re light, fluffy, and bright with a hint of sweetness and vanilla, and they pair beautifully with fresh berries and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. 😋 To make these pancakes nutritious (and to sneak in whole grains 🤓), I used oat flour for the base, which pairs wonderfully with the lemon and ricotta flavors to make hearty and delicious pancakes!
Why You’ll Love these Pancakes
Delightfully lemon-y, light and fluffy! The “ricotta” gives these pancakes a light, fluffy texture and the flavor pairs perfectly with lemon and oats. Think: fluffy ricotta cloud in pancake format. 🤤
Perfectly balanced flavors. The lemon flavor, combined with a hint of warmth from vanilla extract and the sweetness of maple syrup, pairs perfectly with the ricotta to create that iconic lemon ricotta combo. Served alongside fresh berries and topped with high-quality maple syrup and a tiny bit of extra lemon zest, you really can’t beat these pancakes!
Whole grain. Not only are they insanely delicious, they’re also made with a whole grain - oats! This makes them more nutritious than traditional pancakes that use all-purpose flour, as oats contain more fiber, protein, iron, and lots more nutrients and vitamins.
Year-round deliciousness. There’s never a time when lemon pancakes aren’t in season. Although these are great now during the winter citrus season, they’d be equally delicious in the summer since lemons are always accessible and you can take advantage of those peak season fresh juicy berries for topping. They also brighten up those spring days when we’re all just waiting for the dreadful cold wintery weather to just be gone for good already. And in the fall, they’re a nice break from all those apple and pumpkin treats. The ideal year round pancake!
Veganuary-friendly! Ok, so technically all my recipes are Veganuary-friendly because they’re all vegan. But what I mean is that these pancakes showcase how it’s possible to veganize all foods! Here, we turn blanched slivered almonds into ricotta “cheese,” which you can then use to make these delicious lemon ricotta pancakes. “But what about [insert your favorite food here]?” Someone out there has undoubtedly created a vegan version of any non-vegan dish you might be craving! With the ever-growing plant-based food substitutes out there, a vegan lifestyle has never been more accessible.
Homemade almond ricotta keeps these budget-friendly (or substitute store-bought) . If you have a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix), you can actually whip up a batch of homemade ricotta in about 5-10 minutes! This is great because it’s far more cost-effective and yields a large batch of “ricotta” that you can use in a variety of ways - spread on toast, dolloped onto homemade pizza, or use in a pasta sauce, etc.! No blender? No worries - you can buy dairy-free ricotta in most nationwide supermarkets nowadays. One of my favorites is Kite Hill.
Ingredient Overview
Oats/oat flour. Oats are hearty and delicious, and they help make these pancakes nutritious by adding in protein, fiber, whole grains, plus lots more vitamins and minerals! They’re also gluten-free, so you can enjoy these even if you’re gluten-intolerant.
Almond ricotta. I use a homemade almond ricotta to make these pancakes, but you can substitute a store-bought non-dairy ricotta if you prefer. Since my ricotta is made from almonds, it also infuses some moisture and healthy fats into the pancakes.
Non-dairy milk. I’ve made these using oat milk and cashew milk (separately), but any light, non-dairy milk will work!
Lemon zest and juice. Both lemon zest and juice infuse these pancakes with that bright, lemon-y flavor. (Be sure to zest your lemons before juicing them!)
Maple syrup. For a bit of sweetness to balance out the tangy lemon flavor. I like to top my pancakes with lots of syrup, so I don’t add a ton into the batter.
Vanilla extract. Adds warmth and flavor depth.
Neutral oil. A tiny bit of oil helps make these moist (no one likes dry pancakes)!
Baking soda & powder. For rise!
Tips for Making These Pancakes
Use a blender (not a food processor) to make oat flour. Making oat flour is super easy - just throw the oats into a blender and blend until finely ground! Don’t use a food processor as the oats won’t get ground up as finely, leaving you with gritty flour. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, use a store bought oat flour like Bob’s Red Mill.
Make the ricotta ahead of time for a quicker breakfast. These pancakes call for my almond ricotta, which takes about 5-10 minutes to make. However, since I don’t like doing extra work in the morning, I like to make it ahead of time so that it’s ready to use for breakfast. (I usually whip up a batch for a homemade pizza and use the leftovers in pancakes or on toast!)
Let the batter rest for fluffier pancakes. Once you’ve combined all your ingredients, let the batter rest untouched for 5 minutes before you start cooking the pancakes. I know it’s hard to patient in the morning, especially when you’re looking forward to pancakes, but this process will thicken the batter significantly and yield fluffier pancakes!
Cook on medium heat. Too hot and your pancakes will burn on the outside and stay raw inside. Too low and the texture will become tough. Medium heat ensures your pancakes will cook evenly and completely on the inside, without burning on the outside, to yield fluffy pancakes!
Vegan Lemon Ricotta Oat Pancakes
Vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1 ½ cups rolled oats (or sub 1.5 cups oat flour, spooned & leveled)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup non-dairy milk (I like cashew or oat)
½ cup homemade almond ricotta (recipe in this post) (or substitute store-bought non-dairy ricotta)
2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons neutral oil (like avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, etc.), plus more for cooking
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To serve: maple syrup, fresh berries, a sprinkle of extra lemon zest (optional)
Directions
To make the oat flour, place the rolled oats in a high-speed blender and blend on high until a fine flour is formed, about 45-60 seconds. (Skip this step if you are using store-bought oat flour.)
In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
In a medium bowl, combine the non-dairy milk and ricotta and mix thoroughly to break up any clumps. Then add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together just until fully combined. Let the mixed batter rest untouched for 5 minutes to thicken.
Meanwhile, preheat a cast iron skillet or crepe pan (or whatever you like cooking pancakes in) over medium heat and add some oil to lightly coat.
Without mixing the batter, scoop ¼ - ⅓ cup of pancake batter onto the prepared pan and cook over medium heat until bubbles form and the outsides start looking “dry,” about 2-3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until done, about 2 more minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, making sure to lightly grease the pan in between batches to prevent any sticking.
Serve the pancakes warm topped with fresh berries and maple syrup!
If you’ve tried these lemon ricotta pancakes, I’d love to hear how you liked them! Drop a comment/review below and tag me on Instagram (@teostinykitchen) so I can see your delicious stack! And if you’re trying Veganuary, or simply working on incorporating more plant-based meals into your life, I’d love to hear how that’s going. I’m always here for support and inspiration!