Fluffiest Lemon Poppyseed Ricotta Pancakes
These lemon ricotta pancakes are unbelievably fluffy, flavored with lemon, and dotted with poppyseeds for the perfect texture. Made with protein-rich ricotta and simple, wholesome ingredients, they're a nourishing option for babies, toddlers, and the whole family. These lemon ricotta pancakes are easy to batch prep and stash in the freezer too.
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"Paired with your chia berry sauce - unreal! My kids usually complain about a lack of chocolate chips in pancakes, but they devoured these." - Kelsey
Seriously, who doesn't love a good pancake? We have yet to meet someone who doesn't. And around here we enjoy pancakes anytime of the day!
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Every family typically has a "go to" pancake recipe, and in this blog post we're asking you to shake that up in lieu of these lemon poppyseed ricotta pancakes. Why? Not just because they are super duper delicious, but also because most children are accepting of pancakes, like the super-easy-peasy fruit pouch pancakes toddlers love. As a result, it's a great way to get them exposed to different variations of the "same thing".
Catch our drift?
You're expanding your child's intake within an already accepted food. If your little one has already mastered banana waffles for babies and toddlers, these lemon ricotta pancakes are the perfect next step to build on that.
And if your little one is ready for something savory, our baby-friendly chilla (Indian chickpea pancakes) are another wonderful pancake variation.
This is a great tip for toddlers and children who present as "picky eaters". But wait? Did we say picky eaters? If you're struggling with a toddler meal refusal, we can also help you understand why that pickiness is happening!
Why this lemon ricotta pancake recipe works
🕒 15 minute prep time
🍋 Contains nutrient packed ricotta cheese
❄️ Easy to batch prep and freezer friendly
🍓 Pairs beautifully with our chia berry sauce
👶 Baby friendly from 6 months+
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Jump to:
- Why this lemon ricotta pancake recipe works
- Why are pancakes a good option for toddlers?
- Key ingredients
- Allergen information & substitutions
- How to make these lemon ricotta pancakes
- How to serve these fluffy lemon poppyseed ricotta pancakes at each baby & toddler stage
- Lemon Ricotta Pancake Recipe FAQ
- Play + books that match this recipe
- Other recommended toddler breakfast recipes
- Fluffiest Lemon Poppyseed Ricotta Pancakes
Why are pancakes a good option for toddlers?
Pancakes are great for toddlers because they've likely already enjoyed some form of a pancake as a baby! They're also incredibly approachable and the texture is just right - soft!
As dietitian moms we love that pancakes include egg as an ingredient. Since they're a top priority allergen in Canada and USA this means that your child gets repeated exposure to eggs and can continue to maintain a tolerance to them. This is particularly helpful if you have a child who is learning to like other more "eggy" forms of egg such as scrambled eggs, omelets and frittatas.
Key ingredients
Ricotta cheese: a soft cheese that has a really mild flavor and is going to not only add nutrients to the recipe, but also help with making the pancakes moist.
Poppyseeds: these offer a fun surprise to the pancakes. They are very mild in flavour but help toddlers to realize that food can have "specks" and it's okay! This is especially helpful if your toddler is going through a beige phase.
Lemon: the zing factor in this recipe comes from lemon and lemon zest. Together, they'll make you pucker up and have more bites!
Eggs: you'll need to separate the eggs and beat the whites. These eggs are going to responsible for the fluff factor!
Olive oil: young children need fat, plus the fat helps carry flavor through the recipe. You also use avocado oil or canola oil if you prefer.
Flour: we opted to use all purpose flour, but you could easily use whole flour and we feel it would be just as tasty!
Allergen information & substitutions
This recipe does contain a few allergens. But, there are several ways you can modify the recipe to be safe for your child or family member:
- Milk: use plant-based alternative, and if you need help picking the right milk for your toddler, we review plant milks here
- Ricotta: use vegan ricotta or make your own nut-based ricotta cheese, or, swap out for dairy-free yogurt
- Eggs: replace with homemade aquafaba
- Wheat: use gluten-free flour
How to make these lemon ricotta pancakes
The full recipe is below, but here are a few key steps to visualize the process.
- Begin by beating egg whites until soft peak forms and set aside.
2. In separate bowls, whisk together the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients.
3. Stir together the wet and dry ingredients until fully combined. Then gently fold in the whipped egg whites, being careful not to deflate the egg whites as this airy structure is what will make the pancakes fluffy!
4. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto a preheated griddle. Flip when the bottom turns a golden brown.
How to serve these fluffy lemon poppyseed ricotta pancakes at each baby & toddler stage
6-9 months: Slice into strips for a full baby led weaning experience. You'll want to make sure it's nice and toasty on the outside for safety reasons.
Additionally, we recommend omitting the sugar for your baby since it's recommended that babies have zero added sugar. Since this recipe contains ricotta which is dairy and eggs, you'll want to make sure that your baby tolerates these allergens.
9-12 months : we suggest slicing into bite size squares. You can let them pick it up with their fingers since they likely have a pincer grasp, or you can pre-load it with a fork so your little one can get accustomed to using utensils.
Toddler: bite size squares is also appropriate but some toddlers may prefer strips or whole pancakes that they can pick up and take a bite into. Remember, as an adult you can model biting into your own pancake too to prevent your child from choking.
For the rest of the family: Follow the recipe exactly as suggested. To balance it out you can serve it with:
- Any variation of eggs like andha bhurji, Indian style eggs
- Whipped cream
- Nut butter
- Bacon (soft for toddler)
- Breakfast sausage
- Tofu scramble
- Fresh fruit or our berry chia sauce
Lemon Ricotta Pancake Recipe FAQ
Ricotta is a type of soft cheese with its origins in Italy. It can be made from the milk of cows, sheep, goats and water buffalo. You likely won't have trouble finding ricotta if you live in North America or Italy. Since it's a soft cheese, you'll find it comes sold in a plastic type of container near the other specialty cheeses at the grocery store. Making ricotta is also an incredibly easy, practically hands-off DIY project!
Ricotta cheese has a fluffy, thick texture but it is mild in taste, which is why we love it in this pancake recipe. With four boys between us to feed, we also love that it includes calcium, vitamin D, B vitamins, and protein!
You can start offering this recipe right at the passage of toddlerhood, age one. We realize the recipe contains a small amount of added sugar, but truly, it's modest so it's nothing to worry about. And, to be honest, if your baby is capable of this texture, you can even start earlier. See above for how!
Absolutely not! It can be so helpful for busy families to schedule in "breakfast-for-dinner" 1 to 2 weeknights on a regular basis. Why? Because most children love breakfast foods and they are easy to prepare. That's what we call a feeding win-win! When children have greater success at dinner time, their level of competency (the feeling of "I can do this") increases and parents feel more relaxed and it's an overall more enjoyable experience.
Traditions are great, don't get us wrong. But the notion that you have to eat XYZ food at XYZ time isn't realistic for modern families. Adopting a flexible approach to eating, like breakfast for dinner, recognizes that all foods can fit into a balanced diet regardless of the time of day.
Nita's family loves having traditional Indian dishes like chilla's and anda bhurji (Indian scrambled eggs) for dinner, considering Indian cooking takes time, these are relatively quick!
Yes, no need to worry on this front. The poppy seeds you purchase at common grocery stores are considered safe for consumption at all life stages. From a safety/choking perspective, make sure your toddler or baby doesn't eat a spoonful of poppy seeds - that will be tricky to swallow. But adding them to pancakes is completely safe since they're so tiny. Storing them away from your child is our best tip.
Yes, this recipe is freezer-friendly, just like our fruit pouch pancakes! We recommend laying pancakes on parchment paper in a single layer, freeze and once frozen you can place into a reusable bag or container. You can also freeze by layering parchment paper between them. Pancakes will keep in a freezer for up to 3 months.
Be sure to cool your pancakes and then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pancakes can be reheated on a griddle over medium-low heat
in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds on a pan over the stove top
popped into the toaster or in your oven!
Play + books that match this recipe
If pancakes or maybe even this style of pancake is new to your child, offering opportunities for reading food books and facilitating food play can help them feel more comfortable and confident before eating. Here are a few play based ways to support that:
Other recommended toddler breakfast recipes
If you tried these fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Fluffiest Lemon Poppyseed Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients
- 4 eggs separated
- 2 cups ricotta (DIY recipe)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup canola or olive oil
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat a griddle or frying pan on medium-low heat.
- Begin by beating egg whites until soft peak forms and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the egg yolks, ricotta, zest and juice of the lemon, the oil, and the sugar.
- In a separate bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds and mix.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture.
- Once combined, fold in the egg whites until just mixed (try not to deflate the egg whites).
- Lightly grease the griddle or frying pan. Add the pancake batter in ⅓-1/2 cup scoops and gently spread to flatten.
- Cook on the first side until the bottom is golden brown. Flip and repeat on the second side.
Hi! Any alternatives for sugar? Thank you!
It might be a bit sour without the sugar. It's a fairly small amount so they don't actually taste very sweet. But the sugar could be omitted, if you preferred.
Paired with your chia berry sauce - unreal! My kids usually complain about a lack of chocolate chips in pancakes, but they devoured these.
Wow - that's a big compliment when kids don't need chocolate chips, haha 🙂 Sooo happy to hear your family loves these pancakes!
Made this for the last Mother's Day and will probably make it again. We find these so filling plus they freeze well.
High five for freezer meals!
I love this recipe for when I have leftover ricottta at home!!
Made this for Sunday brunch for the entire family and everyone loved it. I had ricotta on hand from lasagna so this was a great way to use that up.
I love lemon so these lemon ricotta pancakes were perfect for the whole family!
I loved these (little ones did as well!)
Beautiful, we're glad it was a hit with your little eater!
Light and fluffy. I eat them alongside my little!
We love a fluffy pancake moment!
These are very yummy. I added a teaspoon of vanilla to the batter and served with a sauce I made with frozen blueberries since fresh berries are so pricey here in winter !
We love the tip about using frozen product!