Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir all of the ingredients together until evenly combined. Set aside.
Pour the buttermilk into another mixing bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla and oil into the bowl.
Add the ricotta cheese, sugar and lemon zest into the bowl with the buttermilk. Using a wire whisk, gently stir the ingredients together until evenly combined.
Add the flour mix into the bowl with the buttermilk and ricotta cheese. Continue to fold the ingredients together until evenly combined with a few small lumps remaining in the batter. Do not over mix the batter.
Heat 1/4 tsp. of vegetable oil on a griddle or in a large non-stick pan. Using a 4 oz. ladle, pour the batter onto the griddle or into the non-stick pan, forming one pancake that is 6” in diameter.
Cook the pancakes for approximately 2-1/2 minutes or until the edges begin to dry and puff up with little air bubbles will start appearing over the top surface of the pancakes.
Flip each pancake over and continue to cook for another 1-1/2 minutes or until done.