These super citrusy, lemon pancakes are light, fluffy and filled with tons of lemon zest and lemon juice! They are easy to make and great for those weekend mornings when you feel like whipping up a special batch of homemade pancakes.
Table of contents
Ingredients
- lemons - for the fresh lemon zest and lemon juice
- butter - makes the pancakes rich and adds moisture
- eggs - provides structure to the pancakes and supports that fluffy texture
- milk - thins the batter out and brings the batter together
- vanilla - supports a complex structure of flavors in the pancakes
- flour - creates the light and fluffy structure of the pancake
- sugar - adds a little bit of sweetness to the batter
- baking powder - supports that light and fluffy structure and gives the pancakes lift
How To Make Lemon Pancakes from Scratch
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Zest the two lemons directly into the dry ingredients.
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 blueberries and warm maple syrup.
Serving Ideas
- fresh berries and maple syrup
- homemade whipped cream
- sprinkled with dark or white chocolate chips
Storage
Refrigerator: 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.
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.
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.
Yes! Lemon zest is a perfect way to get some nice, lemon flavor into your pancakes. Simply zest the lemon directly into the dry ingredients and make your pancakes according to the directions.
In my opinion, 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.
Favorite Pancake and Waffle Recipes
Light and Fluffy Lemon Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 lemons, zested (about 2 tablespoons)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- juice of two lemons (¼ - ⅓ cup)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 canola oil or add a bit of butter to the pan. Once the pan is warm, use ¼ cup measuring cup to pour circles of batter onto the frying pan or griddle. One the middles are bubbly and the edges looks like they are beginning to cook, flip the pancakes and cook for an additional minute 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
India
The two TABLESPOONS of baking powder is a typo, right? Just wanting to make sure. I’m assuming it’s teaspoons??
Amanda Smallwood
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
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
The sauce sounds incredible!!! So glad you liked the pancakes!!!
SB
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
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
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
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...❤️ 🍋