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Whole Wheat Lemon Ricotta Poppyseed Pancakes

Fluffy and moist whole wheat lemon ricotta poppyseed pancakes for that ultimate Spring or Easter brunch! They are a little healthier and more filling, but let me tell you - they are ultra-delicious! Serve them with a big drizzle of warm blackberry syrup and fresh blackberries (or blueberries) for a luxurious breakfast.

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes with blackberry syrup down their sides.

 

I talked about winning flavor combinations in my orange hot chocolate, with combinations such as orange and chocolate, blackberries and lemon, and caramel and salt. Well - lemon and poppyseeds should be on that list as well, and lemon and ricotta too!

 

A stack of lemon poppy seed ricotta pancakes.

 

So you can tell that this recipe ought to be the best combination of them all, combining lemon with all its besties: blackberries, ricotta and poppyseeds.

 

And if you're feeling like changing the pancake game a little, I can also recommend healthier whole wheat banana pancakes, Japanese soufflé pancakes, and these blackberry and lemon cream cheese crepes (again with the blackberry lemon!). Or why don't you try some Norwegian waffles?

 

What does the ricotta do in ricotta pancakes?

 

Two things: creamy tanginess and moistness.

 

Ricotta won't make the pancakes taste like cheese, it only provides that subtle tanginess that works so well with sweet things. There's a reason why we love cream cheese frostings! And who likes a dry pancake? Not me! Ricotta also makes the pancakes more moist, along with the other wet ingredients.

 

I love adding ricotta in lemon cakes, greek yoghurt in any cake (like this Black Forest Cake), and sour cream in this apple cake. All for making more moist cakes. And the same goes for these pancakes!

 

Strangely enough, I know the grocery stores in town (and so probably the rest of Norway) struggle to provide enough ricotta cheese. They are often out, and if you're looking for a ricotta substitute, I may suggest the following

 

  • greek yoghurt - tangy and light
  • buttermilk/kulturmelk - tangy and medium light
  • sour cream and cream cheese - tangy and a little heavier

 

All of these would work great in these lemon poppyseed ricotta pancakes.

 

Stack of pancakes topped with lemon slices. Blue background.

 

Health benefits of poppyseeds

 

People tend to fear that the seeds may cause the same narcotic effects that other poppy products give. However, that is not the case, poppyseeds offer some impressive nutritional components that can help your body improve or maintain optimal functions. Some of poppyseeds' health benefits are:

 

  • Help prevent heart disorders by being rich in fatty omega 6-acids.
  • Maintain healthy bones by being rich in phosphorus, iron and mineral essentials.
  • Good for the digestive system because of the high fiber content.
  • Enhances cognitive functioning with the calcium, iron and magnesium.
  • Assists in red blood cell-production because of the copper and iron.
  • Regulate blood pressure with oleic acid.
  • Home remedy for insomnia because poppyseeds decrease the levels of cortisol in the body. This has a calming effect.
  • and more!

 

So that's just a healthy bonus when consuming an otherwise indulgent and luxurious brunch!

 

Why aren't my pancakes fluffy?

 

No one likes flat pancakes - if they are not supposed to be crêpes. I love a good crêpe, that is what we call pancakes here in Scandinavia after all. But sometimes, I just want to bite into that fluffy, moist American style pancake too. Here's a few things that may have gone wrong if your pancakes are flat:

 

  1. Baking powder and baking soda have expired. Check the expiration date or test them with these techniques.
  2. Overmixed the batter. Overmixing the batter overdevelops the gluten in the flour. This makes the gluten stronger and tighter, with less space for airy pockets! Mix the batter carefully, until there are few lumps of batter. Smooth = overmixed! The resting time will smooth the lumps a little more, so don't worry.
  3. Too low heat - when cooking you need medium high heat to force the batter up instead of spreading out.
  4. Making the batter in advance - this makes the leavening agents lose their potency. 10 minutes rest is all the batter really needs.
  5. The batter is too thin, coming back to the issue of the pancakes spreading too much on the pan. It should run slowly off a spoon.

 

Steps on how to mix pancake batter.

 

I think the key thing here lies in the overmixing of the batter and following the recipe. The ratios in a recipe should always have been tested by the creator beforehand, so you won't have to experiment and potentially risk flat pancakes. Scroll down to find a printable recipe card for these ricotta pancakes. Enjoy!

 

Did you like these Lemon Ricotta Poppyseed Pancakes? Here's more spring brunch recipes:

 

 

Pouring blackberry syrup on lemon poppy seed pancakes.

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don’t forget to Pin it for later! To make sure you’re never missing another recipe, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter. As a thanks you will receive a free e-cookbook Travels Through the Seasons, with many delicious recipes from around the world that suit different seasons of the year. 

 

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📖 Recipe

Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes with blackberry syrup down their sides.

Whole Wheat Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

Yield: 15 small pancakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Fluffy and moist whole wheat lemon ricotta poppyseed pancakes for that ultimate Spring brunch! They are a little healthier, more filling - and delicious!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour (or just regular all purpose flour. 155g)
  • ½ cup all purpose flour (or more whole wheat flour. 65g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional
  • 2 teaspoon poppyseeds
  • pinch salt
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk, 250ml
  • ½ cup ricotta, 125ml**
  • oil, for frying
  • To serve: blackberry syrup, fresh blackberries, optional

Instructions

  1. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl: whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, poppyseeds and salt.
  2. Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl: lemon juice and zest, eggs, milk and ricotta.
  3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, be careful not to overmix. The batter should have a lumpy texture. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Heat a nonstick skillet with a tiny bit oil to medium. Use ¼ cup (or 4 tbsp) batter for each pancake. Pour the batter onto the skillet and flip with a spatula once air bubbles form and some have popped and the backside is golden brown. Once done on both sides, serve right away.
  5. Serve with: blackberry or blueberry syrup and fresh berries.

Notes

* Recipe for blackberry syrup. You can also use blueberries.

** You can also use greek yogurt, buttermilk (or the Norwegian kulturmelk), cream cheese and sour cream. All provide moisture and tanginess, but ricotta feels a little lighter.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 3 pancakes
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 239Total Fat: 5.8gSaturated Fat: 2.5gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 207mgCarbohydrates: 37.4gFiber: 3.7gProtein: 11.5g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or tag @thegingerwithspice on Instagram, I'd love to see!

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Lathiya

Friday 3rd of April 2020

I'm trying to include more lemon in our diet. These pancakes look perfect for our breakfast.

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 6th of April 2020

Thank you so much!

April

Tuesday 24th of March 2020

This lemon poppyseed pancake recipe just screams spring. I love using ricotta in pancakes and the blackberry syrup just puts it over the top!

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 30th of March 2020

Thank you! Spring was what I had in mind :) I am such a sucker for anything with blackberry!

Jacque Hastert

Monday 23rd of March 2020

What a delicious way to start the day and even better on spring mornings! These pancakes would make me wake up early and a great start to the day.

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 30th of March 2020

That is fantastic! I did try to make these extra sunny to kickstart the day ?

Alexis

Monday 23rd of March 2020

Oh, I'm definitely going to try this recipe this weekend with my children. We love pancakes and this one looks amazing.

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 30th of March 2020

Thank you so much, Alexis, I hope it was a success!

Katerina

Monday 23rd of March 2020

The combo of lemon, ricotta and poppyseeds is perfection in my book! And your photos look mouthwatering (as always)!

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 30th of March 2020

Thank you so much, sweet Katerina!

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