Marion Cunningham’s Lemon Pancakes

By Moira Hodgson

Updated April 30, 2025

Marion Cunningham’s Lemon Pancakes
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(1,825)
Comments
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These spectacular pancakes, adapted from a Marion Cunningham recipe, are made with cottage cheese, lemon peel and beaten egg whites, which makes them puff up like a soufflé. You have to whip the egg whites using an electric mixer, so this is definitely a weekend or holiday affair, but goodness, are they ever worth it. Serve with blueberries or raspberries and a dollop of plain yogurt.

Featured in: FOOD; Variations on a Favorite Theme: Pancakes for Breakfast

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Ingredients

Yield:12 three-inch pancakes
  • 3eggs, separated
  • ¼cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾cup cottage cheese
  • ¼cup (half a stick) butter, melted, plus more butter for greasing skillet
  • 2tablespoons sugar
  • ¼teaspoon salt
  • 1tablespoon grated lemon zest
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

84 calories; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 82 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a bowl, stir together the egg yolks, flour, cottage cheese, butter, sugar, salt and lemon zest until well mixed. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.

  2. Step 2

    With large spoon or spatula, fold whites into yolk mixture, stirring gently until there are no yellow or white streaks.

  3. Step 3

    Heat skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease lightly and spoon out about three large tablespoons of batter for each pancake. Cook slowly for about 1½ minutes, then turn pancake over and cook for about 30 seconds. Keep pancakes warm in 250-degree oven until ready to serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,825 user ratings
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Comments

Ann

Use ricotta in lieu of cottage cheese. Beat egg whites with immersion blender. Marinate equal amounts of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries with I T. sugar and 1 T. honey and I T. triple sec overnight. Spoon over pancakes with a dollop of sour cream.

Karyl Severson

I have Marion Cunningham's cookbook from which this recipe comes. Have had it since it was first published in 1987. This is the exact recipe. The Breakfast Book is a wonderful one, mine shows use and now use will be revived because I'd forgotten how wonderful it is. And to my surprise, I have a first edition of the book. Only book nerds would probably appreciate this. :-)

susansolo

Can ricotta be substituted for cottage cheese? If yes, does it matter if it's low fat? I guess same question about cottage cheese. Thanks.

AmandaDCap

These pancakes had a uniquely delicate texture with the whipped egg whites, lovely lemon taste, and we appreciated how protein heavy / low carb they were. That said… 1) This recipe should be at least doubled if you are serving more than 2 people and even then if it’s the main attraction. This was not enough for 2 very young children and 2 adults for one breakfast. 2) It was also a little sweet for my taste - I will try halving the amount of sugar next time per suggestions. 3) The cottage cheese also resulted in some large, visible curds in the delicate batter. I will try ricotta next time per suggestions from comments!

Karen

The best! My whole family all enjoyed!

Jeanne

Loved these. Great recipe for GF folks who swap AP flour with 1:1 GF flour, since it's so protein-forward and you're not relying on gluten for a pleasing texture. I put a dollop of plain greek yogurt in a bowl and topped it with some frozen blueberries before I started cooking. By the time the pancakes were ready, the blueberries had thawed and released their juices, turning the yogurt a pleasing purple and adding flavor without more sugar. Perfect topping for these lovelies.

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