Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

This post was created as in partnership with Imperial Sugar. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Are you a morning person? You will be once you try these light and bright Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes. Full of citrus flavor and a delicate crunch you can’t resist. They are extra lemony with a simple glaze drizzled over the top in place of maple syrup.

These scrumptious pancakes were born out of my love of lemon poppy seed muffins and pancakes. I figured why not combine both ideas into one jsophisticated and delicious take on the humble pancake?

If you love pancakes, you might also like our Toasted Coconut Pancakes. Or for something on the savory side, try another of our favorite breakfasts: Homemade Biscuits & Gravy!

When I served these to my family, they were all groaning with delight at how good they were. The lemony flavor really comes through thanks to plenty of fresh zest in the pancake batter, and an even bigger boost in the citrus glaze on top.

And I can never resist the lure of that little poppy seed crunch. It’s such a satisfying texture! I’ve been playing with them a lot recently and have a few more recipes featuring poppy seeds coming your way soon!

Lemon & poppy seeds were made to go together. So were lemon and blueberries, so I like to serve these with fresh blueberries on the side. I don’t actually serve these with thin slices of lemon on top, although I guess you could if you really want a lip-puckering burst of lemon zest. It was just a way to show off the flavor inside the pancakes that otherwise might not be as apparent.

Pancake Ingredients

The ingredient list is simple and sweet for these lemon poppy seed pancakes. As long as you have poppy seeds on hand and a couple of lemons, you’re in business since all the rest are pantry staples.

• All-purpose flour: I haven’t tried these with a gluten-free substitute, but am pretty certain it would work well. Flour makes up the bulk of the pancake batter.
• Sugar: You will need a little granulated sugar for the pancake batter, and some powdered sugar for the glaze.
• Baking powder and baking soda: These two leavening agents work together to help the pancakes puff up and stay light and fluffy while they cook on the griddle.
• Salt: Necessary to avoid bland pancakes.
• Milk: You could use buttermilk instead of regular milk here, but in this recipe I find that regular milk works just fine and it’s what most people have on hand.
• Eggs: These add richness and binding to the pancakes.
• Butter: There is a little melted butter in the batter, but I also always butter my griddle before pouring on the batter when cooking pancakes. That way the edges crisp up just a little bit and have a distinctly buttery taste.
• Poppy Seeds: During my recipe testing, I kept increasing the quantity of poppy seeds so that they would be front and center, not just an afterthought. There is a full ⅓ cup of the seeds and they make the pancakes so appealing!
• Lemons: You will need the zest and juice from three large lemons for this recipe. Be sure to zest the lemons before juicing them, because it’s extra hard to remove lemon zest from squeezed out lemons.

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together first. There is nothing worse than eating a bite of pancake where the baking powder wasn’t mixed in all the way, which can happen if you don’t whisk the batter first since you only stir to barely combine when adding the wet ingredients.
2. Whisk the wet ingredients together: In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, melted butter, poppy seeds, lemon juice, and zest together. Add these to the dry ingredients, stirring just to combine. It’s okay if little streaks of flour remain.

3. Cook the pancakes: Heat a large griddle or frying pan over medium heat, then lightly coat the surface with a little butter. Use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to pour batter onto the surface, leaving a little space between the pancakes so they don’t spread together. Cook until bubbles start to form and pop on the surface, then flip and cook on the other side until both sides are golden brown.

4. Serve with the lemon glaze: Just before serving, whisk together powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice to make a simple glaze to drizzle over the pancakes. I like the glaze not too runny or it will soak right into the pancakes.

Can these pancakes be frozen?

If you have leftover pancakes and glaze, you can freeze them to enjoy another day. Let them cool completely, then place a square of parchment paper or wax paper between each pancake before placing them in a freezer-safe, airtight bag. You can even freeze the glaze to go with them by transferring it to a small freezer-safe bag as well.

When you want to enjoy the pancakes, pull them out and let the glaze thaw at room temperature (it doesn’t take very long). Pop the pancakes in the toaster oven to crisp them up and bit and heat them through, then enjoy!

More Recipes Like This

• Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
• Best French Toast
• Belgian Waffles
• Raspberry Muffins
• Crepes
• German Pancakes
• Cinnamon French Toast Sticks