Breakfast/ Fruit Desserts

Lemon Pancakes

July 16, 2022

These sweet, fluffy lemon pancakes are the perfect way to wake up in the morning. They’re bursting with lemon flavor and taste incredible with a drizzle of maple styrup and fresh berries.

Lemon Pancakes (2)

This is a basic pancake recipe with the addition of grated lemon and lemon juice, which both add a refreshing and unique flavor. I used buttermilk for moistness and a slight tang that complements the lemon perfectly. If you prefer regular milk, simply mix the milk with the lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes before pouring into the wet ingredients. I love to serve these pancakes with maple syrup, but you can also use fresh berries, berry compote, grated white chocolate, or mascarpone cream.

Lemon Pancakes (3)

How to make lemon pancakes

  1. Make the pancake batter: In a large bowl, mix lemon zest and sugar until well combined. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine, then set aside.
  2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
  3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until combined and moistened. Be careful not to over mix.
  4. Cook the pancakes: Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray or oil. For each pancake, drop 1/4 cup of batter onto skillet. Cook for1-2 minutes until the surface of each pancake has some bubbles. Flip carefully and cook another 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Make sure to coat the skillet before every pancake or batch of pancakes to prevent sticking.
  5. Serve immediately while pancakes are still warm. Drizzle with maple syrup or desired topping.

Tip: Add a handful of blueberries to the batter to make lemon blueberry pancakes!

Lemon Pancakes

Lemon pancake toppings

The opportunities for toppings are endless! Here are some of my favorites:

Lemon Pancakes (4)

Can I make lemon pancakes in advance?

I recommend making the pancake batter fresh when you’re ready to use it so the baking powder and baking soda are at their max potential. However, you can make the pancakes and refrigerate or even freeze them. They can stay frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight and heat in the oven to warm.

What can I se if I don’t have buttermilk?

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute with regular milk. I recommend adding the lemon juice to the milk 5 minutes before making the batter, which actually curdles it and turns it into homemade buttermilk!

More of my favorite pancake recipes

4.75 from 8 votes
Lemon Pancakes
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
YIELD: 8 pancakes
 

These lemon-scented fluffy pancakes have a sweet, tangy flavor and are the perfect way to wake up in the morning. Best topped with maple syrup and fresh berries!


Ingredients
  • Zest and juice from one lemon (about 1 tablespoon zest, 1/4 cup juice)
  • 3 tablespoons (37g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk*
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) butter, melted
  • Canola oil/cooking spray , for coating the pan
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, mix lemon zest and sugar until well combined. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine, then set aside.
  2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla extract and lemon juice.
  3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until combined and moistened. Be careful not to over mix.
  4. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray or oil. For each pancake, drop 1/4 cup of batter onto skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes, until surface of the pancakes have some bubbles. Flip carefully and cook another 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Make sure to coat the skillet before every pancake or batch of pancakes to prevent sticking.

  5. Serve immediately while pancakes are still warm. Drizzle with maple syrup or desired topping.
  6. *Buttermilk can be substituted with milk. Mix the milk and lemon juice together and let sit for 5 minutes before adding to the wet ingredients.

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12 Comments

  • Reply
    Anne
    July 1, 2014 at 10:54 am

    Looks amazing! I love lemon and lemon pancakes sound sooo good for breakfast right now. Loved the story too. 😉

    • Reply
      Shiran
      July 1, 2014 at 3:58 pm

      Thanks Anne! 🙂

  • Reply
    Erin @ The Speckled Palate
    July 7, 2014 at 2:50 pm

    YUM. I haven’t done much with lemon in desserts or breakfasts… but I think I need to fix that because these sound ah-mazing! And I bet my hubby would love them, too!

    Nice job on converting this from the original cake batter (LOVE that!) into pancake batter! I bet they’re delicious!

    • Reply
      Shiran
      July 8, 2014 at 7:55 am

      Thanks Erin! You should definitely fix that 😉 Lemon desserts are so refreshing!

  • Reply
    Lee
    April 19, 2017 at 5:58 pm

    Might be giving these a try very soon.. I love lemon anything.. The fruit of the Gods…

  • Reply
    JGH
    February 22, 2019 at 7:07 pm

    Made these last Sunday! Pure bliss!

  • Reply
    melovechocolate
    May 19, 2019 at 1:10 pm

    Very good, except next time I will double the recipe and add a little bit of lemon extract and a bit more baking powder & baking soda

  • Reply
    AlexisfromTexas
    December 15, 2019 at 6:43 pm

    Had these for breakfast this morning. The best pancakes I’ve ever had, although I really need to work on my flip. Tender, fluffy with a great lemon flavor (but not too much). I devoured them with Marionberry syrup.

  • Reply
    Amy
    February 8, 2020 at 11:40 am

    Very few words needed for this recipe…. Absolutely Delicious!!!!!!!!!!

  • Reply
    Cindy
    May 3, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    Yum!! Super fluffy and easy to make. Thanks!

  • Reply
    Deepika
    June 7, 2020 at 11:17 am

    Perfect pancakes.. very moist, super fluffy and delicate. Thank you soo much for the recipe.

  • Reply
    Andy
    January 24, 2021 at 12:01 pm

    Simple, and delicate with the perfect touch of lemon essence. No need for syrup or butter. Best pancakes i have ever made. Seriously!

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