TL/DR – Zucchini Lemon Pancakes. These are fluffy little ditties with a lemony twist. A little healthier and definitely more interesting than ordinary pancakes. –
Breakfast is tough with picky eaters because they get hung up on one or two items and repeat them over and over. One way I combat this is to make different types of pancakes and waffles, then freeze them. I can count several mornings saved by the power of choice! Zucchini Lemon Pancakes are tasty and a bit healthier than a regular pancake.
The flavor is subtle, so I melt pure maple syrup, lemon juice and butter in equal parts and then drizzle it over the pancakes.
Shred zucchini on the finest setting and then drain it well in a strainer. Whisk together egg, ricotta or sour cream, lemon zest, almond extract, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Then add melted butter and the shredded zucchini, followed by white whole wheat flour. Depending on the moisture of the zucchini, you may need to add up to 3/4 cup buttermilk or regular milk. The batter should be relatively thick, but not stiff.
Make the pancakes on a hot griddle or in a hot skillet. A good trick to puff the pancakes up without burning them is to lower the heat after flipping them and then cover the skillet for a couple of minutes.
For other make-ahead-and-freeze breakfast ideas, try Orange Ricotta Pancakes or Pumpkin Carrot Waffles.
Zucchini Lemon Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 c finely grated zucchini, about 1 medium, drained well.
- zest of 2 lemons
- 1 egg
- 1/4 c ricotta cheese or sour cream
- 2 T granulated sugar
- 2 T melted butter, plus more butter for cooking pancakes
- 1/4 t salt
- 1 t baking soda
- 1/2 t baking powder
- 1 1/2 c all purpose or white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 to 3/4 c milk or buttermilk
Directions
- Step 1 Grate the zucchini and set in a strainer over a bowl to drain for about 30 minutes. Press down with a spoon periodically to squeeze out additional moisture.
- Step 2 Whisk together the lemon zest, egg, ricotta and sugar.
- Step 3 Add the melted butter, salt, baking powder and zucchini and whisk well.
- Step 4 Add the flour and stir until well incorporated, but do not over-stir. Add up to 3/4 c milk or buttermilk to thin the batter to your desired texture.
- Step 5 Heat a skillet or a griddle over medium high heat and add about 1 T of butter.
- Step 6 Use a 1/4 cup measure to dollop the batter onto the hot skillet or griddle.
- Step 7 Turn the heat down to medium low.
- Step 8 Once bubbles appear at the surface of each pancake, gently flip the pancakes over and cook on the other side until cooked through.
- Step 9 One tip for getting them cooked through but not burned is to turn the burner to low and cover the skillet for a minute.
- Step 10 Repeat with the remaining batter in batches of 4.
- Step 11 Melt equal parts butter, lemon juice and pure maple syrup to serve with the pancakes, about 3T of each.
- Step 12 To freeze for later, cut 2 squares of parchment paper the size of a gallon freezer bag and place the cooled pancakes in layers between parchment. This prevents sticking and makes it easy to grab just one or two.
- Step 13 To re-heat from frozen, microwave carefully for about 15 to 20 seconds on each side. Alternately, microwave for 15 seconds and then place carefully in a toaster to complete cooking.
