Love pancakes and want to get your protein too? These oatmeal Cottage Cheese Pancakes are easy to whip up at a moment’s notice and they contain a balance of complex carbohydrates and protein!
This easy pancake recipe is made with a handful of wholesome ingredients: oats, cottage cheese, milk (or water), eggs, baking powder, and a little sweetener.
We’re getting complex carbohydrates (slow burning carbs) from the oats, and cottage cheese adds an infusion of protein, which results in a balanced approach to pancakes.
I have included different ingredient substitutions below!
I prepare protein pancakes regularly for my own joyous meal prep. I love having something sweet to enjoy that is also a great source of protein to ensure I’m nailing my daily values.
Each pancake contains 7 grams of protein, with 129 calories and 19 grams of carbohydrate. I typically eat 5 small pancakes (or two large pancakes), giving me 35 grams of protein. The way I see it, this is a great recipe to replenish glycogen and provide the protein content for building muscle after a work out.
If you’re on board with protein pancakes, also try my Oatmeal Protein Pancakes and my Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes!
Let’s chat about the simple ingredients for cottage cheese pancakes, because we have lots of options for customization here.
Cottage Cheese Pancakes Ingredients:
Oats: Taking the place of all-purpose flour, we need quick oats or rolled oats. For gluten-free pancakes, use certified gluten-free oats. I use gluten-free sprouted oats in all of my recipes calling for oats.
Cottage Cheese: The star of the show here! Cottage cheese adds moisture and protein to the pancakes. In addition, it imparts a tangy flavor, similar to yogurt. I like using full-fat cottage cheese because it makes the pancakes moist. Feel free to use any fat content you prefer.
Eggs: A couple of eggs help the pancake batter rise to a fluffy texture. I haven’t tested the recipe without eggs so I’m not sure how it would turn out with an egg replacer like flax eggs.
Milk Of Choice (or Water): Pick your favorite milk (dairy or non-dairy) to add some liquid to the pancakes. I like using oat milk, almond milk, or water.
Baking Powder: The leavening agent in this easy recipe. Baking powder helps the pancake batter rise into fluffy pancakes and ensures it doesn’t spread too much during the cooking process.
Sweetener (Optional): Because the cottage cheese adds tangy flavor, I like to offset that flavor with some sweetness. I add pure maple syrup, but honey or granulated sugar works too.
Ground Cinnamon and Sea Salt: Cinnamon brings warm flavor to the pancakes and sea salt enhances the flavors and makes them taste a little sweet.
Looking for some ingredient swaps? Here are some options!
Recipe Customizations:
- Use 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour, or oat flour instead of oats.
- Almond flour works as a substitution here too, which would provide even more protein. If you go this route, use 1 1/2 cups of almond flour and 1/2 cup of tapioca flour.
- Replace the cottage cheese with plain Greek yogurt.
- Add chocolate chips or fresh blueberries to the pancake batter.
- Want extra protein? Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of protein powder to these healthy cottage cheese pancakes.
- Add a splash of vanilla extract if you have it on hand.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s make pancakes with cottage cheese!
How to Make Cottage Cheese Pancakes:
Transfer the oats to a high-powered blender and blend on a low speed for 60-90 seconds, or until a flour forms.
Add the remaining ingredients for the pancakes to the blender and blend until smooth.
If the pancake batter seems too thick, add a little additional milk (or water). If the batter seems too thin, allow the pancake batter to sit for 10 minutes, as it will thicken.
Add cooking oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Allow the skillet to warm up for a few minutes.
Measure out a scant ⅓ cup of batter and pour it onto the hot skillet. My 12-inch skillet accommodates 3 pancakes at a time. Let the batter cook for a couple of minutes before flipping.
Air bubbles will rise to the top and the sides will begin to firm up – this is when you know it is time to flip.
Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the pancakes are cooked through and are golden brown on both sides.
If at any point the batter browns up too quickly, reduce the heat to medium heat.
Repeat for the remaining batter. This recipe makes 10 small pancakes.
Serve pancakes with your favorite toppings. I like eating them with butter, a dollop of Greek yogurt, fresh blueberries, and a drizzle of honey. Almond butter, peanut butter, or more cottage cheese is a great option too!
Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze pancakes in a large freezer bag for up to 3 months.
The next time you’re craving a batch of pancakes and also want to get in your protein, make these tasty cottage cheese protein pancakes!
Make a double batch for the whole family to enjoy, and/or to have leftovers.
The best part about protein pancake recipes like this is you can enjoy your stack of hotcakes without needing to supplement your protein source. I also love that the dry ingredients and wet ingredients get tossed into a blender at the same time for easy preparation.
If you love cottage cheese recipes, also try my Cottage Cheese Breakfast Casserole and my Blueberry Cottage Cheese Cheesecake!
Drop a comment below letting me know what toppings you like on your high protein cottage cheese pancakes!
Cottage Cheese Pancakes Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon optional
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ⅓ cup milk or water
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey
- Optional Additions:
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Transfer the oats to a high-powered blender and blend on a low speed for 60-90 seconds, or until a flour forms.
- Add the remaining ingredients for the pancakes to the blender and blend until smooth. If the pancake batter seems too thick, add a little additional milk (or water). If the batter seems too thin, allow the pancake batter to sit for 10 minutes, as it will thicken.
- Add cooking oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Allow the skillet to warm up for a few minutes.
- Measure out a scant ⅓ cup of batter and pour it onto the hot skillet. My 12-inch skillet accommodates 3 pancakes at a time. Let the batter cook for 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the pancakes are cooked through and are golden brown on both sides. If at any point the batter browns up too quickly, reduce the heat to medium heat.
- Repeat for the remaining batter. This recipe makes 10 small pancakes.
- Serve pancakes with your favorite toppings. I like eating them with butter, a dollop of Greek yogurt, fresh blueberries, and a drizzle of honey. Almond butter, peanut butter, or more cottage cheese is a great option too!
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
