Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These pancakes are super light and fluffy, high in fiber and protein (if you go with the whole wheat), and comparatively low in fat provided you stick with the applesauce instead of butter or oil.  Keep in mind I said comparatively--there is still fat here my friends, but for fancy shmance pancakes such as these, you have to have some (in the form of eggs and cheese) to bind it all together.

I like these pancakes for several reasons, but mostly because they give you all the flavor with very little fat.  For those who are seeking flavor, usually swapping out the fat is the kiss of death as it holds a lot of flavor.  This recipe passed with flying colors with my family, even my mother who is a die-hard butter fan.  Here's the great thing:  for those who want that butter flavor, just tell them to add it to the cooked pancake.  I do.  I just can't have double the butter!  So, I take it out of the pancake batter and am able to add how much I want and will knowingly have to run off later!  Interestingly, as an aside, buttermilk doesn't pack the punch in calories that most people think--it's name has given it a bad rap.  If you aren't a fan of whole wheat flour or substitutions like applesauce instead of butter or oil, never fear; you can simply put in the ingredient that you are most comfortable with and I've made notes on the recipe where applicable.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

From the Kitchen of Ann Majors
(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour (if you prefer all-purpose flour, consider reducing the buttermilk by a ¼ cup)
¼ c.  sugar
½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
½ tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, use milk but add the lemon juice to it in a separate bowl and allow it to sit for a minute.  This will give the lemon juice time to curdle the milk and create a similar effect.)
3 eggs, separated
¾ c. ricotta cheese
2 tbsp applesauce (or butter/oil if you don’t have any)
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon (about ¼ c.)

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. 

In a separate bowl or glass pyrex, combine all of your liquid ingredients and the ricotta cheese except for the egg whites.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined, but don’t overmix. 

In another bowl, whip egg whites with a mixer until glossy peaks form. Stir about one-quarter of the whites into the ricotta mixture, then fold in the remaining whites gently.

Melt raw coconut oil or butter in pan over medium heat, drop batter on using small ladle or large spoon. I used about a cup for each pancake, but you can make them any size that you like.  Cook for about two minutes per side on medium low heat until bubbles form over the entire pancake—don’t rush this. Top with syrup or powdered sugar.