Name: Quinoa Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups quinoa flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 ½ cups almond or cashew milk (low fat, unsweetened); 1 cup low fat or fat free ricotta cheese; ⅓ cup egg substitute or egg whites (or 2 large eggs) (fat free); 1 large lemon (zest and juice); 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon stevia; 1 ½ cups blueberries; maple syrup (low sugar or sugar free)

^{Recipe Inspired by Southern Hill Farms, Clermont, FL.}

^{These gluten-free pancakes are packed full of protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins, and antioxidants from, of course, BLUEBERRIES! Power up your day with a tall stack of these healthy pancakes!}

I was tempted to name these “Feel Good Pancakes”. It’s amazing how when you walk away from a pancake feast you feel bloated and ready for a nap. With this special recipe, you’ll walk away from breakfast or brunch feeling energized and ready for whatever the day brings you!

I wish I would have had these flapjacks prior to visiting Southern Hill Farms for blueberry picking because I was drained and exhausted from trying to pick the most perfect blueberries. When we finally learned the best bushes and rows to find the sweet and plump ones, there was only one thing on my mind…blueberry pancakes!

I’ll stop for a second because this recipe wouldn’t be anything without Southern Hill Farms. I visited late May towards the end of their U-pick season. One of my co-workers would go all throughout the year and kept telling me to get some blueberries! I almost drove there just to grab some pre-picked berries, but what’s the fun in that?

I learned quickly that blueberry picking by hand is no joke. You get your squats in for the day and you gain a new found respect for the berry. After forty five minutes of picking, my friend and I had a combined total of one pound! They warned us about not picking too many as it gets costly but seeing the pace we were going and feeling the burn in my legs, I knew I wasn’t in danger of overpicking berries.

I knew I wanted pancakes but I was also super nervous by the time I got home and started drawing up the recipe, fearing that the berries would be gone. They were sooooo good I couldn’t stop eating them! I was safe though, I took home three pounds (no, I didn’t pick those all, I bought them) and portioned them out over a week’s time.

I also wanted to make a pancake like I’ve never made before. Something that I could make ahead, eat through the week and still feel great about consuming a stack of cakes for breakfast. So I splurged on yet another ingredient and bought organic whole grain quinoa flour.

This flour works perfectly because it’s not mealy like other flour substitutes. Quinoa in general is full of fiber and protein, amongst the other health benefits. I knew I was doing right with this flour.

Leave it to me to add cheese to something. Ricotta (especially the lighter ricotta) has less sodium, is full of calcium and protein too so it seemed like a great choice. Plus, I keep seeing lemon ricotta pancakes all over the place so this was a great opportunity to get that fix!

Most importantly, the star of the show was the blueberries. They’re huge and super juicy. They just popped open in the cakes and added a nice and light balance of flavor. There’s just something about blueberry pancakes that makes waking up and hopping down to the kitchen even more exciting. Cooking with fresh picked blueberries … GAME CHANGER!

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Quinoa Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes

Print Recipe

These gluten-free pancakes are packed full of protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins, and antioxidants from, of course, BLUEBERRIES! Power up your day with a tall stack of these healthy pancakes!

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:25 mins

Ingredients

2 ½ cups quinoa flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups almond or cashew milk low fat, unsweetened
1 cup low fat or fat free ricotta cheese
⅓ cup egg substitute or egg whites (or 2 large eggs) fat free
1 large lemon zest and juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon stevia
1 ½ cups blueberries
maple syrup low sugar or sugar free

Instructions

In a mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients such as flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In another large mixing bowl add ricotta, eggs, lemon, vanilla, stevia and milk. Whisk together until evenly combined.
Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently combine. Fold in blueberries and set aside.
Preheat a skillet to medium-high and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Scoop about ¼ cup of batter into the heated skillet and allow one side of the pancake to cook for about 1-2 minutes until the base of the pancake starts to bubble. Gently flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side.
Visually check the centers as there should be little to no raw batter visable. That's when you know the pancakes are done.
Set aside and let cool or serve right away with extra blueberries and syrup!

Notes

How long does it last and where?

These can last for about 4-5 days in the fridge but it’s important to make sure they are completely cooled before storing them in an airtight container.

Can you freeze it?

Absolutely! I highly encourage doubling or tripling the recipe so that you make them in one shot and then have breakfast on the go from time to time.

Allow the pancakes to cool completely before attempting to freeze them. Either lay them flat in one single layer and freeze in a freezer safe zip bag or store in layers but place wax paper or parchment paper between the layers so they don’t stick together.

When ready to eat, there is no need to defrost. In fact, popping these into the toaster oven or into a preheated (350 degrees) oven and cooking till they’re warmed all the way through is the best way to reheat these pancakes. The microwave is your best friend in this recipe too! No matter what, it’s fast, easy and perfect for a family that’s always on the go.

Substitutions?

For flour, it’s ok to use really whatever type of flour you want. Just consider the portions and the leavening agents you add and what they do. I read a few different recipes to understand the balance of all ingredients. Now I also know that if you like the idea of quinoa for breakfast in your pancakes you can replace about 1/2 cup of flour with cooked, plain quinoa. It adds a unique texture!

Eggs can be swapped for a fat free egg-substitute which is what I used. You can also just add two eggs and be done. It’s not that many more calories, and you probably have them on hand.

For the ricotta cheese, I always like to experiment with ingredients with the lowest fat content so that if you add fat, it’ll be great. The ricotta was just another moistening agent that made these pancakes special. You can most certainly use greek yogurt.

Sweeten these however you want. You can add sugar or syrup or just cut out the sweetness all together. It really depends on how you eat your pancakes.

Tips and Tricks

This recipe is fairly simple but because you’re using a unique flour you want to make sure you’re cognizant of the texture. Gluten free options mean that you may have to give up the fluffy cake consistency but you can, however, whip your egg whites for a little more air in the pancakes. I didn’t for this but I have in the past and it works well.

If you’re adding whipped, frothy egg whites, make sure you gently fold them into the recipe or else they will break and it will defeat the purpose of the fluff. Speaking of folding, make sure you fold in the blueberries as well. You don’t need to completely annihilate the batter and beat it to death. Remember, we’re thinking “light and fluffy and soft and tender” so keep that in mind as you’re making these pancakes.

Lemon is a great flavor addition that compliments the cheese and bland flour. Remember, zest is just as important, if not more important, than the juice. If you’re adding one, you might as well add the other.

How do you know when the pancakes are done? You will see the base of the cake start to bubble if you don’t hear it first. You can gently check but you want the cake to develop a nice, golden color.

What to serve with it?

Obviously this will pair with all breakfast foods and combinations. I would suggest a hot side of turkey bacon or chicken sausage to give yourself that salty/sweet combo. Eggs work well too.

To top the pancakes, drizzle them with maple syrup – I suggest a low sugar syrup or any maple syrup or honey you choose. A fresh fruit garnish is always nice like bananas, blueberries or even strawberries.

If you want to go all out, no one is stopping you from piling on some whipped topping or a few pats of butter. After all, the pancakes are good for you so there’s no harm in treating yourself with the extras!

Nutrition

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Other

Keyword: Bread, brunch, Cheese, Fruit, Less Sugar, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Michelle Cerutti

Southern Hill Farms is located right in central Florida and is perfect for the whole family.

May 2021 was my first visit after everyone kept telling me to go and make recipes with the amazing produce! I’m so happy I did and I cannot wait to go back!

I absolutely LOVED visiting on the weekend with local vendors! You have to try Bauer’s BBQ (bacon wrapped meatballs were dynamite!) or Willy T’s Crab Shack for their incredible crab cake sandwich when they’re around. We also sampled some local beers and delicious slushies on our way out!

SHF is also popular in the Fall with pumpkins and fall festivities. December through March is also a great time to visit for strawberry season as well. Don’t miss the sunflowers either for the best photo op!