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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!

Lemon poppy seed pancakes topped with strawberries and syrup


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. 🙂

Poppyseed pancake batter in a mixing bowl

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:

Cooking a lemon poppyseed pancake on a griddle

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.

Pancakes cooking on a griddle

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!

Lemon poppyseed pancakes topped with strawberries and syrup on a white plate

And, for more pancake recipes, check out:

5 from 10 votes

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancake Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
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.
Servings: 8 pancakes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients 

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

Calories: 131kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 256mg, Potassium: 125mg, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 65IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 74mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
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About Alicia

Hi! I’m Alicia and I blog at The Baker Upstairs. I am in love with all things food! I love to bake bread, cupcakes, cookies… you name it! When I’m not baking, I am running after my two adorable little girls, working as an RN, knitting, reading, and trying to squeeze in time with my husband every day.

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Recipe Rating




12 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    You are right about these being a great way to start the day!! Love the lemony taste! They are the softest pancakes ever!

  2. 5 stars
    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!

  3. 5 stars
    Love the speckles from the poppy seeds & the hint of lemon. They are a refreshing & delicious way to start the day!

  4. This food looks really filling and delicious. My daughter would love it. I have saved to pinterest for later. Thanks for sharing Kristyn.

    1. Awe, thank you so much!! I hope you like them or at least your daughter 🙂 Let me know what you all think!

    1. 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!