Our homemade lemon pancakes are filled with fresh citrus flavor from fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. These pancakes are light, tender and bursting with lemon flavor in every bite. This recipe is easy to made ahead - you can mix up the batter the night before and fry the pancakes in the morning.
This from scratch recipe starts with our tried and true pancake recipe and then gets loaded up with fresh lemon flavor. Top your lemon pancakes with fresh berries and warm maple syrup for an extra special stack of pancakes. If you love fruity pancakes, be sure to also try our Strawberry Banana Pancakes or Banana Macadamia Nut Pancakes.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This simple lemon pancake recipe is the perfect recipe for a special occasion or for a cozy weekend morning.
- These fluffy lemon pancakes are filled with bright lemon flavor that comes from plenty of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
- These pancakes are delicious topped with fresh berries and maple syrup, a berry compote or try lemon curd for even more lemon flavor!
- Make this delicious pancake recipe in one large bowl with simple ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- lemons - use fresh lemon zest and lemon juice for these delicious pancakes
- vanilla - balances the flavors and adds sweetness to the finished pancakes
- flour - use your favorite all-purpose flour for this recipe - you can swap the all purpose flour for your favorite gluten free flour blend for gluten free lemon pancakes
- baking powder - be sure to use an aluminum free baking powder for this recipe
Variations and Serving Ideas
lemon blueberry pancakes - sprinkle fresh blueberries onto the pancake batter before flipping the pancakes
lemon chocolate chip pancakes - sprinkle a tablespoon of mini chocolate chips onto the batter before flipping the pancakes
fresh strawberries and a drizzle of maple syrup - add fresh strawberry slices and a drizzle of maple syrup for a simple yet delicious combo
homemade whipped cream and fresh lemon zest - add a little taste of the Amalfi Coast with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of fresh lemon zest
gluten free lemon pancakes - swap the all purpose flour out for your favorite gluten free flour mix for light and fluffy, gluten free lemon pancakes
INstructions
Be sure to see the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and detailed recipe instructions.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Zest the two lemons directly into the dry ingredients.
Pour pancake batter onto your warm frying pan. Cook pancakes over medium heat in a well oiled frying pan.
Mix the liquid ingredients in a large measuring cup. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients - mix until just combined.
Serve pancakes with fresh berries and drizzle of warm maple syrup.
Hint: I like to use both a non-stick pan and butter or cooking spray. I find with this combo, my pancakes never stick to the pan.
Amanda's Favorite pancake Tips
Don't over mix your pancake batter - when you add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix until the batter just comes together. Over mixing will make the pancakes tough and you will lose some of that light and fluffy texture.
Make the batter ahead of time - this pancake batter keeps well in the refrigerator so it's an easy recipe to make ahead of time. Mix up the batter the night before and easily make fresh pancakes in no time at all the next morning.
Storage
Refrigerator: Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days. You can also store leftover batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To make fresh pancakes, simply warm your frying pan and scoop batter directly from the refrigerator.
Freezer: Arrange your cooked pancakes in a single layer on a quarter sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze until the pancakes are solid. Transfer to a labeled ziplock bag and store for 3-4 months. Warm frozen pancakes in the oven, toaster, or air fryer.
How to Reheat Frozen Pancakes
Toaster or Toaster Oven: Warm pancakes in the toaster/toaster oven for 3-4 minutes - use a medium level of heat.
Oven: Warm at 350° for 3-4 minutes. I like to just place them on the open rack so that they warm and get a little crispy on all of the surfaces.
Microwave: Place pancakes in a single layer on a paper towel lined plate. Warm pancakes for 15-20 seconds. Check and add an additional 5-10 seconds until pancakes are warmed through.
Frozen Pancakes in Air Fryer: Use the reheat setting to warm your pancakes for 1-3 minutes. Check after 1 minutes and add more time as needed.
pancake Faqs
Adding fresh lemon zest and juice is a great way to make pancakes with lemons. I prefer to add the zest to the dry ingredients and the lemon juice to the wet ingredients. Each adds a unique lemon flavor and together make a pancake that is packed with lemon flavor.
Lemon pancakes are fantastic with many different toppings. I love to serve them with fresh berries and some pure maple syrup. They are also delicious with whipped cream and a sprinkle of fresh lemon zest. For a real treat, mix a few mini dark chocolate chips into the batter before frying the pancakes.
There are two secrets to fluffy pancakes. The correct ingredients and the perfect thickness to your batter. Be sure to use fresh baking powder in all of your pancake recipes. You want your batter to be perfect - not too thin and not too thick. Always start by adding ¼ cup less milk than what is in the recipe. Add milk as needed until you reach the desired consistency. Thin batter creates thin (not light and fluffy) pancakes. I always keep my batter on the thicker side and fry one test pancake. After the first pancake, I add a little milk if needed and then cook the rest of the pancakes.
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Lemon Pancakes (Light, Fluffy & Made with Fresh Lemon)
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- glass measuring cup
- whisk
- spatula
- frying pan
- citrus zester
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons (48g) sugar
- 1.5 tablespoons (18g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6g) sea salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest zest of 2 lemons
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice juice of two lemons
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in your mixing bowl. Next, zest the two lemons directly into the dry ingredients.2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour, 4 tablespoons (48g) sugar, 1.5 tablespoons (18g) baking powder, 1 teaspoon (6g) sea salt, 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- In a large measuring cup, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. This takes about 45 seconds in my microwave. Once the butter is melted, add the milk to the butter and warm in the microwave for an additional 45 seconds. Be sure that the milk is warm enough that the butter is liquid and floating on the surface of the milk, but not so warm that it cooks the eggs when you add them in the next step.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups whole milk, 2 large eggs
- Next, add the juice of two lemons and the vanilla extract to the milk and butter. Finally, whisk the eggs into the milk and butter.4 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will be slightly lumpy which is good. If the batter feels too thick to you, add a splash of milk and mix again.
- Choose your favorite frying pan or griddle and warm over medium heat. Spray pan with a little bit of cooking spray or add a bit of butter to the pan. Once the pan is warm, use ¼ cup measuring cup to pour circles of pancake batter onto the frying pan or griddle. Cook the pancakes on the first side for 1-2 minutes. Once the middles are bubbly and the edges look golden brown, flip the pancakes and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until cooked through.
- Serve pancakes fresh with your favorite berries and some warm maple syrup. These pancakes would also be delicious with a homemade whipped cream.
- You can store leftover batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To make fresh pancakes, simply warm your frying pan and scoop batter directly from the refrigerator.
Video
Allie N. says
These pancakes were easy to make, and yummy. I didn’t have eggs, so instead I used a 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt. This substitute worked very well, and I highly recommend this recipe
Amanda Smallwood says
Thanks so much for sharing Allie! So happy to hear that your pancakes came out yummy!
xo Amanda
Eile says
These are my favorite pancakes! Yummy!
Maureen Slivinski says
Yummy!
Amanda Smallwood says
So glad to hear that your pancakes were yummy!
xo
Amanda
India says
The two TABLESPOONS of baking powder is a typo, right? Just wanting to make sure. I’m assuming it’s teaspoons??
Amanda Smallwood says
Hi! It’s actually not a typo!! You can go a little less if you want but might not get the same lift and fluffiness to your pancakes. Try 1.5 tablespoons if you want and go from there.
Alicia says
Very nice recipe. I only had pink Himalayan salt. Next time I will cut back on the salt a little. I made a Creme fraiche sauce with honey and lemon and topped the pancakes with blueberries. They were delicious.
Maple and Thyme says
The sauce sounds incredible!!! So glad you liked the pancakes!!!
SB says
Thank you. The flavor is delightful. Mine were not light and fluffy, probably because I used half white/half whole wheat. Kept adding milk, but it never was like a normal pourable batter. Next time I will lower the whole wheat. Even with the heavier cake, I enjoyed them. Perhaps a waffle batter too!
Maple and Thyme says
Yay!!! I’m sorry the batter never quite got to the consistency you were hoping for! When in doubt, definitely keep adding milk!!! I’m glad they were still yummy!!! Yes! Definitely try making a few as waffles! What a great idea!
Bel says
What is the correct amount of lemon? The lemons on the tree here are quite small and I'm not sure how many to use
Maple and Thyme says
Hi!
Thanks for reaching out!! I would go with 2 tablespoons of zest and 1/4 - 1/3 cup of lemon juice. I just updated the recipe to reflect this as well. Thanks so much and I hope your pancakes are delicious!! I'm super jealous that you have a lemon tree in your yard...❤️ 🍋