Dinner Tonight: Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd Recipe

By
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a food critic at the Chicago Tribune.  His food writing appears in The Washington Post, Newsweek, Epicurious, Baltimore Sun, Serious Eats, Grub Street, New York Magazine, and Tasting Table, among others.
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Updated April 29, 2019

Breakfast for dinner. It doesn't happen too often, but when the times are right, nothing seems better. Perhaps it's because the meal is so comforting or you have memories of mom and lazy mornings. It's especially great when your city is blanketed in heavy snow and you don't have the ingredients to make much else. I found this recipe on The Kitchn, and realized it would use some of the leftover ricotta I had in the fridge.

These aren't your regular dry pancakes. The ricotta makes them twice as tender and soft. But they also get a big boost from the egg whites, which are beaten until stiff and then folded in at the end. They give the pancakes height without weighing them down.

But the real reason I picked this recipe was the lemon curd that gets spread all over the pancakes. Of course, you could save time and just douse these pancakes with some top-grade maple syrup and all would be fine with the world. But for some reason, the lemon curd has a special affinity for these guys. It's the perfect tart antidote for the creamy pancake.

Recipe Details

Dinner Tonight: Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd Recipe

Prep 15 mins
Cook 25 mins
Total 40 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese

  • 3/4 cup flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

  • Pinch salt

  • 3/4 cup milk

  • 3 eggs, yolks and whites separated

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  • Butter

  • Powdered sugar

For Lemon Curd:

  • 3 egg yolks

  • Zest of 1/2 lemon

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

  • 6 tablespoons sugar

  • 4 tablespoons butter, diced

Directions

  1. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. In another slightly larger bowl, stir together the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla.

  2. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. An electric hand mixer will save loads of time. Dump the flour mixture atop the ricotta mixture. Stir until just combined. Gently fold in the egg whites.

  3. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat. Wipe surface with butter, and then scoop out about 1/3 cup of the mixture for each pancake. Cook until well-browned on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes a side.

  4. Spread some of the lemon curd on the pancakes, and sprinkle on some powdered sugar.

  5. For the lemon curd:

    Whisk together the yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium, and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.

  6. Turn off the heat, and stir in the butter one piece at a time, until all of it is incorporated and the mixture is very smooth. Cover mixture and stash in the fridge while you make the pancakes.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
622 Calories
37g Fat
51g Carbs
21g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 622
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g 48%
Saturated Fat 21g 105%
Cholesterol 409mg 136%
Sodium 472mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 18%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 3mg 16%
Calcium 317mg 24%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 301mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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