I don’t know about you, but I pretty much always have a half-used container of ricotta cheese in my fridge. I’m not sure why…I mean, yeah, I use it in pasta recipes sometimes, but most of the time I find it after a week and it feels like it came out of nowhere.

Yesterday morning, I decided to use some up to make these lemon ricotta poppy seed pancakes. Lemon ricotta and lemon poppy seed are two of my favorite combinations, so I figured, why not combine them in one pancake?

If you’re looking for light, fluffy pancakes, these are them. They’re like little lemon clouds. They’re so fluffy that they almost spring back when you cut into them.

The texture comes from the ricotta, but also the whipped egg whites. I’m a big fan of making pancakes that call for whipped egg whites because they usually have a lighter texture. My absolute favorites are gluten-free ones from the Cannelle Et Vanille cookbook, but these are a close second.

I like to top my pancakes with a healthy pour of maple syrup, but feel free to top yours as you wish. I bet some blueberry syrup or fresh blueberries would also taste good on top.

If you want a step-by-step visual of how to make these pancakes, visit my Instagram and go to my “Breakfast II” story.

Here’s a song to get you started on your lemon ricotta poppy seed pancake journey.

Lemon Ricotta Poppy Seed Pancakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup ricotta cheese
6 Tbsp milk (I used 2%)
2 eggs, separated
zest of one lemon
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
scant tablespoon of granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
unsalted butter for frying

Directions

Mix the ricotta cheese, milk, egg yolks, and lemon zest in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet, then whisk in the poppy seeds.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium high speed until they form stiff peaks, about two to three minutes. Use a spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the pancake batter.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt a couple tablespoons of butter. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the skillet to make one pancake, making as many pancakes as can fit comfortably in the skillet. Turn the pancakes once little bubbles appear and pop on the tops, then flip and fry the other side until the pancakes are set and golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Enjoy!