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Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes are light & refreshing with the perfect hint of lemon! They’re the best way to add some fruity flare to your morning.
If you love the flavor of lemon poppy seed, you’ll also love these muffins, bread, and even salad dressing!
A Fun Twist on Pancakes
During the school year, we’re always in such a rush that breakfast is usually something like a piece of toast and a go-gurt as we run out the door.
But without a strict schedule to keep during the summer, I can expand our breakfast repertoire to things like pancakes, scrambled eggs, and waffles.
I made these lemon poppy seed pancakes recently for my kids, and they were a huge hit. They’re a fun twist on our usual pancake recipe, and full of great flavor!
We ate ours with fresh strawberries and maple syrup on top, and they were so delicious! My six year old ate hers completely dry and still loved them, so I am guessing they’re just delicious any way you make them. 🙂
How to Make Them
DRY INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar, until fragrant. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds, and whisk to combine.
WET INGREDIENTS. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon extract, vanilla, oil, and egg.
COMBINE. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined (it’s okay if a few small lumps of flour remain). Let sit ten minutes.
COOK. Preheat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Scoop the pancake batter onto the griddle by ¼ cup scoops. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until large bubbles form on the surface. Flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
SERVE. Serve warm with fresh fruit and syrup. Some other toppings that would be delicious with these lemon poppy seed pancakes are:
- Strawberry syrup
- Raspberry syrup
- Jam
- Lemon Curd
- Buttermilk syrup
- Strawberry sauce
- Homemade whipped cream
Recipe Tips
Small Batch: Just as a heads up, this recipe is pretty small and only makes eight pancakes, which was the perfect amount for me and my daughters. If you’re cooking for a bigger crowd, though, I would suggest doubling or tripling the recipe in order to have enough to go around!
Where can I buy Poppy Seeds? You should be able to find them at any grocery store. In most stores you will find them in the spice section or the baking aisle.
Lemon Zest: “Zest” refers to finely shredded pieces taken from the peel of citrus fruit. Most commonly the peel of oranges and lemons. You can buy a zester tool, but you can also use the smaller side of a cheese grater.
Make Ahead & Store
The best way to prepare these pancakes beforehand is to make the pancake batter and store it in the fridge. It can be made 1-2 days ahead of time.
When you’re ready to make the lemon poppy seed pancakes, remove the batter from the fridge while heating up the pan. Test a small amount of batter in the pan. If the pancake did not rise well, sprinkle a bit more baking powder into the batter.
Leftover pancakes can be STORED in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. For instructions on freezing pancakes, go HERE!
And, for more pancake recipes, check out:
- Blueberry Pancakes
- White Chocolate Berry Pancakes
- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
- Protein Pancakes
- Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
- Snowman Pancakes
- German Pancakes
Lemon Poppy Seed Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbps vegetable oil
- 1 egg
Instructions
- In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar, until fragrant. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds, and whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon extract, vanilla, oil, and egg.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined (it’s okay if a few small lumps of flour remain). Let sit ten minutes.
- Preheat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Scoop the pancake batter onto the griddle by ¼ cup scoops. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until large bubbles form on the surface. Flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Serve warm with fresh fruit and syrup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I havent met a baked lemon treat that I didn’t like and I can add these pancakes to the list.
You are right about these being a great way to start the day!! Love the lemony taste! They are the softest pancakes ever!
A perfectly good way to add variety to your pancakes.
These are a favorite breakfast around here. So light and fluffy. Tastes like dessert!
I love the hint of lemon in these pancakes. With all of the fresh fruit in season, we added strawberries, blueberries and raspberries on top. So filling too!
Love the speckles from the poppy seeds & the hint of lemon. They are a refreshing & delicious way to start the day!
Awesome recipe, loved it . Thanks :’)
Yay!! I’m glad you did! Thank you for letting me know!
This food looks really filling and delicious. My daughter would love it. I have saved to pinterest for later. Thanks for sharing Kristyn.
Awe, thank you so much!! I hope you like them or at least your daughter 🙂 Let me know what you all think!
Where do you find bulk poppy seed or any poppy seed to buy?
You should be able to find it in your grocery store. Not sure where to find it in bulk..probably online. Found mine at Walmart. Hope that helps!