Whisk together ricotta cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and sugar until combined.
Vigorously whisk egg whites until soft peaks form (soft peaks, not hard peaks). (You can do it by hand or use a hand blender with a whisk attachment.)
Whisk in flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
Fold in egg whites and lemon zest until completely incorporated.
Cooking the pancakes:
Preheat a cooking pan or a pancake griddle first, before starting to cook the pancakes. Preheat it over medium heat and then lower it a little bit before adding the batter.
Grease the pan (or the griddle) with some cooking oil. Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup or an ice cream scoop to scoop batter and add it to the pan. (You can make them smaller if you wish.)
Let the pancakes cook without touching them until you see bubbles appear on the top (3-4 minutes). Use a spatula to slide all the way under the pancake, lift it off, and use your wrist to quickly flip. Let them finish cooking until cooked through and golden on the bottom as well (another 2-3 minutes).(It will take 5-7 minutes for each ricotta pancake to cook.)
Serve them with berries, powdered sugar, butter, whipped cream, maple syrup, blueberry syrup, or any other syrup or topping you love!
Video
Notes
Use a measuring cup – To ensure that every pancake is the same size, use a 1/4 – 1/3 measuring cup to pour the batter onto the skillet. Or, use an ice cream scoop.
Preheat the pan – I’m sure you already know but adding pancake batter to a not-so-hot pan will not give you good results. Make sure your pan is preheated and ready to go to get the best fluffy pancakes!
Grease the pan – It’s very important to grease your pan before adding the first pancake. However, if you notice that after a few flips that the grease is starting to wear off, don’t hesitate to add a little more.
Use a spatula to flip – If you’ve ever messed up a pancake flip, you know how frustrating it can be! With a little patience, you’ll master it in no time. Just make sure the spatula is fully under the pancake, then use your wrist to quickly flip it. If you mess up – that’s ok! Keep trying until you get it right.
Make sure the pancakes is ready to flip – another common mistake with making pancakes is flipping too soon. Make sure and wait until you see bubbles appear on the top, before flipping the pancake over.