These lemon ricotta protein pancakes are a sweet and delicious way to incorporate a bit more protein into your breakfast routine.
Why You’ll Love These Protein Pancakes
Although I’m usually more of a savory breakfast kind of gal, I’m always happy to whip up a batch of these lemon ricotta protein pancakes. They’re just as soft and fluffy as my original paleo pancakes, but with a protein boost thanks to the ricotta cheese. While they might not be as protein-packed as my breakfast casserole, they’re definitely still a win with 7 grams of protein per pancake. Especially for a sweeter breakfast option! Here’s what else you’ll love about them:
- They’re so easy to make. Just mix the ingredients, spoon the batter onto a pan or griddle, and they’re done in about 4 minutes.
- Perfect for meal prep. I love freezing extra pancakes to enjoy later. It’s a stress-free way to have breakfast ready for the future!
- They pair deliciously with meaty proteins. So if you want to serve them with a side of bacon, pork breakfast sausages, or chicken breakfast sausages go right ahead.
Protein Pancakes Ingredients
- Flours and baking soda: I use a mix of almond flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour for soft, fluffy, gluten-free pancakes. The almond flour and coconut flour also provide a great protein boost!
- Ricotta cheese and lemon zest: Ricotta adds creaminess and protein, while lemon zest brings a fresh, bright flavor.
- Remaining wet ingredients: Eggs, vanilla extract, and maple syrup (or honey) round out the batter to create delicious, lightly sweet pancakes.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Protein Pancakes
Step one: Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Step two: In a separate bowl, whisk all of the wet ingredients together. Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until combined.
Step three: Heat a skillet or griddle on medium heat and coat with butter. Spoon the batter (about ¼ cup per pancake) onto the skillet. Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, then flip and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the pancakes immediately with a drizzle of maple syrup and/or your favorite toppings. Don’t forget to finish them off with a bit more lemon zest!
Can I make These Protein-Heavy?
I haven’t tried tweaking this recipe for more protein, but you can try adding a tablespoon of protein powder. If the batter thickens too much, you’ll need to adjust the liquid slightly.
Alternatively, you can swap ricotta cheese for cottage cheese, which naturally has more protein per serving. I also like to add a dollop of Greek yogurt on top for an extra protein boost.
More High-Protein Breakfast Ideas
- Scrambled Eggs: My favorite for when I’m on a time crunch.
- Breakfast Egg Muffins: The best for breakfast meal prep.
- Smoked Salmon Frittata: Smoked salmon has so much protein!
- Turkish Eggs: Yogurt with eggs is the best protein combo.
- Or browse through my list of breakfast ideas!
If you make this lemon ricotta protein pancake recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Zwilling Non-Stick Pan My favorite set of non-stick pans!
- Glass Mixing Bowls The best set of nesting bowls for prepping multiple ingredients.
- Electric Griddle Great for making all pancakes at once.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup ricotta
- 3 large eggs
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk all of the wet ingredients together. Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until combined.
- Cook the protein pancakes. Heat a skillet or griddle on medium heat and coat with butter. Spoon the batter (about ¼ cup per serving) onto the skillet. Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, then flip and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve. Serve immediately with maple syrup and/or your favorite toppings, and a little extra lemon zest.
Lisa’s Tips
- Storage tip: Leftovers will stay good in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If you want to freeze them, place your cooled pancakes in an even layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Then, store them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months with parchment paper in between them.
- Reheating tip: You can microwave them for about 20 seconds (or more until thawed), pop them into a toaster, or bake them at 375°F for about 10 minutes.
- Meal prep tip: You can mix the dry ingredients and store them in mason jars. It’ll make lazy Sundays even easier for whipping up these pancakes!
- If you want to make the cooking process a lot easier, cook all your pancakes at once on my favorite electric griddle! I also like to use this pancake batter pen for perfect, evenly sized pancakes.
Nutrition
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Behind The Scenes
While I know my gluten-free pancake recipe is a winner, I genuinely thought I was going to have to test this version several times to get the texture right. Precise quantity really matters when it comes to baked goods—especially gluten-free ones!
So I was thrilled when these protein pancakes turned out almost perfect right out of the gate. On my first try I omitted the coconut flour (I was afraid they might be too dense with the ricotta), but the batter was too runny. So I added 1 tablespoon of coconut flour, which is highly absorbent, stirred it all together again, and voila, the perfect texture. Such an easy tweak!
DELICIOUS!!!
Happy to hear you’re enjoying these protein pancakes, Heidi!
Can i sub cottage cheese for the ricotta?
Hi Melissa – Yes, it should work!
I made these twice in one day for my kids, they are that good! So easy and turn out really well. The first time I subbed the coconut flour for more almond flour, the second time, I went to the store to get the coconut flour and I followed the exact recipe, both versions were a hit! I can see this becoming a meal prep staple in our household moving forward!
Hi Daniela – Great to hear these pancakes are a hit with your whole family!
Hi Lisa, I made these this morning and they came out nice and fluffy and lemony but I found they tasted a little ‘eggy’. I’m not used to using these flours so not sure if this is a compromise on using GF flour, felt like there wasn’t enough flour to egg ratio, or maybe I didn’t cook them long enough? They were nicely browned on the outside so thinking I might need to cook them on a lower heat for a bit longer… will try again next weekend, thanks for the recipe!
Hi Odile – They shouldn’t taste eggy, so if they do, I think you’re correct in thinking they probably need to cook a little bit longer at a lower heat. Hope your second batch turns out even better! :)
Very good as always! Can you use monk fruit or stevia to sweeten?
So glad you enjoyed them, Laura! And yes, you can use your sweetener of choice as well.
Hi!
The recipe looks great! Can’t wait to try them
Is the nutritions info per pancakes?
Thanks
Hi Sastia – The nutritional information is for 2 pancakes. Each serving is two pancakes :)
Absolutely delicious. Easy to make, fluffy, not dense, and paleo! Chef’s Kiss!
Thrilled to hear you loved these pancakes, Mildred!
Just made these for brunch today and they were a hit with the whole family! I made the recipe exactly as written but doubled since there are four of us and they came out perfect! Thank you for another delicious gluten free recipe!
Amazing! happy to hear these pancakes were a hit with your family, Stephanie.
Loved the substance of these pancakes w the additional protein. I substituted cottage cheese for ricotta because that’s what I had. Other than the visual presentation because I was not patient enough before flipping, they were good! Thanks Lisa, love your recipes.
Hi Susan – Happy to hear these pancakes turned out perfectly with cottage cheese instead!
These are delicious! I will definitely make them again. I used a substitute of 1:1 for the almond flour and tapioca flour for plain flour and left out the coconut flour. I then added milk until I was happy with the thickness. So so good!!
Thanks for sharing the tweaks that worked for you, Carla!
Can you use another flour other than tapioca?
Hi Tessa – arrowroot flour is usually a 1:1 sub for tapioca flour. Enjoy!
Instant winner of a recipe! Perfect lemony flavor! Just meal-prepped a double batch for the freezer and couldn’t be happier
Yay, so thrilled you loved them, Sarah!
Hey Lisa, I love your recipes! Thank you so much for your wonderful ideas. You often will post alternatives for a dairy free option so I’m wondering if you have any suggestions on how to make these pancakes dairy free.
Hi Tina – unfortunately, this recipe is really built around the ricotta as a protein source. But if you’d like a dairy-free option, I recommend making my original paleo pancakes. :)
Light, fluffy, and delicious! Another winner from the Downshiftology kitchen. Thanks, Lisa!
Awesome! So happy you thought they were a winner, Alan. :) Enjoy!
These lemon ricotta pancakes are the best I’ve had and the easiest to make. It will be on the Sunday morning breakfast menu every week at our home.❤️
Thank you!
Yay, so happy you loved them, Patricia. Enjoy!
I made these pancakes this morning – delicious! So light, such amazing texture, and really delicious lemon flavor! Thank you, Lisa for another great tasting, gluten free recipe!!
You’re more than welcome, Jodi! So happy you loved them!
Me and pancakes have a love hate relationship. I love them, but the cooking process hates me. I saw these and really wanted to try them. While I had my usual struggles making them, they still turned out and taste wonderful. No syrup necessary. Next time I will double the batch so I have leftovers to freeze. Oh, I did sub rice flour for the tapioca and that worked perfectly.
Anything I can help you with on the cooking process, Wendy? Thanks for sharing your flour swap and so happy you loved the flavor of them!
Thanks for asking, Lisa. I used a carbon steel griddle pan to make these and I have a gas stove. I struggle with the flames making any pans I use too hot, so I didn’t put the pancakes directly over the flame, and I ended up having issues with the half of the pancake that was far away from the burner not cooking through and the other side cooking too fast. I think I just need to practice making pancakes more often!
I’d really like to try this pancake recipe, as I am always looking for delicious ways to add protein to breakfast. I have every ingredient barring the tapioca flour… any ideas what i might use in place of the tapioca? Thanks in advance!
Hi Tima – If you have arrowroot powder that’s usually a 1:1 swap with tapioca flour. Enjoy!
I am not usually a pancake person. I made these for my daughter and she loved them. I even ate one. They were so good!!
Yay, so thrilled to hear you both loved them, Sherry!
Hello! This recipe looks so yummy and can’t wait to try it! Quick question, what is the serving size that the nutritional information is referring to?
Hi there! The nutritional information is for 1 serving, which is 2 pancakes.
Sp grateful for this idea. Your awesome.
Excited for you to try these pancakes, Alexander!
Can you make these with regular flour instead of all these fancy fluors in tiny quantities?
Hi Susan – I’m gluten-free, which is why gluten-free flours are used in this recipe. Thus, I can’t test it with regular flour, so I’m not sure how this recipe would turn out with that swap. Additionally, regular flour would not be high-protein. But feel free to play around with the recipe.
Hello! I made these today with plain flour – 1:1 substitute for the almond and tapioca flour. I left out the coconut flour and added milk until I was happy with the thickness. So delicious! It is worth a try!
Wonderful! Glad this recipe turned out great with the flour change, Carla. Enjoy!
Hello! These look amazing! Could you use a gluten free pancake mix for the dry ingredients and then proceed with the rest of the recipe?
Hi Mandi – It may work with a GF pancake mix, though as I haven’t tried it (and all flours bake differently), I’m not sure how it would turn out. You may have to adjust some of the other measurements. Enjoy!
These look and sound great! May I ask if you drain your ricotta before using it? Also, can I substitute regular or gluten-free flour for both the coconut and tapioca flour? I may try that as I sometimes grind my own wheat flours to use. My thanks.
Hi Debra – I do not drain the ricotta before using it. I also haven’t tried this recipe with either of those flour options, so I’m not sure how they would turn out. But all flours bake slightly differently. Feel free to play around with the recipe!
Hello! Thank you for this recipe. I do wonder, can I use regular flour instead of the ones listed? And if so, would it be a 1:1 ratio?
Hi Barb – Because I’m gluten-free, I haven’t (and can’t) test this recipe with regular flour. So I’m not sure how it would turn out. Additionally, regular flour is not high-protein.
I was looking for an alternative to my usual savory breakfast (mushroom, spinach, wrapped in egg) , and this looks like a good choice. Yesterday I made your zucchini fritters for that very purpose. I would use Tzatziki, instead of syrup, on the side for more protein, less sugar. Every one of your recipes I have ever tried, from the book or online, has been a success. Thank you!
I’m so excited for you to try these lemon pancakes, Ann! Do let us know how they turn out after you make them. Enjoy!
Looks so good. Could I just use regular flour as I don’t have any of the flours you used. Thanks
Hi Marcia – Because I’m gluten-free, I haven’t tested this recipe with AP flour, so I’m not sure how it would turn out.
This recipe looks great! What can I sub for the tapioca flour and coconut flour? Can I use oat flour? or just regular all purpose flour?
Thanks…. I look forward to trying this recipe!
Hi Bina – I haven’t tested this recipe with any other flours. Additionally, oat flour and AP flour would not be high protein. But feel free to play around with the recipe!
No Worries Lisa. I will try it with oat flour in place of the coconut and tapioca flours with a 1:1 ratio. Will let you know how they turn out. I use oat flour for pancakes all the time and they come out great.
Do you use the lemon juice also or just the zest? Thanks!
Hi Lesley – I’m just using the lemon zest for this recipe. I then use the rest of my lemon to make lemon water!
Hello, my name is Dionne Moore and I have been receiving the Downshiftology emails for a number of years now and occasionally choosing a recipe to try. This week your zucchini soup is on the menu! I am wondering…on today’s email, regarding the lemon ricotta protein pancakes, what is the topping on the photograph of your finished pancakes? There is extra lemon zest and syrup, however I cannot identify the fluffly, creamy, white topping? Thank you! Have a great day!
Kind Regards,
Dionne
Hi Dionne – Happy to hear from a fellow Downshifter! That is a dollop of Greek yogurt for extra protein :)
Looks amazing! If you don’t have those specific flours on hand, can you substitute with spelt flour? I have reams of this at home and actually have leftover ricotta in the fridge!
Hi Andrea – Unfortunately, I haven’t tested this with spelt flour. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! However, I will be adding plant based protein instead.
Hi Marie – Let us know how that turns out, enjoy!