Our lemon pancakes recipe is the one you'll come back to each and every time. We use both fresh lemon zest and lemon juice to create some serious lemon flavor. The zest brings the bright, concentrated lemon flavor from the rind and the juice adds just the right amount of tartness to balance out the flavor. Together, they create a fresh lemon flavor that you simply can't get from bottled lemon juice or extract.
This pancake batter comes together in one bowl in about 10 minutes. If you want to get a head start, you can mix this batter up the night before and have fluffy lemon pancakes on the table in no time. Top them with fresh berries and a drizzle of warm maple syrup for a weekend breakfast that feels special without a lot of extra effort. If you love a fresh flavors in your pancakes, check out our light and fluffy Strawberry Banana Pancakes are another weekend favorite.
Quick Look: Lemon Pancakes
- Ready In: about 20 minutes
- Serves: 4 people
- Calories: about 400 kcal per serving
- Add to Your Shopping List: 2-3 fresh lemons, whole milk and vanilla
- Dietary Info: contains gluten, dairy and eggs
- Baker's Note: Always use fresh lemons! The combo of fresh lemon zest and juice makes all the difference.
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Key Ingredients
Fresh lemons - Our pancake recipe uses both the zest and the juice, and that combo is what makes these pancakes really taste like lemon. The zest delivers a bright, concentrate flavor from the lemon rinds while the juice adds liquid to the recipe as well as some tartness. Bottled lemon juice won't create the same results, fresh lemon is the way to go.
Whole milk - Whole milk creates a pancake that is rich with a moist and tender texture. If you only have 2% on hand, that works too! Buttermilk is also a great swap - use the same amount for an extra fluffy batch of pancakes.
From My Kitchen to Yours
I tested this recipe using both whole milk and buttermilk before landing on the whole milk as my go-to. The buttermilk adds even more tangy flavor to the lemon pancakes. Whole milk keeps the lemon flavor front and center. I also tested the pancakes with different amounts of lemon zest and lemon juice. Using two lemons is definitely the way to go here. Using only one will leave you wishing you had used more.
Readers' Wins
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. - Alicia
"I didn't have eggs so I used ¼ cup of plain Greek yogurt instead. It worked perfectly!" - Allie N.
"You can absolutely use buttermilk in place of whole milk - it's an exact swap and a delicious substitution!" - Amanda's tip from the comments
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten free - It's easy to swap the all purpose flour for your favorite 1:1 gluten free flour blend and make gluten free lemon pancakes. You'll want to use two cups (300g) of gluten free flour blend. Our Gluten Free Pancakes are another great option if you are looking for a dedicated GF pancake recipe.
Dairy free - Substitute oat or almond milk for the whole milk and use vegan butter in place of the unsalted butter. Your pancakes will still be light and fluffy!
Egg free - Our reader Allie swapped the eggs for ¼ cup of plain Greek yogurt and said it worked perfectly. We love when our readers crack the code!
No fresh lemons? - I really do recommend fresh lemons for this one. Bottled lemon juice lacks that fresh, bright flavor that you get from the fresh lemons. If you are out of lemons, it's worth a trip to the grocery store.
Variations & Topping Ideas
Variations
Lemon Blueberry Pancakes - Pour your lemon batter into the hot griddle and immediately sprinkle each pancake with a small handful of fresh or frozen blueberries before flipping. The blueberries will get perfectly tucked into the batter and will add even more fresh flavor to the pancakes. Try our our Gluten Free Blueberry Pancakes for a dedicated blueberry pancake recipe.
Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes - Add 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds to your dry ingredients before mixing. Don't try and add them after adding the wet ingredients as it will require too much mixing and your batter could create tough pancakes.
Lemon Chocolate Chip Pancakes - Sprinkle each pancake with a small handful (½ tablespoon-ish) of mini dark chocolate chips right after pouring the batter. This my be my favorite combo as I'm a big fan of anything with chocolate!
Gluten Free Lemon Pancakes - Swap the all purpose flour our for your favorite 1:1 glute free flour blend. You pancakes will be just as light and fluffy.
Gluten Free Lemon Pancakes - Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for pancakes that are just as light and fluffy. See our full substitutions guide above for details. More details on this variation are listed above.
Topping Ideas
- Fresh berries and a drizzle of wam maple syrup - the signature topping in my opinion
- Homemade whipped cream flavored with a bit of lemon juice and fresh lemon zest
- Lemon Curd - for the lemon lovers who want even more citrus with their pancakes
- A dusting of powdered sugar for something simple and beautiful
How to Make Lemon Pancakes
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and more detailed instructions.
- Mix your dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Zest the two lemons directly into the dry ingredients.
- Combine: The liquid ingredients and add them to the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter just comes together. A few lumps are okay!
- Cook: Pour ¼ cup of pancake batter onto a warm, greased frying pan or griddle. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook until golden brown.
- Serve: Serve the lemon pancakes warm with your favorite toppings.
Tips For The Fluffiest Pancakes
Use fresh baking powder - Fresh baking powder is very important in all of your baking projects. If yours has been sitting in the cabinet for a while, it's worth replacing it before you start baking.
Use room temperature ingredients - Cold eggs and milk can make your batter uneven or can even solidify the butter. Let the eggs and milk warm up on the counter for 10-15 minutes before you start making your pancake batter.
Zest directly over your bowl - When you zest your lemons right over the bowl of dry ingredients, you capture all of that amazing lemon oil that will make your pancakes extra lemony. Don't zest on a cutting board first, you will lose flavor.
Start with less milk - Start with 1 and ¼ cups of milk and adjust from there. Thick batter makes fluffy pancakes. If it feels too thick after your first test pancake, add another splash of milk and test another one.
Don't over mix your pancake batter - When you add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix until the batter just comes together. You don't want too many lumps but some are okay. Over mixing develops the gluten and will make the pancakes tough and dense.
Always make a test pancake - Your first pancake is your chance to check your batter consistency and the temperature of your frying pan. If your batter is too thick, you will want to add a little more milk. Adjust the heat of your frying pan if needed.
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.
Make Ahead, Storage & Reheating
Make Ahead This batter is perfect for making the night before. Mix everything up, cover or move to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The batter may thicken or separate a bit overnight - just add a small splash of milk if needed and give it a gentle mix before cooking.
Storage Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, arrange the pancakes in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet pan and freeze until solid. Transfer frozen pancakes to a labeled freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.
Reheating
- Toaster or toaster oven - This is my favorite method. 3-4 minutes on low heat gives you crisp edges and warm, fluffy middles.
- Oven - Warm pancakes right on the oven rack for 3-4 minutes at 350°.
- Microwave - Warm pancakes for 15-20 seconds on a paper towel lined plate. This is quick and the pancakes will be nice and soft.
- Air fryer - Use the reheat setting and warm your pancakes for 1-3 minutes. Start checking them after the first minute.
Lemon Pancakes FAQs
Yes! This pancakes batter keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Mix it up and make fresh pancakes in the morning. The batter may thicken a bit overnight - just add a splash of milk and stir gently before cooking the pancakes.
We really don't recommend bottle lemon juice for this recipe. Bottled lemon juice lacks the bright, fresh flavor that comes from fresh lemons .
Yes! Simply swap the all purpose flour for 2 cups (300g) of your favorite gluten free flour blend. The pancakes will still be light and fluffy!
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Light and Fluffy Lemon Pancakes (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.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups whole milk
- Once the butter is melted, add the milk to the butter. If the butter solidifies on the top of the milk, warm the butter and milk 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.
- 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, 2 large eggs
- 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
Nutrition
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Ada says
Hi, this looks like a nice recipe. I was wondering though if I can use buttermilk instead of whole and for the same amount
Amanda Smallwood says
Hi Ada!
Yes! You can absolutely use buttermilk in place of the whole milk and it would be an exact swap (1 1/2 cups) of buttermilk for the milk. This is a delicious substitution!
xo Amanda
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...❤️ 🍋