Mar 5, 2017

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Mixed Berry Compote and Candied Walnuts

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
These light and fluffy ricotta pancakes border on soufflé-like and are so moist they don’t even need syrup, especially when accompanied by the mixed berry compote.
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These light and fluffy ricotta pancakes border on soufflé-like and are so moist they don’t even need syrup, especially when accompanied by the mixed berry compote. It might be a little extra work to separate the eggs and beat the whites but the effort is worth it for how fluffy these pancakes are.

The addition of the ricotta doesn’t make the pancakes taste “cheesy” but instead they are rich and creamy. (Ricotta is a mild soft cheese with a slightly sweet flavor.) Plus I love the crunch and added sweetness from the walnuts on top.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Mixed Berry Compote and Candied Walnuts

What is a Compote?

Compote is a fruit sauce and it’s more similar to preserves than jam. The whole fruit is slowly cooked in a syrupy mixture so the fruit stays mostly intact.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

  • Ricotta – Ricotta is a mild, soft and creamy Italian cheese that is made from the leftover whey created when making mozzarella and other similar cheeses. The texture and look is similar to cottage cheese. I always choose whole milk ricotta over part-skim because the latter can be watery.
  • Lemon zest – The lemon zest is the grated outer skin from the lemon. Use a zester or microplane to remove the zest. If you don’t have a zester use a paring knife or vegetable peeler to remove the rind and finely chop it.
lemon ricotta pancakes with mixed berry compote and candied walnuts

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

For the mixed berry compote:

  1. Cook the berries. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the orange juice and the honey. Bring the mixture to a boil then add the blueberries and blackberries and cook until the berries are softened, about 3 minutes.
  2. Make the compote. Add the raspberries and stir to combine. In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch with 1½ tablespoons of water until combined to make a slurry. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture until thickened and glossy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Cool. Remove from heat and let cool.

For the candied walnuts:

  1. Make the candied nuts. Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat, add butter and allow to melt. Add the walnuts and the granulated sugar and stir to combine. Stir frequently until the sugar has melted and the walnuts are coated in the mixture, about 8 minutes.
  2. Let cool. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and immediately separate the nuts. Let the coating harden, this will take about 5 minutes then set aside. Break apart the pieces if necessary.

To make the lemon pancakes:

  1. Heat oven. Preheat oven to 200ºF (93ºC).
  2. Make the batter. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice until thoroughly combined. In another medium mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and stir into the ricotta mixture until just combined.
  3. Beat egg whites. In another medium mixing bowl use a whisk or stand mixer to beat the egg whites until frothy and stiff peaks are formed. Use a spoon to gently fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture until just combined.
  4. Add batter to pan. Heat a griddle or large non-stick sauté pan over medium-low heat. Spray the pan with vegetable spray and ladle about 1/3 batter onto the pan, working in batches.
  5. Cook the pancakes. Cook until the bottom of the pancake is golden brown and bubbles form on the top, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pancake and cook until browned and just cooked through about an additional minute.
  6. Warm and repeat. To keep the pancakes warm until serving, place on a baking sheet and warm in the oven.

For serving:

  1. Assemble and serve. Divide the pancakes among warmed plates and top with a scoop of the warm berry compote and nuts. Serve immediately.
lemon ricotta pancakes with mixed berry compote and candied walnuts cut

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Mixed Berry Compote and Candied Walnuts

Print Pin
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the mixed berry compote:

  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup blackberries
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the candied walnuts:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup walnut halves and pieces
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

For the lemon ricotta pancakes:

  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • Juice from 1 medium lemon
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt
  • Vegetable spray, as needed

Instructions:

For the mixed berry compote:

  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the orange juice and the honey. Bring the mixture to a boil then add the blueberries and blackberries and cook until the berries are softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the raspberries and stir to combine. In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch with 1½ tablespoons of water until combined to make a slurry. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture until thickened and glossy, about 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and let cool.

For the candied walnuts:

  • Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat, add butter and allow to melt. Add the walnuts and the granulated sugar and stir to combine. Stir frequently until the sugar has melted and the walnuts are coated in the mixture, about 8 minutes.
  • Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and immediately separate the nuts. Let the coating harden, this will take about 5 minutes then set aside. Break apart the pieces if necessary.

For the lemon pancakes:

  • Preheat oven to 200ºF (93ºC).
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice until thoroughly combined. In another medium mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and stir into the ricotta mixture until just combined.
  • In another medium mixing bowl use a whisk or stand mixer to beat the egg whites until frothy and stiff peaks are formed. Use a spoon to gently fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture until just combined.
  • Heat a griddle or large non-stick sauté pan over medium-low heat. Spray the pan with vegetable spray and ladle about 1/3 batter onto the pan, working in batches.
  • Cook until the bottom of the pancake is golden brown and bubbles form on the top, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pancake and cook until browned and just cooked through about an additional minute.
  • To keep the pancakes warm until serving, place on a baking sheet and warm in the oven.

For serving:

  • Divide the pancakes among warmed plates and top with a scoop of the warm berry compote. Serve immediately.

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