Cottage cheese pancakes: 3 ingredients, 21g of protein per serving, made in a blender

The short answer: cottage cheese pancakes are made by blending 1 cup of cottage cheese with 2 eggs and half a cup of rolled oats, then cooking the batter like regular pancakes. The batch serves two, with about 21 grams of protein and 260 calories per serving, based on USDA data. It takes about 20 minutes from start to plate.

The blender turns the curds smooth, so the pancakes don’t taste lumpy. The oats work as the flour. Below you’ll find the recipe, then a no-egg version, a banana version and a savory one.

How do you make cottage cheese pancakes?

Makes: about 8 small pancakes, 2 servings · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 10 minutes · Protein: 21g per serving

Ingredients

• 1 cup (226g) lowfat 2% cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs (100g)
• 1/2 cup (40g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon (4.5g) canola oil or butter for the pan
• Optional toppings: plain Greek yogurt, sliced banana, berries, a little maple syrup

Method

1. Put the oats in a blender and blend until they look like coarse flour, about 20 seconds.

2. Add the cottage cheese and eggs. Blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides once.

3. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes. The oats soak up liquid and the batter thickens, which helps the pancakes hold together.

4. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat and brush it with a little oil. Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake and keep them small, around 3 inches across.

5. Cook until bubbles form and the edges look dry, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until both sides are golden and the center feels firm.

6. Serve warm with yogurt and fruit. Two tablespoons of Greek yogurt and half a banana on each plate add about 4 grams of protein.

The FDA says dishes made with eggs should be cooked to 160°F. If you have an instant-read thermometer, slide it sideways into the thickest pancake to check. And skip tasting the batter: the FDA advises never eating raw batter, since raw eggs and raw flour can both carry germs.

How much protein is in cottage cheese pancakes?

One serving of this recipe has about 21 grams of protein. More than half comes from the cottage cheese. Here’s where it comes from, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values:

Each serving also has about 11g of fat, 19g of carbohydrate, 5g of sugar and 420mg of sodium. Nutrition is an estimate from USDA data and varies with brands.

That puts a plate in the same range as our other high protein breakfast ideas. To see how it fits your day, read how much protein to eat per meal. Eggs do a lot of the work here too, and our guide to how much protein is in an egg breaks that down by size.

Which cottage cheese works best?

Any type works, and the protein barely changes. The bigger difference is sodium. Here’s the same recipe made three ways, per serving:

Cleveland Clinic notes that cottage cheese can be high in sodium and suggests low-sodium or no-salt-added versions if you’re watching your blood pressure. Labels vary a lot between brands, so compare a few. If you’re wondering about whole milk products, our guide to whether full-fat dairy is healthy covers the research.

Cottage cheese is also a fresh cheese, so it has more lactose than aged cheeses, according to Cleveland Clinic. If lactose bothers you, lactose-free cottage cheese works in the same amounts.

Can you make cottage cheese pancakes without eggs?

Yes, with a flax egg and a little flour. Kids With Food Allergies, part of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, uses 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of warm water to replace each egg.

• Stir 2 tablespoons (14g) ground flaxseed into 6 tablespoons warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Blend it with 1 cup (226g) cottage cheese, 1/2 cup (62g) all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder.
• Cook as above, but keep the pancakes small and give them an extra minute per side. Flax binds well but doesn’t set the way egg does, so these come out softer.

Per serving: about 16g of protein, 264 calories and 2.8g of fiber. For more easy ways to add protein between meals, see our list of high protein snacks.

What else can you add?

The base batter takes other flavors well. Each version below serves two, with nutrition per serving:

Banana version: the banana adds sweetness, so you won’t need syrup. It also loosens the batter, so let it rest the full 5 minutes. It’s a good use for a spotty banana, the same kind you’d save for healthy banana bread.

Savory version: stir the cheese and green onion in after blending so they stay in pieces. Serve with salsa, sliced tomato or a fried egg. Small savory pancakes also make an easy addition to a holiday brunch or a table of healthy Thanksgiving sides.

Why are my cottage cheese pancakes mushy?

Mushy centers usually come from heat that’s too high, pancakes that are too big, or batter that hasn’t rested. A few fixes:

• Turn the heat down. Medium-low lets the middle cook before the outside browns.
• Keep them small. Three-inch pancakes cook through far more evenly than plate-sized ones.
• Rest the batter. Five minutes lets the oats thicken it.
• Drain watery cottage cheese. If there’s liquid on top of the tub, pour it off before measuring.
• Wait to flip. Flip once the edges look dry and bubbles hold their shape.

For fluffier pancakes, add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to the blender.

Are cottage cheese pancakes gluten free?

The oat version can be, if your oats are labeled gluten-free. Oats don’t contain wheat, but they can be processed on the same equipment, so Ohio State University Extension advises people on a gluten-free diet to buy oats verified as gluten-free. The flour version contains gluten.

How long do cottage cheese pancakes last?

Cooked pancakes keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, the FDA’s limit for leftover cooked egg dishes. They also freeze well for busy mornings.

• Cool and chill within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour on a day above 90°F, as the FDA advises for egg dishes.
• Keep your fridge at 40°F or below and your freezer at 0°F or below.
• To freeze, lay the pancakes flat on a tray until firm, then move them to a freezer bag with parchment between layers.
• Reheat to 165°F in a toaster, skillet or microwave. The FDA says cooked egg dishes should be thoroughly reheated to 165°F before serving.

If you prep breakfasts ahead, these pair well with a jar of high protein overnight oats for the days you don’t want to cook. Cottage cheese and eggs both rank well on cost too, as our list of cheapest protein foods shows.

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Quick questions

Do cottage cheese pancakes taste like cottage cheese?

Not much, once the batter is blended. The blender breaks down the curds, so the texture is smooth and the flavor is mild and slightly tangy. Toppings like banana, berries or a little maple syrup make them taste like regular breakfast pancakes. If you skip the blender, you’ll notice small soft curds.

Are cottage cheese pancakes healthy?

Yes, they can be a healthy breakfast. A serving of the basic recipe has about 21 grams of protein, 260 calories and 2 grams of fiber, based on USDA data. Cottage cheese also gives you calcium. Watch the sodium, about 420mg per serving, and pick a lower-sodium cottage cheese if that matters for you.

Can you freeze cottage cheese pancakes?

Yes. Let the cooked pancakes cool, freeze them flat on a tray, then store them in a freezer bag with parchment between layers. Keep your freezer at 0 degrees F or below, as the FDA advises. Reheat in a toaster, skillet or microwave until hot, to 165 degrees F.

How long do cottage cheese pancakes last in the fridge?

Cooked cottage cheese pancakes last 3 to 4 days in the fridge. The FDA gives that limit for leftover cooked egg dishes. Refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking, keep your fridge at 40 degrees F or below, and reheat them to 165 degrees F before eating.

Can you make cottage cheese pancakes without a blender?

Yes, but the texture changes. Mash the cottage cheese with a fork, whisk in the eggs, and use quick oats or flour instead of rolled oats. The pancakes will have small soft curds in them. A stick blender or food processor gives a smoother batter if you have one.

Are cottage cheese pancakes low carb?

They’re lower in carbohydrate than most pancakes, but not very low carb. One serving of the oat recipe has about 19 grams of carbohydrate, based on USDA data. Adding a banana raises it to about 33 grams. Syrup adds more, so try yogurt and berries on top instead.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Nutrition figures are estimates from USDA data and will vary with brands and portions. If you have a food allergy, celiac disease, kidney disease or a diet set by your doctor, ask what suits you.

Sources

• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy data (cottage cheese 1%, 2% and 4%, whole egg, rolled oats, all-purpose flour, banana, Greek yogurt, flaxseed, cheddar, green onion, baking powder, canola oil)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. What You Need to Know About Egg Safety
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Safe Food Handling
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Handling Flour Safely: What You Need to Know
• Cleveland Clinic. Cottage Cheese Benefits
• Ohio State University Extension. Raw Oat Safety
• Kids With Food Allergies, a division of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Flax Egg Substitute