$3.99 for 14.25 oz
I’m happy there is more pancakes in the world, but they might not be for you!
I don’t make pancakes as much as I used to when the kids were little. I used to go through boxes of Trader Joe’s Multigrain Pancake mix every single week. It was the only thing I could get them to eat for breakfast for about two straight years. That mix was discontinued many years ago and I am still not over it. The kids got older, the pancake griddle went into storage, and our breakfast routine moved on.
But I saw this new mix on the shelves and thought it would be fun to make a batch. Lemon and ricotta! That sounds fancy. Like something you’d order at a brunch restaurant and pay $16 for. The good news: you don’t need to add your own ricotta. They’ve got ricotta powder in the mix along with buttermilk. You just add milk, eggs and oil. Super simple.
Making really good pancakes is a bit of an art. You have to get the pan just hot enough or but not too hot or too cold or they don’t turn out right. It usually takes me a couple of pancakes to dial it in and it was no different with these and it all came back to me and I turned out four nice pancakes with no disasters. They have a bright yellow color from beta carotene and you can smell the lemony flavors wafting up from the griddle as they cook. They look awesome!
I guess the real question is how did they taste and the answer is pretty good! They weren’t a breakout hit, but solid. There’s plenty of lemon flavor with a nice tartness from the ricotta and buttermilk.
But here’s the weird thing: they kind of tasted like lemon cake in a slightly fake way, even though there are no artificial flavors in the ingredients. I can’t explain it. My son tried them and agreed. Somehow they got that lemon candy flavor into a pancake through some culinary trickery.
My son also mentioned that he misses the old multigrain ones he grew up on. It’s one of those constant issues with Trader Joe’s, why do they discontinue something as simple as multigrain pancakes for these fly by night Lemon Ricotta ones that won’t be around in a few months?
These are fine pancakes. They’re just not the revelation that “lemon ricotta” promises.
Final Verdict
Best For: Weekend breakfast bakers, lemon lovers, parents who want to feel fancy while making pancakes
Skip If: You’re expecting the ricotta and lemon to taste natural (there’s a slightly artificial quality despite no fake ingredients)
⭐ 7/10 Stars!
Leave feedback about this