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My Cottage Cheese Pancakes Are So Good!
If there’s a way for me to get more protein into a dish, I’m all for it. That’s exactly how these Cottage Cheese Pancakes came together. After realizing how delicious cottage cheese is in everything from pasta to ice cream, I knew it was time to try it with pancakes and I’m so glad I did!
My secret is using small-curd cottage cheese, not overmixing the ingredients and letting the batter rest before cooking.
If you have leftover cottage cheese that you’re not sure what to do with, these high-protein cottage cheese pancakes are a great way to use it up!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Cottage Cheese Pancakes Ingredients
- Cottage cheese: Whole milk cottage cheese is my go-to for this recipe, but you can use low-fat if you prefer. Look for one with small curds, which help create a smoother texture. If only large curd cottage cheese is available, you can just blend it quickly in a blender or food processor.
- Eggs: This recipe uses large eggs. You can also use a flax egg.
- Milk and butter: Use any kind of milk, dairy or plant-based. The same goes for the butter!
- Maple syrup: I like the flavor and sweetness of maple syrup. If you don’t have that on hand, however, you can use an equal amount of honey or another liquid sugar to sweeten your pancakes. Or try it with ⅓ cup regular or brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract: Look for pure vanilla extract that’s made with the fewest ingredients, and skip imitation vanilla, which usually contains artificial flavorings and additives.
- Dry ingredients: These pancakes are made with flour, baking powder and cinnamon. You can use regular all-purpose flour or a 1:1 gluten-free blend.
Popular Additions
- Add fruit. Right after pouring a mound of batter onto the skillet, quickly sprinkle fresh fruit, such as sliced bananas or blueberries, over the pancakes so the batter puffs up and encases the fruit inside.
- Add nuts. Fold your choice of pecans or walnuts into the batter when adding the dry ingredients.
- Add cocoa powder. Stir in about ¼ cup cocoa powder for a real treat. You can even fold in chocolate chips to make it even more decadent.
- Add lemon. Stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of finely grated lemon zest for a nice citrusy flavor.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix! Overmixing the batter can make them tough. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined to make fluffy cottage cheese pancakes.
- Rest the batter. Let the batter sit for about 10 minutes before cooking to allow the ingredients to fully hydrate, relax the gluten and activate leavening agents. This results in a smoother, more consistent batter, more tender texture, and fluffier pancakes.
- Add the butter last. This helps to prevent it from solidifying and clumping together, which can happen if the melted butter is added to the batter too early or if it’s added to a colder batter. Whisking the melted butter in quickly after the batter is combined helps it incorporate smoothly and distribute the fat evenly throughout the mixture.
- Use a large cookie scoop to shape the pancakes into even rounds. Once the batter hits the pan, you can use the back of the scoop to shape them into even circles.
- Blend the mixture! If you have kids who may be less than enthused about the texture of the cottage cheese in the pancakes, you can blend the wet ingredients before combining them with the dry ingredients. Just make sure not to blend it with the flour because that would make the pancakes gummy.
Pancake Topping Ideas
- 2-Ingredient Strawberry Sauce
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- Homemade Nutella
- Chocolate Granola
- Quick Icing
- Fruit Jam
- Fresh fruit like strawberries, bananas, blueberries, or anything you like.
More Pancake Recipes:
- Easy Oven Baked Pancakes
- Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Classic Pancakes
- Fluffy Banana Pancakes
- Chocolate Pancakes
- Oat Flour Pancakes
- Fresh Blueberry Pancakes
- Pink Pancakes
- Fresh Strawberry Pancakes
If you try this Cottage Cheese Pancakes recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Cottage Cheese Pancake Recipe
Cottage cheese pancakes are super fluffy and soft. The cottage cheese adds protein and keeps the pancake from drying out!
Video
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminium free
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons melted butter plus more for cooking
- Fresh berries for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cottage cheese, milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract until combined. Sift in flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Whisk until the flour is incorporated.
- Whisk in the melted butter, then let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
- When ready to cook, lightly butter a large skillet and set over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the batter to the pan in about ¼ cup mounds, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter to the cooking surface as needed.
- Serve warm topped with maple syrup and fresh berries.
Notes
Storage: Pancakes are best enjoyed freshly made, but if you have leftover cottage cheese pancakes, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them. To reheat, place on a sheet pan and warm in a preheated 350° oven for about 5 minutes or until heated through. Or, you can pop them in the microwave with a damp paper towel, heating in 30-second intervals until hot.
Freezing Instructions: Let the pancakes fully cool, then arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, you can store them in an airtight bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutritional Data: The nutritional info is just for the pancakes and doesn’t include any toppings.
Nutrition
Calories: 360kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 189mg, Sodium: 532mg, Potassium: 218mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 511IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 172mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Diet: Vegetarian
Cuisine American
Course: Breakfast
These are delicious! I had some leftover cottage cheese I needed to use and stumbled upon this recipe. I’ve already made them twice for my family. They are so fluffy and light. I added some thawed, frozen blueberries and they were a perfect addition. This recipe will be added to my breakfast staples!
Awesome!! These pancakes are the perfect solution for leftover cottage cheese. So happy you and your family love them!!
Delicious! Much better than any mix and I feel better about the ingredients in this!
Yay, so happy you liked it!!