Skip to main content
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Syrup & Crème

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Syrup & Crème

plus a Spinach-Orange Salad | Serves 4 ($8.00/serving)
4.5(3.1K)798 Reviews
Recipe Development Team
Recipe Development TeamUpdated on April 13, 2026
Get Free Breakfast for Life + 10 Free Meals
Get Free Breakfast for Life + 10 Free Meals
Calories
1100 kcal
Protein
25g protein
Total
50 minutes
Difficulty
Medium
Allergens:
  • Milk
  • Tree Nuts
  • Eggs
  • Wheat

Mom in your life got a sweet tooth? We can’t think of a better way to honor her this Mother’s Day than with this delicious brunch-inspired meal. You’ll start with decadent lemon ricotta pancakes and a dollop of zesty crème fraîche. Ready to take it to the next level? You’ll serve up a sweet spinach salad with oranges and creamy feta on the side. Whether you break out the special plates or enjoy brunch in your PJs while chasing the kids around the house, we guarantee your mama will be feeling the love.

Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
/ Serving 4 people

3 unit

Sunkist® Blood Orange

8 tablespoon

Crème Fraîche

(Contains: Milk)

1 ounce

Almonds

(Contains: Tree Nuts)

8 tablespoon

Cherry Jam

8 tablespoon

Maple Syrup

5 ounce

Spinach

1 cup

Feta Cheese

(Contains: Milk)

3 ounce

Honey Dijon Dressing

(Contains: Eggs)

6.75 ounce

Milk

(Contains: Milk)

4 ounce

Ricotta Cheese

(Contains: Milk)

2 unit

Eggs

(Contains: Eggs)

246 g

Tempura Mix

(Contains: Eggs, Milk, Wheat)

1.5 ounce

Walnuts

(Contains: Tree Nuts)

1 unit

Lemon

Not included in your delivery

Salt

Pepper

5 tablespoon

Butter

(Contains: Milk)

¼ cup

Sugar

1 teaspoon

Vegetable Oil

per serving
Calories1100 kcal
Fat54 g
Saturated Fat23 g
Carbohydrate141 g
Sugar89 g
Dietary Fiber8 g
Protein25 g
Cholesterol200 mg
Sodium1810 mg
Due to the different suppliers we purchase our products from, nutritional facts per meal can vary from the website to what is received in the delivered box, depending on your region.
Zester
Small Bowl
Medium Pan
Large Bowl
Medium Bowl
Whisk
Large Pan

Cooking Steps

Prep
1

• Optional: Preheat oven to 200 degrees for warming pancakes later on. Wash and dry all produce. • Zest and quarter lemon. Zest 1 orange until you have 2 tsp; peel oranges, removing as much white pith as possible. Thinly slice peeled oranges crosswise into rounds. • Place 2 TBSP butter in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave until melted, 30 seconds. Set aside for pancake batter in step 5. • Set aside 1 packet crème fraîche for pancake batter.

Mix Crème Fraîche & Toast Almonds
2

• In a second small bowl, combine remaining crème fraîche, ¼ tsp lemon zest, ½ tsp sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice, and pinch of salt to taste. • Heat a medium, dry pan over medium-high heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, 2-4 minutes. • Turn off heat; transfer almonds to a plate to cool. Wipe out pan.

Make Syrup
3

• Heat pan used for almonds over mediumhigh heat. Add jam and maple syrup. Cook until bubbling, 1-2 minutes. • Turn off heat; stir in 3 TBSP solid butter until melted. Add a couple squeezes of lemon juice (save at least 1 wedge for pancake batter) and a big pinch of salt. Set aside.

Make Salad
4

• In a large bowl, combine Honey Dijon dressing with orange zest to taste. Add spinach, half the sliced oranges, half the feta, and half the almonds. Toss until well combined; season with salt and pepper to taste. • Transfer salad to a serving platter. Sprinkle with remaining sliced oranges, feta, and almonds.

Mix Batter
5

• In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, ricotta, eggs*, melted butter, 1 tsp lemon zest, juice from 1 lemon wedge, and reserved crème fraîche. • In a second large bowl, combine tempura mix, ¼ cup sugar, and ½ tsp salt. Whisk in milk mixture until just combined.

Cook Pancakes
6

• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium heat. (TIP: Use butter instead of oil if desired.) Add a few ¼-cup scoops of batter to pan. Once bubbles form on tops of pancakes (about 1-2 minutes), flip and cook until golden, 30-60 seconds more. (TIP: Lower heat if pancakes begin to brown too quickly.) Transfer to a plate. (If you want to keep your pancakes nice and warm, transfer to a baking sheet as you make them; place in preheated oven until ready to serve.) • Repeat process with remaining batter, adding more oil between batches if necessary. TIP: For quicker cooking, use 2 nonstick pans, or a griddle if you have one.

Finish & Serve
7

• Warm syrup over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes. • Divide pancakes between plates; top with syrup, walnuts, and a dollop of lemony crème fraîche. (Alternatively, set up a toppings bar: Serve the syrup, walnuts, and crème fraîche in individual bowls and let everyone assemble as they please. For pickier eaters, serve pancakes with butter or simply sprinkle with powdered sugar.) Serve spinach salad on the side.

Customer reviews

Review summary

Updated on Feb 2026
  • Flavor: Many loved the unique flavor combinations, especially the lemon ricotta pancakes and cherry maple syrup 🍒
  • Ease of prep: Some found it time-consuming with many steps, but most agreed the delicious results were worth the effort
  • Suggestions: Consider adding extra lemon zest to boost pancake flavor; use a griddle for easier cooking if available
  • Portions: Several wished for more pancakes and less salad; some found the syrup too sweet and wanted more crème fraîche
  • Leftovers: Pancakes reheated well; some enjoyed the salad separately for lunch the next day
AI-generated from customer reviews

Reviews from our home cooks

A
AnonymousCooked for 2 people
|May 11, 2021

Oh WOW!!! This was SOOO good!! It was a lot of work but worth it!! LOVE the lemon ricotta pancakes, the syrup was awesome, blood oranges SO good, and the salad great on the side. We don't do brunch often so this was a nice change of pace. It kept us full until the later serving of gnocchi. Hope to see more special occasion dishes like this.

A
AnonymousCooked for 2 people
|May 13, 2021

This was beyond incredible! I could not shovel the pancakes into my mouth fast enough. I really hope this recipe becomes available again and would love it with something other than the blood orange salad. Also added a bit of lemon zest to the pancake batter and to top the creme fraishe - perfection

A
AnonymousCooked for 2 people
|Jul 13, 2021

This was awesome. Lemon Ricotta pancakes were great, especially with the cream, cherry flavored maple syrup and pecans on top. The salad w/ the blood oranges was good, but not my favorite.

M
Mary Kurtak ChruschCooked for 2 people
|Jun 15, 2023

The spinach and orange salad was amazing. I have had the ricotta pancakes before (although I make them in my mini waffle maker) so I already knew they are a hit. Thanks for expanding my salad experiences again!

M
Mirta SchultzCooked for 2 people
|Jul 12, 2024

Too many steps, too many bowls, and the cherry mixed with the maples syrup didn't go well with the lemony-orangey other elements. Otherwise, the salad was delicious, the pancakes were fine/good. But it's a lie the prep is 10 mins.

A
AnonymousCooked for 2 people
|May 10, 2021

Amazing. Full of flavor. Salad is fresh. The orange mixed with feta is superb. Honey dijon mixed with the orange zest and then mixed into the salad was a nice touch. The pancakes were moist and fluffy. The cherry jam was perfectly balanced with the crème fraîshe! Loved it.

S
Susan NicholsCooked for 2 people
|Apr 1, 2023

The BEST pancakes I have ever had! Let alone made myself. I would have thought they'd be heavy with the cheese, quite the opposite! The Creme and Cherry Syrup really made an extra surprise to the taste buds. I made the salad for lunch and again eas very pleased with it. The fruits, nuts and Honey mustard, a great way to satisfy the sweet tooth without the high sugar.

A
AnonymousCooked for 2 people
|May 12, 2021

We loved this brunch! If I were to make it again, I would reduce the number of oranges from 3 to 2...they kind of overwhelmed the salad. But the basic flavor was great. I'll also add more lemon juice to the pancakes next time.

A
AnonymousCooked for 2 people
|May 17, 2021

Total win! This is the best pancake brunch I've had in a long time. Pairing the pancakes with the spinach salad was a delicious treat!

G
Glenda FryeCooked for 2 people
|Dec 15, 2022

There are a LOT of bowls required for this creation. But the final product was outstanding! Cannot say enough about the perfect balance of citrus, ricotta and the fresh spinach.

More delicious recipes with similar ingredients

Highest-rated dinner recipes

This week's must-try HelloFresh recipes