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Home » Recipes » Breakfast/Brunch » Plow’s Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Plow’s Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

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 The best pancakes you will ever eat – the secret Lemon Ricotta Pancakes recipe from Plow Restaurant in San Francisco, CA.AMAZING Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe from San Francisco's Plow Restaurant

Editor Note: This recipe and post were originally posted January 5th, 2015. This is an updated post with new photos, but the text is the same. Want to see what my photos were like three years ago this time? Check out the end of the post!

The new year is upon us and my blog feed is blowing up with new year’s resolutions! Sometimes I get a little frustrated with the idea of setting resolutions. So often it feels like setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. Even so, I always like to set a few goals for blogging and things that I want to make more of a priority this year. I’m still working on the list and it’s not quite ready for primetime yet. I can’t wait to share it though. I always value the feedback and accountability all of you bring!

Outside of blogging, I also want to do little things to make myself feel healthier. I’m a firm believer in making small changes. It’s so much more realistic and sustainable. That’s how I counsel my patients when they are working on improving their diet and making healthy lifestyle changes. It’s all about small steps – be it drinking more water or adding one more workout per week to your routine.

AMAZING Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe from San Francisco's Plow RestaurantAMAZING Lemon Ricotta Pancake Recipe from San Francisco's Plow Restaurant

The recipe comes from Plow, a famous San Francisco brunch institution. Plow is so popular people wait in line over an hour just to snag a table! I’ve been several times and every time I get the Plow Platter. You just can’t go wrong with their perfectly crispy breakfast potatoes and their soft scrambled eggs. The highlight though, is their Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. So amazing.

 

My #1 brunch spot, this time shared with my insta–>real life friend @ashortblonde. You MUST eat the Plow Platter. ????

A photo posted by Kelly – A Side of Sweet (@asideofsweet) on May 1, 2016 at 6:12am PDT

AMAZING Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe from San Francisco's Plow Restaurant

Thank you so much for reading A Side of Sweet! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, Bloglovin‘, Snapchat (@asideofsweet), or Twitter. You can also subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts.

Plow’s Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Recipe

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Plow’s Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

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5 from 4 reviews

The best pancakes you will ever eat – the secret Lemon Ricotta Pancakes recipe from Plow Restaurant in San Francisco, CA.

  • Author: Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 minutes
  • Total Time: 13 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/4 pounds good-quality or homemade ricotta cheese
  • 5 eggs, separated
  • 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/4 pound butter, melted

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
  2. Add melted butter and flour and mix until just incorporated.
  3. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer or clean hand whisk until firm peaks form. Add 1/4 to the ricotta mixture, then fold in the rest.
  4. Heat a small amount of butter in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Drop 1/4 cup scoops of batter onto pan. Pancakes will not bubble, so cook until golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side.

Notes

Tip: Place the pancakes on a platter in a 200ºF oven to keep them warm while you cook the rest of the pancakes, adding a small pat of butter to coat the bottom of the pan between batches. Extra pancakes reheat well in a pan or warm oven after being refrigerated.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @asideofsweet on Instagram and hashtag it #asideofsweet

AMAZING Lemon Ricotta Pancake Recipe from San Francisco's Plow RestaurantOh, one more thing – I know I’m probably giving off the impression that I’ve got this food photography thing all figured out (hey there, stop laughing!), but I’m always striving to improve (2015 blog goal?).

I’ve been working on action food photography, thanks to some tips from my friend Alanna, the very same one who gave me the recipe for these amazing pancakes. That’s why I thought I would share this photo with you even though it’s far from perfect. It definitely has too much noise – I think I had the ISO up too high. I spent longer than I care to admit trying to edit out the noise and I’ve just give up. Hopefully someday I can link back to this post and we can all have a nice guffaw about how I used to be such a cute little food blogger. #thestruggleisreal folks.

Oh, and a promised, here is one of the original photos from this post! See, the ISO is pretty high and overall the picture is very grainy just like I (originally) thought.

AMAZING Lemon Ricotta Pancake Recipe from San Francisco's Plow Restaurant
Tell me, have you set any new year’s resolutions?

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134 shares
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December 18, 2016  •  Filed Under: Breakfast/Brunch, Recipes 61 Comments

Comments

  1. Ashley @ A Lady Goes West says

    January 5, 2015 at 12:29 pm

    Hi Kelly! I’ve never been to Plow. Guess I should go get in line! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 12:20 am

      GET AT IT GIRL! Seriously – it’s one of my SF faves for sure!

      Reply
  2. Miranda | Miranda's Notebook says

    January 5, 2015 at 11:51 am

    I think your photos are gorgeous! And those pancakes look amazing!! Blueberry pancakes are my absolute favourite. xx

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 12:20 am

      Aww, thanks so much Miranda! I’m definitely still learning!

      Reply
  3. Angela Price says

    January 5, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    I love lemon and blueberry together (and pancakes too!). Love your photos.

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 12:20 am

      Thanks Angela! I agree – they are the perfect combo!

      Reply
  4. Alycia says

    January 5, 2015 at 6:17 pm

    These look so yummy! I am always looking for new pancake recipes!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 12:20 am

      Awesome! Thanks Alycia!

      Reply
  5. Shannon Peterson says

    January 5, 2015 at 6:21 pm

    Oooh, my husband loves lemon bars so these would be a delicious breakfast surprise for him!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 12:20 am

      So funny you should mention that! Working on a lemon bar post right now – all those backyard lemons are begging to be baked! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Chrissy says

    January 5, 2015 at 7:46 pm

    These look delicious! Going to try them this weekend!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 12:19 am

      You should! Let me know how they turn out!

      Reply
  7. ClaireC. says

    January 5, 2015 at 9:24 pm

    Um these sound and look amazing! Can’t wait to try!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 12:19 am

      Thanks Claire!

      Reply
  8. Karissa Ancell says

    January 5, 2015 at 10:45 pm

    Wow these look so amazing!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 12:19 am

      Thanks Karissa!

      Reply
  9. Beth@FrugalFroggie says

    January 5, 2015 at 10:56 pm

    Those pancakes look so delish. I love lemons and blueberries so I bet it is delish.

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 12:19 am

      They are, I promise! 🙂

      Reply
  10. alyssa nicole says

    January 6, 2015 at 2:26 am

    Wow, these look so yummy!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 11:16 am

      Thanks Alyssa!

      Reply
  11. Katie says

    January 6, 2015 at 7:42 am

    These look so good – not a fan of blueberries, but I’m sure I could find something to replace them with 😉

    Katie <3

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 11:16 am

      I’ve never heard of anyone not liking blueberries! 🙂 I’m sure you could though!

      Reply
  12. Lynn @ theroadtohoney says

    January 6, 2015 at 8:28 am

    The hubby loves pancakes so I am definitely going to plan on making these as a surprise Sunday breakfast. Improving my photography is tops on my New Years resolution list. I have a long way to go but photography classes start this week. . .so we shall see. BTW – I think your action shot looks pretty good for a first go at it.

    Reply
  13. Life in ATX says

    January 6, 2015 at 8:45 am

    Those look incredible! Great photography as well!

    xoxo

    Lee Anne

    http://lifeinatx.com/

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 11:17 am

      Thanks Lee Anne!

      Reply
  14. Kyla Currier says

    January 6, 2015 at 9:02 am

    These look amazing, my boyfriend loves pancakes I’m definitely going to have to make these for him!
    xo, Kyla
    kymariec.com

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 11:17 am

      You should! Thanks for stopping by Kyla!

      Reply
  15. Rebekah says

    January 6, 2015 at 10:24 am

    Oh my gosh these look delicious! We’ve been on a waffle kick lately… would this recipe work as waffles?

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 6, 2015 at 11:18 am

      I wonder? I don’t have a waffle maker, so I don’t know much about switching between pancakes and waffles! Let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  16. Lindsay says

    January 6, 2015 at 11:54 am

    My boyfriend is a huge pancake lover! I’ll have to show him this tonight 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:49 pm

      Awesome! Hope he liked them!

      Reply
  17. Ayana Pitterson says

    January 6, 2015 at 11:55 pm

    Jeez, this looks AMAZING and DELICIOUS! I am so pinning this to try this weekend. Thanks for sharing.

    thrifting diva
    http://www.thriftingdiva.com

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:49 pm

      Thanks Ayana!

      Reply
  18. Anita says

    January 7, 2015 at 12:57 am

    Love this Kelly – delicious and healthy! And I think your food photography is beautiful, don’t sell yourself short!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:49 pm

      That’s so nice coming from you Anita! Your photography is amazing!

      Reply
  19. Nichole says

    January 7, 2015 at 11:25 am

    Those look delicious! I love your photos! I always end up taking at least 1,000 pictures before finding the one that works!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:49 pm

      Haha, AT LEAST 1,000, right?

      Reply
  20. ahealthier fitterme says

    January 7, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    lemon zest makes everything better… wish I could have ricotta ;o) pancakes look delish though!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:50 pm

      It does! I’ve been putting it everywhere since we have such a bounty of citrus right now!

      Reply
  21. Ivette AllAboutBham.com says

    January 7, 2015 at 1:07 pm

    YUM!! Definitely going to make these this weekend!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:50 pm

      Nice! Hope they were delicious!

      Reply
  22. Sarah @ Snixy Kitchen says

    January 7, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    Mmmm – these pancakes look amazing! I’m totally into the lemon and blueberry combo. I’ve only had ricotta pancakes once and I agree – they’re pretty darn delicious!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:50 pm

      Thanks Sarah! Homemade ricotta definitely makes them special!

      Reply
  23. Carla (@charliesue) says

    January 7, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    YES. EVERYTHING about this, YES. (Including that last photo!) 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:50 pm

      Haha, THANKS!

      Reply
  24. Along Comes Mary says

    January 8, 2015 at 5:25 pm

    I have wanted to try making pancakes with ricotta!! =D

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:51 pm

      You should. They are definitely something special!

      Reply
  25. Sarah Woods says

    January 9, 2015 at 9:22 am

    OMG. Those look more than amazing. I cook pancakes every Saturday. I’m going to have to make these!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:51 pm

      Oh nice! What a great weekly tradition! I love that!

      Reply
  26. Kelly @ Life made Sweeter says

    January 9, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    These pancakes look amazing!!! I think every little change counts and adding the blueberries to these lemon ricotta pancakes sounds perfect 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:51 pm

      Thanks Kelly! It makes them seem so much fresher!

      Reply
  27. Lana LeFevre says

    January 12, 2015 at 10:53 am

    These look SOOOO GOOOD. I should’ve eaten breakfast before reading this, now I”m sitting at work, drooling.

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:57 pm

      Haha, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day!

      Reply
  28. Jessica Angeles says

    January 12, 2015 at 2:44 pm

    Ah! YUM!!! I might have to try these this weekend!

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan says

      January 12, 2015 at 6:58 pm

      Thanks! I hope you do!

      Reply
  29. Cyndi says

    August 1, 2017 at 8:46 am

    What did I do wrong? The flavor was great. Perfect amount of lemon and sweetness working together, but the texture was something very different from what I expected. The batter was super super thick. I had to take a break during the folding in the egg whites part, and then the pancakes took forever to brown and ended up being mushy inside. Is that right? I double checked all my measurements and weighed my ricotta on a kitchen scale.

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      August 1, 2017 at 9:06 am

      Hi Cyndi – The batter is definitely thick for these pancakes, although if your arm was tired that would be thicker than it is for me. I usually dollop the batter onto the hot griddle and spread it out with a spoon until it is as thick as you see in the photos. The result is a pancake that is slightly crisped on the outside and cooked in the middle. I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t work for you!

      Reply
  30. Tim says

    December 10, 2018 at 6:58 pm

    This is AP flour, not self-rising? And no baking powder in the recipe?… guess that’s why no bubbles when you cook them; perhaps the ricotta keeps them from being too dense. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      December 12, 2018 at 10:12 pm

      Not a typo – no baking powder! Hope you enjoy them!

      Reply
  31. Melissa says

    January 21, 2021 at 9:11 am

    Hi Kelly! I miss ordering this at Plow! I’ve had this particular dish maybe 5x? Haha! Since I moved away from San Francisco during the pandemic (exodus is real haha), I would love to make this. Do you also have a recipe for the potatoes that go with it? I’ve always loved theirs but couldn’t figure it out! I would love to eat the whole dish again! ❤️

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      January 21, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      Awesome! These aren’t an official dupe, but I really love them: https://asideofsweet.com/perfect-crispy-breakfast-potatoes/

      Reply

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Welcome!

San Francisco Food, Fashion, Travel Blogger

Hi! I’m Kelly. I live in San Francisco with my husband, Pat, and our puppy, Maddie. Here you’ll find recipes, DIYs, style, travel & a glimpse into our adventures. To learn a little more about me, Click Here.

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