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Switch things up and try these delicious and nutritious Cottage Cheese Pancakes! Not only are they a tasty twist on a classic breakfast staple, but they also pack a powerful punch of protein that will keep you energized and satisfied throughout the morning. Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy breakfast option or a weekend brunch treat, these pancakes are sure to become a new favorite in your meal rotation.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this cottage cheese pancake recipe
- Ingredients to make cottage cheese pancakes
- How to make high-protein cottage cheese pancakes
- Tips for making the best cottage cheese pancakes
- Popular pancake substitutions & additions
- Pancake topping ideas
- How to store & reheat pancakes
- Frequently asked questions
- More pancake recipes:
- Cottage Cheese Pancakes Recipe
Do you love the idea of adding cottage cheese to some classic recipes? I have added it to some of my favorites, such as scrambled eggs and ice cream! It’s a great addition to flavor and texture and packs a serious energy-boosting start to your day with the added protein.
This recipe was part of our May 2023 Cooking Challenge! Thank you for joining us in making this delicious recipe and the chance to win a prize!
Why you’ll love this cottage cheese pancake recipe
- Loaded with protein. Traditionally, pancakes aren’t really your go-to for protein, but because of the cottage cheese and extra eggs, each serving (2 pancakes) has about 16 grams!
- Delicious flavor and texture. These pancakes have a mildly tangy flavor and a moist, fluffy texture, thanks to the addition of cottage cheese in the batter.
- A great way to use up leftover cottage cheese. If you have leftover cottage cheese that you’re not sure what to do with, cottage cheese pancakes are a great way to use it. They’re a delicious and nutritious way to repurpose an ingredient that might otherwise go to waste.
Ingredients to make cottage cheese pancakes
- Cottage cheese: For a richer pancake, opt for whole milk cottage cheese, you can use low-fat if you prefer but the whole milk is my go-to for this recipe.
- Eggs: Cottage cheese pancakes require more eggs than traditional pancakes to bind and add structure to the batter due to cottage cheese’s wet and heavy consistency.
- Milk + butter: Use any kind of milk, dairy or plant-based. The same goes for the butter!
- Maple syrup and vanilla extract: These ingredients are added to enhance the flavor and sweetness. Maple syrup complements the tanginess of cottage cheese, while vanilla adds a delicious flavor.
- Dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and cinnamon. You can use regular all-purpose flour or a gluten-free blend.
How to make high-protein cottage cheese pancakes
Similar to other pancake recipes, cottage cheese pancakes are easy to make and require only a few simple ingredients.
Make the batter
- Add the eggs, cottage cheese, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla to a bowl and whisk together until combined.
- Place a sifter over the bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon.
- After folding the dry ingredients into the wet, add the melted butter.
- Allow the pancake batter to rest before cooking.
Cook the pancakes
- Butter a hot skillet and drop the pancake batter into small mounds. You can adjust the size of the pancake you want; just be sure to adjust the cooking time.
- Once you start to see the bubbles start to pop and the pancakes look set, flip and continue cooking for another minute until cooked through.
Tips for making the best cottage cheese pancakes
- Don’t overmix! Overmixing the batter can make them tough. Fold the wet and dry together until just combined for a fluffy pancake.
- Rest the batter. Give your batter 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.
- Use small curd cottage cheese. The smaller curds create a smoother texture and a more pleasant mouthfeel in the pancakes. If only large curd is available, you can just blend it quickly in a blender or food processor.
- 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 can incorporate it 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 process the wet ingredients in a blender to smooth it out before combining with the dry ingredients. Just make sure not to blend with the flour; that would make the pancakes gummy.
Popular pancake substitutions & 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 into the pancakes.
- Add nuts. Fold your choice of pecans or walnuts into the batter when adding the dry ingredients.
- Swap out the maple syrup. 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.
- Add cocoa powder. Hello, chocolate pancakes! Stir in about ¼ cup cocoa powder for a real treat. You can even fold in chocolate chips to take it over the top!
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.
How to store & reheat pancakes
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°F 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.
How long will cottage cheese pancakes last in the fridge?
You can store them for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Can i freeze pancakes?
Yes! Allow them to cool completely, and separate each pancake with parchment paper. Then, transfer them to an airtight container or bag. Freeze for up to 1 month and thaw before reheating.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can use self-rising flour to make cottage cheese pancakes; just skip the additional baking powder in the recipe since it is already added to this flour blend.
Cottage cheese adds moisture, protein, and a slightly tangy flavor to pancake batter. The protein in cottage cheese helps to create a more tender and fluffy texture, while the tangy flavor complements the sweetness of the pancake batter.
Yes, you can make cottage cheese pancake batter ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Just be sure to cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid to prevent the batter from drying out. When you’re ready to make the pancakes, give the batter a quick stir to recombine any ingredients that may have separated during storage.
Cottage cheese pancakes are so good! They’re loaded with protein, have a slightly tangy flavor, and have a fluffy texture that’s easy to fall in love with. Plus, they’re so simple to whip up, making them the perfect breakfast choice. Give them a try, and you won’t regret it!
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
If you try this feel good 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. We 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 Pancakes
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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!!
I have never known how to finish the leftover cottage cheese until now. Thank you, and even the teenage boy agrees 😎
Aww, yay! That’s wonderful, so happy you and your teenager liked them!!
Can I replace up to 1/2 the flour with almond flour? Ups the protein and hopefully lowers the carb count too? Thanks for your thoughts!
Hi Bea, I think that would work well! Please let me know how it turns out if you end up trying it!!
I made these tonight as breakfast for dinner. They were so good! My husband – the breakfast chef – was skeptical as he was frying up the pancakes because the batter looked so different. He liked them so much he wants them every week. Since he is on a salt restricted diet I used no salt added cottage cheese and sodium free baking powder. My daughter is trying to increase her daily protein, so this was a real win. Thanks for this recipe.
Yay! So happy they were a hit!
Guilt free pancakes! Really good 👍
Happy you enjoyed them!
I made these pancakes according to the recipe, and they were delicious! Easy to make and much better than from mix. Plus my son can use the protein. I used an immersion blender on the liquid ingredients to eliminate the cottage cheese texture.
Really glad to hear you enjoyed them!
My family loves these pancakes! Have you ever tried making it as a sheet pan pancake rather than individual pancakes? I’m wondering if I’d need to adjust the recipe at all for that to work. Thanks!
Hi Tracy, I have not, but that sounds like a great idea. I actually have a sheet pan pancake recipe so I have made them with regular batter before. I don’t think much would change as far as cooking time or temp.
They are a great way to hide the cottage cheese for me. I liked them although I didn’t let the batter rest 10 mins, might’ve been fluffier.
Yep, next time let it rest and you should get a fluffier pancake! Glad to hear that you liked them.
Made them and my kids didn’t realize any difference comparing to normal pancakes. They are so good!!
Salt is mentioned in directions but not in the recipe. How much salt?
Oops, I decided against the salt since cottage cheese has salt already. I updated the instructions. Thank you!
I was afraid the baking powder would not work with out the salt so added half as much as the powder and that worked with no saltness. Keeping this recipe! Turned out great!.
Omg it’s reaaaally good !!
My kids looooooe it
For me I add scoop of protein powder creamy vanilla and almond flour , it come out super yummy 😋 😍 😊 thank you❤
Thank you so much!
Added a more tablespoons of milk to thin out the batter. The pancake texture is chewy than the typical cake-like texture. I used a 1/4 c to scoop the batter, that makes 12 pancakes. Overall a great recipe! The family loves it!
So glad everyone enjoyed!
I am not a cottage cheese fan but I was intrigued to try this recipe. I wanted to add more protein to my diet and also to my families. These pancakes are incredible. So much flavour so fluffy. We all loved it from my 1 year old to my 11 year old and including my husband. With one batch I was able to make almost 3-4 pancakes per person. So easy to make in the morning. Thank you
You’re so welcome – glad everyone enjoyed!
Cannonot wait to try this recipe
Hope you enjoy!
Made the cottage cheese pancakes! They were a big hit!
Yay! So happy to hear that!
Loved making and eating these pancakes! Easy ingredients, fast to make and the taste is delicious. It was surprising to see how the cottage cheese disappears, gives a soft texture and one would never guess it’s part of the recipe.
I added a bit extra sugar, and they turned out a proper dessert.
Served with fresh fruits, or our favorite cloudberries jam, yummy!
I didn’t think I was going to like this recipe, but they were SO GOOD! Even my picky 1 year old loved them. They also freeze well for a fast and healthy high protein breakfast or snack during busy weekdays. I recommend giving this recipe a try!
So glad you and your 1 year old liked the pancakes!
I made these as part of the monthly challenge and was so impressed! I think I found the one way I like cottage cheese! Super yummy and great texture.
So glad you liked the pancakes, Emily!
Surprised that by adding cottage cheese to the pancakes didn’t change the flavor, they were so moist and bonus I got more protein in this meal! Thank for sharing, Yumna!
You’re so welcome, Salma! Thank you for making them!
These were actually SO GOOD! 😉 I loved them and so did my two year old…
Yay! So glad everyone enjoyed them!
Later that day my extremely picky 7 year old ate them,too! She doesn’t eat cheese and didn’t figure it out…
These are delicious and healthy and have a lovely texture. They were especially good with a fruit topping and reheat well in the microwave.
So glad you liked them, A!
I love these so much! Such a great source of protein and I love adding different flavored extracts for a different flavor!
So glad you liked the pancakes, Salma!
I love me a high protein breakfast and these are just perfect. They are so good. I love this month recipe challenge.
Thank you so much, Mina! So glad to hear that you liked the pancakes!
Love these pancakes! Fluffy, hearty and satisfying. My teenage boys are all about protein intake these days so the addition of the cottage cheese was a welcomed addition. I had large curd cottage cheese so I puréed it in a small blended before adding it to the batter so my younger daughter (who can be a little picky) didn’t even know it was in there. Pancakes to please the whole family!
So glad you liked the pancakes, Paula!
I made these pancakes and they turned out way better than expected! They were very fluffy and you couldn’t even taste the cottage cheese.
So glad you liked the pancakes, Colby!
Yes more recipes please and tia
Working on a few more cottage cheese ones as we speak!
This were surprisingly really good! I dislike cottage cheese but got it to try to convince my taste buds to like them, and failed. This recipe though, my taste buds like😁😍
Yay! So glad to hear that you liked the pancakes, Sarah!
Can you use oat flour? And can you use a waffle iron instead? Thanks! I can’t wait to try this!!
I have not used oat flour or a waffle iron to make this recipe, I don’t see why they wouldn’t work though. If you try it let me know how it turned out!
Topped the pancakes with some whipped cream, berries, and honey. They were so worth making, even though I dont use cottage cheese too often (except in lasagna, which is also good!). Perfect way to get protein in the morning!
That sounds so yummy! Glad you liked it, Angelica!
Made these this morning and they were delicious!! A huge hit even with my 6 year old!!!
Yay! So glad everyone liked them!
Made these for my family yesterday. Even my picky 6 year old loved them and asked for more! They were delicious! So light and creamy! 😋
Thank you so much! So happy to hear everyone liked them!
I had to use large curd cottage cheese and dark brown sugar but these were amazing! I think the tip of having them sit for 10 minutes is super important. They were delicious- almost creamy and I love the hint of cinnamon. I topped them with blueberries and blueberry syrup. Would make again when I have the small curd cottage cheese!
Yum! Love the blueberries with this recipe.
Made these pancakes yesterday for breakfast and they were a huge hit! Super easy to make, fluffy, and delicious. I used low-fat cottage cheese and whole wheat flour because they’re what I had, and they still came out great. The recipe doesn’t specify how much salt to use, so I just used a pinch. The kids each ate three and would have eaten more if they didn’t have to share with their parents 😉
LOL love it! So glad everyone enjoyed them!
I have been making a similar version of these for years, but I grind oatmeal and use that in place of flour for health purposes, I wonder if yours would do well with oatmeal too. I also double the recipe and save the uncooked mix in the fridge so it is easy to make a day or two later (no longer) … if it is too thick, I add a little milk.
That’s a great idea! I haven’t tried it with oat flour, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Made these today for me and the family. It’s good to say we all loved it. Thank you Yumna🫶🏼
So happy to hear that, Shaima!
Delicious! I’m lways looking for ways to add protein. I’m not a big fan of cottage cheese by itself, but I’m LOVING these cottage cheese protein recipes lately.
So glad you liked it, Heather! The nice thing about cottage cheese is it is bland enough to sneak into unsuspecting dishes for a protein boost!
Made this today and it was so good! Kids loved it.
So glad you and the kids enjoyed them, Hannah!
I made these this morning for kids and they loved them! So good. Thanks
You’re so welcome!
Family loved them! I blended the cottage cheese to avoid anyone complaining about the chunks, and substituted brown sugar instead of maple syrup so they were crispy. Yum!
Oh, LOVE the idea of using brown sugar! Yum!
Delicious pancakes and I love that they are packed with protein!
Thank you so much, Reem!
So delicious 🤤, warm with maple syrup is how I like it!
Thank you so much, Elena!
I made these pancakes this morning – delicious 😋 shared it on my Instagram page too @agi1971 served it with fruit, yogurt and honey 🍯 thank you Yumna for a delicious 😋 easy breakfast 🥞
Thank you for making them, Agnes, and sharing!
This pancakes are delicious 🤤, and so easy to make.
Thank you so much, Elena!
Made these today for the first time. I actually blended my wet ingredients and they were amazing! I added my blueberries to the batter before cooking. Delicious!
Yum!! Love the addition of the blueberries!
I have made these twice now and really like them. They’re so easy to make and are very versatile, I have served them with berries and coconut whip cream (100% recommend). Thank you Yumna!!
You’re so welcome! Coconut whipped cream on top sounds ah-mazing!
These look so good and seem easy to make . We normally have breakfast as a family on the weekend since we have a busy schedule during the week. I am a mother of 4 kids ( 17 , 12, 5 and 4months)
I will definitely try this recipe on the weekend and keep you posted with the outcome. Thank you for always sharing great recipes
You’re so welcome, Soukna! Looking forward to seeing what you and your kiddos think!
We tried the pancakes today. And they were awesome. The whole family enjoyed them . I even posted their reactions on my Instagram story 🥰
Thanks so much, Soukna!
This recipe is so easy and delicious. A life safer for morning breakfast. My daughter loved them!
Happy to hear that Paola!
I am 5 months pregnant and was craving pancakes today!!! These were so good!!
So glad you liked them, Lavanda!
Excited for some new recipes
You’ll have to let me know what you think of the pancakes when you make them!
I saw these on Facebook and happened to be alone with my kids for the evening and knew we were going to have to make these for dinner! They were easy to put together and cooked the same way our normal pancakes cook. I was surprised at how much they retained heat so they were warm until I made enough for all of us. I wouldn’t say they were as good as our normal pancakes, but close and still delicious! My incredibly picky 5 year old said they were the best pancakes he’s ever had though! We will definitely be doing this again because I love to make pancakes so having some added protein is great.
That’s awesome. So glad your 5 year old loved them! Great way to sneak in some protein.
YUM! These turned out so well. I have found my new go to pancake recipe. I relied on protein pancake mixes before but this blows them all away. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So glad you liked them, Theresa!