A bright and pillowy soft Spring Pea Pancakes Recipe. These small savory pancakes have the verdant pop of fresh green peas. Find out how to choose the best fresh peas – and info on frozen vs fresh spring peas. It’s springtime on a plate!
Spring has sprung! After a slooooow start here on the East Coast, the trees are blooming, the birds are singing – and the honey bees are buzzing on their noble journey.
Spring also means that the fresh peas at the farmer’s market are at their peak perfection!
There’s nothing more exciting to me on a sunny Saturday than to take a trip to an outdoor veggie bazaar. Selecting the best the season has to offer – and then trying to come up with recipes to use all that gorgeous produce is kinda my very own honey-bee-like mission. I love all fresh veggies – but spring peas hold a special place in my heart because the season is so short and fleeting (more on that in a sec).
I love peas in my paella, peas in my potato salad – and what would a yummy fried rice be without the verdant, light pop of the green pea!?
I’m sure you’ll agree with me though that, aside from a simple pea salad or a snap-pea stir fry, there aren’t nearly enough pea recipes where the pea actually takes center stage.
Today, we’ll be whipping up light and fluffy spring pea pancakes that showcase the green pea in all its springtime glory! However, it doesn’t have to be springtime to make these pea loaded homemade pancakes.
When Are Peas In Season?
Starting around the very end of April through the early summer months, peas are at their height of freshness.
How To Choose The Best Green Peas
When looking for peas at a farmer’s market or grocery store, look for bright green pods. Look for a shiny uniformity in the pods. If the pods look withered, it might be best to move on to another bunch.
Same if the pods are bulging or splitting. That means that the peas are probably too old and have become starchy. You should be able to lightly shake a pea pod and not hear a ton of movement inside. Fresh spring peas are plump, and probably packed in there pretty well. If you hear significant rattling inside pod, the peas may be on the dry side.
Using Frozen Peas
Once you’ve experienced the perfect, little verdant pop of spring peas, it’s something you’re going to want again and again. Unfortunately, since pea season is so short, it doesn’t leave much time to make this tasty recipe. That’s when frozen peas come in.
Frozen peas may not be as delicious as fresh ones but they are still better than canned peas. And if you luck out and buy really high quality frozen green peas (that were picked at their prime), you might end up with something about as good as fresh ones.
Pea Pancake Batter
Now the fun begins! It’s a breeze getting a light batter together for this lovely green peas recipe. Only five minutes are needed to mix up a batter for these pea pancakes that manages to showcase the light flavors of both the pancakes and the fresh peas.
- First, crack three large eggs into a mixing bowl and add two tablespoons of olive oil.
- Next, add your lemon juice, ricotta cheese, flour and a pinch of salt and give it all a good mix.
- Once the batter is reasonably smooth, add your fresh peas (if you’re using frozen, make sure they’re thawed) and scallions and fold them in.
And that’s it for the batter!
Making The Pancakes
Now, all that’s left is to get a large pan going over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil to coat the bottom.
- Once the oil is hot, use about a quarter cup of batter to make each pancake. Don’t overcrowd your pan! Two or three pancakes per batch is probably the sweet spot.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side – and flip once golden brown. Then plate them up!
Finish by adding a squeeze of lemon juice for freshness. The pop of the green spring peas is such a fun textural element inside the fluffy pancakes. And the pancakes themselves are pillow soft.
More Veggie-Forward Recipes
Other simple, delicious and bright veggie-forward springtime recipes:
- Light Spring Minestrone Soup
- Watermelon, Strawberry and Tomatillo Salad
- Tofu and Vegetable Poke Bowl
- Black Rice Burrito Bowl
- California Veggie Sandwich
Did you like this recipe Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Spring Pea Pancakes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 pancakes 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Pan frying
- Cuisine: French
Description
Light and fluffy pea pancakes drizzled with fresh lemon juice.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for for frying)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup fresh peas – or frozen peas (thawed)
- 2 scallions (sliced into thin strips)
- lemon wedges or balsamic vinegar (for serving)
Instructions
- Whisk eggs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, ricotta cheese, flour and salt.
- Add peas and a scallions and mix well.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add olive oil.
- When the oil is hot, add batter to skillet (about 1/4 cup per pancake), spreading the batter into mini pancakes. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan as this lowers the temperature of the pan (2-4 pancakes per batch is good).
- Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, until the pancakes are golden brown.
- Transfer to a plate and serve with lemon wedges or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pancake
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 101.3 mg
- Fat: 10.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.6 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 9.6 g
- Cholesterol: 105.8 mg
Pea pancakes sound like such a fun twist on the classically sweet pancakes we’re used to at my house. I wonder if I could get my kids to eat them…they look beautiful!