Step 1- Make the Vegan Lemon Ricotta First (5 Minutes)
Press and squeeze ½ block of extra firm tofu over the sink to remove as much moisture as possible. The drier the tofu, the more ricotta-like the finished texture any remaining water makes the ricotta wet and slightly grainy. Squeeze firmly in your hands, then press between folded paper towels for an extra 30 seconds.
Add the pressed tofu, lemon zest, lemon juice, cane sugar, and salt to your food processor. Process for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and uniform. It should look like fresh ricotta slightly grainy but creamy, not completely pureed. Don't over-process into a paste.
Set the ricotta aside in a small bowl or refrigerate until you're ready to use it.
Step 2- Prepare the Flax Egg and Vegan Buttermilk (2 Minutes, Then Rest)
In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water. Whisk well and let sit for 2–3 minutes until it gels into a thick, slightly sticky mixture.
Simultaneously, measure out 2 cups of almond milk and add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to it. Stir and let it sit for 1–2 minutes you'll see it slightly curdle and thicken. This is your vegan buttermilk and it's doing exactly what it should.
Step 3- Mix the Dry Ingredients (2 Minutes)
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cane sugar until evenly combined. Set aside. Pre-mixing the dry ingredients ensures the leaveners distribute evenly through the flour which means consistent rise across every single pancake rather than some flat and some puffed. It's a 60-second step that pays off visibly on the plate.
Step 4- Build the Wet Mixture (3 Minutes)
Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and melted coconut oil to the bowl with the gelled flax egg. Whisk to combine fully. Pour in the almond milk buttermilk mixture and whisk again until smooth.
Now add ½ cup of the vegan ricotta to the wet mixture. Don't whisk it in completely fold it in loosely with a spatula so you still have visible chunks and pockets of ricotta throughout the batter. Those pockets are the visual and textural signature of lemon ricotta pancakes. Fully blending the ricotta eliminates what makes this recipe distinct.
Step 5- Combine Wet and Dry
Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until just combined stop the moment the flour disappears and the batter looks uniform. Do not overmix. Overmixed pancake batter develops gluten and produces tough, flat pancakes rather than fluffy, tender ones. A few small lumps in the batter are completely acceptable and expected.
Fold the ¾ cup of blueberries in gently with two or three passes of the spatula. Distribute them without crushing.
Step 6- Cook the Pancakes
Heat your non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat and spray lightly with non-stick spray. Let the pan fully come to temperature before adding batter a properly preheated pan produces an even golden underside; an underheated pan produces pale, slightly gummy pancakes.
Pour batter into the pan to your desired size a ⅓ to ½ cup ladle produces a standard-sized pancake. While the first side cooks, add a few small drops of the remaining vegan ricotta around the surface of the pancake these melt slightly into the batter and create additional creamy pockets in the finished pancake. This extra-ricotta-on-top step is IMO the best small detail in the whole recipe.
Cook for 2–3 minutes until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set and slightly dry. Flip in one confident motion and cook for another 1–2 minutes until golden brown on the second side. Slide onto a plate and repeat for all remaining batter.
