This week's work · 2026-04-06
Lemon ricotta pancakes, a slow morning, and the first real spring breakfast
Tender, soufflé-light pancakes made with ricotta and lemon zest, dusted with powdered sugar — the breakfast that announces spring has actually arrived.
The first Saturday of April felt like spring had actually arrived, so we made the breakfast that announces it: lemon ricotta pancakes. The batter is almost a soufflé — ricotta, eggs, lemon zest, a little flour — and it makes the lightest pancakes we know how to make.
We beat the egg whites separately and folded them in at the end, which is the trick that makes them tall and cloud-soft. They cooked up golden on the griddle, puffed and tender, and we stacked them with a dusting of powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon.
We ate them on the porch with coffee, and they were exactly right: faintly tangy, faintly sweet, with the lemon zest doing all the work. The stack disappeared faster than we expected, and we made a second batch without complaint.
The lesson was about the breakfast that marks the season. Ricotta and lemon are the first flavors of spring — bright, soft, and a little indulgent. The egg-white fold is the only real technique, and it's worth every minute.
Ricotta and lemon are the first flavors of spring — bright, soft, and a little indulgent.
02 · The recipe
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Tender, soufflé-light pancakes made with ricotta and lemon zest, dusted with powdered sugar — the breakfast that announces spring has actually arrived.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Yield
- 4 servings (about 10 pancakes)
What you'll need
Non-perishable
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Perishable
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for the griddle
Method
- Whisk the ricotta, egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
- In a second bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into the ricotta mixture along with the honey and melted butter until just combined.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold them into the batter in two additions — the batter should be light and billowy.
- Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium and butter it lightly. Pour scant 1/3-cup rounds and cook until bubbles form and the edges look set, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook 1–2 minutes more, until golden.
- Serve hot, dusted with powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon.
03 · What we used
The one thing worth mentioning.
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ingredient
King Arthur 100% Organic All-Purpose Flour
Three quarters of a cup of flour is the whole structure of the batter — this is the one flour that never lets you down.
Why we loved it: The gold standard for home bakers — consistent protein, no bleaching, and it's what most recipe developers test with. If a recipe works with King Arthur, it works.
Worth knowing: Costs a little more than store-brand flour, but the consistency is worth it for baking.
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ingredient
Bakewell Cream Double Acting Baking Powder
One teaspoon is all the batter needs, and it's the difference between tall pancakes and flat ones.
Why we loved it: Bakers who've switched say the same thing: no metallic aftertaste, and the rise is noticeably taller. It's been made the same way since the 1930s for a reason.
Worth knowing: Costs more than the supermarket can, but a single can lasts through dozens of batches.
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ingredient
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
A little salt is what makes the lemon taste more like itself — this is the one we reach for.
Why we loved it: The crystals are light and grabby, so you can season by feel as the batter comes together. It's the salt we reach for every night.
Worth knowing: It's a bigger box than you need at first, but it keeps forever and you'll use it daily.
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ingredient
SACO Cultured Buttermilk Blend
The recipe only uses half a cup. This way you always have buttermilk on hand for the next batch.
Why we loved it: Reviewers use it for biscuits and pancakes and say it tastes like the real thing — because it is the real thing, just dried. One scoop plus water and you're cooking.
Worth knowing: Powder is a slightly different texture than fresh, but in a pancake batter you won't notice the difference.
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ingredient
Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract
Half a teaspoon of real vanilla is what makes the pancakes taste like a bakery's.
Why we loved it: The aroma is round and floral rather than sharp, and it carries through the cook without fading. It's the vanilla we reach for when we're proud of what's in the pan.
Worth knowing: It costs more than imitation, but a bottle lasts through a season of baking.
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ingredient
Fischer's Raw Unfiltered Honey
A spoonful of honey is what keeps the lemon from turning harsh — this is the one we keep by the stove.
Why we loved it: It's thick, unfiltered, and tastes like the flowers it came from. One spoonful in the batter balances the lemon without cloying.
Worth knowing: Raw honey crystallizes over time — warm the jar gently and it flows again.
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ingredient
Wholesome Organic Powdered Sugar
The white dusting against the golden crust is the classic look — this is the sugar that does it right.
Why we loved it: It's the clean, dependable kind — no gritty residue, and it stays put on the warm crust just long enough to melt a little at the edges. A dusting is the classic finish for a lemon pancake.
Worth knowing: It's a finishing sugar — you're buying it for the dusting, and a bag lasts a long time.
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cookware
Matfer Bourgeat Stainless Steel Fish Spatula/Turner
A thin, flexible turner is the difference between intact food and a pile of mush. This one does the job beautifully.
Why we loved it: The flexible blade lifts fragile things without crushing them, and the offset handle keeps your hand clear of the pan. It's the tool that makes the mid-roast toss look easy — the same turner professional kitchens have used for generations.
Worth knowing: Hand-wash only, and the thin blade needs a careful hand for heavier foods.
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