These gluten free lemon ricotta pancakes are made with oat flour and so, so delicious! They’re indulgent enough for a sunny Sunday morning, but quick enough that you can even make them on a busy weekday. They also reheat beautifully, so you can meal prep them in advance on the weekend and eat them throughout the week. The ricotta cheese makes these pancakes creamier than traditional pancakes, and the lemon adds a brightness that’s perfect for spring or a fancy brunch. These are truly some of the best pancakes!

And if you’re looking for an even simpler gluten free pancake recipe, check out my oat flour pancake recipe. Made with just five essential ingredients, they come together in just 20-25 minutes. This picture is of the regular oat flour pancakes.

And going back to the gluten free lemon ricotta pancakes–since oats are whole grains, these are also healthier lemon ricotta pancakes. Traditional pancakes use all-purpose flour which has been refined and isn’t suitable for all diet types. If you’re looking for a healthy lemon ricotta pancake recipe, this is the one!

My favorite toppings for gluten free lemon ricotta pancakes:

• ​Berries: Sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are some of my favorite toppings. You can even drop some blueberries in the batter to make blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes! The flavors pair together really well.

• Bananas: Banana slices are a perfect topping for most pancakes and add extra creaminess to each bite. Using fruit as a topping also makes these healthy lemon ricotta pancakes even more packed with nutrition and fiber.
• Maple syrup: This is a classic pancake topping. I recommend using pure maple syrup over pancake syrup.

• Powdered sugar: If you’re looking to impress your guests, some powdered sugar sprinkled on top through a sieve will add to the presentation of the pancakes.
• Whipped cream: This is another topping that will look stunning on your guests’ plates.

What you’ll need to make gluten-free lemon ricotta pancakes:

Ricotta cheese

Creamy ricotta cheese is the star of the dish. It adds a texture to these gluten free lemon ricotta pancakes that can’t be beat! I recommend using full fat or part-skim ricotta cheese, and I don’t recommend using fat-free ricotta cheese.

I haven’t tried substituting with a vegan ricotta cheese. But if I were to try and make this recipe dairy-free, I’d test the Kite Hill brand vegan ricotta cheese. Before adding it to the recipe, I’d break it up with a fork and stir in some plant-based milk until it has a similar texture to traditional ricotta cheese. I can’t make any promises this will work though, but it’s worth a shot! 

Lemon

This gluten free lemon ricotta pancakes recipe calls for lemon juice as an essential ingredient, and lemon zest as an optional ingredient. While fresh lemons are always best, sometimes you just don’t have time to run to the grocery store to buy fresh lemons. This recipe will also taste delicious with bottled lemon juice and no lemon zest. 

Milk

I use a plant-based milk like almond, oat, or macadamia nut milk. I don’t recommend a high fat milk like coconut milk, or any plant based milk labeled “extra creamy”. These milks will have high levels of fats or gums that can weigh down the pancakes and reduce the fluff.

Oat flour

Oat flour comes from whole grains that have a similar flavor to wheat flour. I wouldn’t know these gluten free lemon ricotta pancakes were gluten free without being told! And always make sure the oat flour you buy is certified gluten free to reduce the chances of cross contamination. If you don’t have any oat flour you can blend whole, plain, certified gluten free rolled oats in a blender for a few minutes until it looks like a fine flour. You can also buy oat flour here!

Egg

An egg will bind the pancakes together. Don’t skip it!

Baking soda

This will react with the lemon juice and add extra lift to the pancakes.

Baking powder

This will help the pancakes rise even more.

Vanilla extract

This will complement the lemon beautifully and make your pancakes taste even better. Don’t skip it!

Sugar

This will also balance out the lemon. I only use a tiny amount and I don’t recommend skipping it. I used light brown sugar in this recipe but you can also use white sugar.

Salt

A bit of salt will help all the other flavors shine.

Directions:

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients together.

Add the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine it evenly.

Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients together.

Mix the lemon juice, milk, egg, and vanilla (and optional lemon zest) together in a separate mixing bowl and whisk it together until it’s a smooth mixture. I did this in my measuring cup to reduce the number of dishes I used. You can see what the fully mixed wet ingredients look like in step 4.

Step 3: Preheat your frying pan.

Preheat your frying pan over medium-low heat. Wait until it’s hot, but let the pan cool down if any oil added starts to smoke.

Step 4: Mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients.

While the pan preheats, make a well (or an indentation) in the center of the dry ingredients. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the well with one hand while gently whisking the ingredients together with the other hand. Keep mixing until it’s fully combined. You may see some bubbles as the lemon reacts with the baking soda.

This is what it should look like when it’s fully mixed:

Step 5: Grease your frying pan.

Once your pan is hot enough, add a bit of oil to prevent the pancakes from sticking.

Step 6: Pour the pancake batter into the pan and start cooking the pancakes.

Add the pancake batter about 1/4 cup at a time to get perfect sized pancakes each time.

Step 7: Flip the pancakes

Once the pancake is nicely browned on the underside, about 1-2 minutes, flip it and allow it to cook on the other side for another 1-2 minutes.

Once it’s cooked all the way through, remove it from the pan.

Step 8: Repeat and enjoy!

Repeat steps 6 and 7 until there’s no more pancake batter. This recipe should make about 6 pancakes. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy your healthy lemon ricotta pancakes! 

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How to store and reheat your gluten free lemon ricotta pancakes:

• Storing the pancakes: Store the pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-4 days.
• Reheating the pancakes: I reheat the pancakes by microwaving them for 1-2 minutes on a microwave-safe dish.