Pancakes can be both delicious and satisfying with this recipe for protein-rich Cottage Cheese Pancakes. This easy recipe uses the blender to mix up the simple batter made with whole-wheat flour, olive oil, milk and cottage cheese. A dose of fresh lemon brightens these pancakes and makes them the perfect vehicle for butter, maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Healthy Protein-Packed Pancakes

Pancakes are not known for being a breakfast that keeps you satisfied very long. This recipe flips that notion on its head by swapping conventional ingredients for more nutrient-dense substitutions like whole-wheat flour, cottage cheese, and olive oil.

Together, these ingredients make for a pancake recipe that’s loaded up with protein, fiber, and heart-healthy fat. Make them even more satisfying by topping them off with yogurt and berries for added protein and fiber.

stack of pancakes on a white plate with a fork. pancakes topped with blueberry, lemon zest, and maple syrup

Ingredients for Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Cottage cheese: for the best flavor and texture, use whole milk cottage cheese. Low-fat cottage cheese won’t be as flavorful. Use any leftover cottage cheese to make our Cottage Cheese Cake!

Milk: you’ll also need whole milk for this cottage cheese pancake batter. We recommend whole milk because of the healthy fat it adds. You can use a lower fat milk if you like, but we do not recommend skim milk.

Egg: you’ll need one large egg. Make sure to use an egg labeled as large. If you use a medium egg it may alter the thickness of the batter. Likewise, if you use extra-large or jumbo, the batter may be too thin.

Olive oil: we like to make pancakes with heart-healthy olive oil. You can also use melted butter if you prefer.

Maple Syrup: add just a splash of pure maple syrup for a touch of sweetness. You can also use sugar instead.

eggs, flour, lemon zest, maple syrup, oil, milk, cottage cheese measured and set out on a counter

Lemon: lemon zest is added to the batter for flavor while lemon juice is added to activate the baking soda, creating a light and fluffy pancake.

Vanilla: you can skip this if you’d like. But a splash adds nice depth of flavor. Almond extract, orange extract and lemon extract are all great options as well.

Whole-wheat flour: we recommend using white whole-wheat flour for these pancakes. It’s lighter in flavor than regular whole-wheat flour while delivering all of the same nutritional benefits. If you only have regular whole-wheat flour, you can use that instead.

Leaveners & salt: to make tall, fluffy pancakes you’ll need to use a combination of baking powder and baking soda. Then a pinch of salt enhances the other flavors in the batter.

How to Make Cottage Cheese Pancakes

  1. Blend together the cottage cheese, milk, egg, oil, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla until it’s completely smooth. You want to make sure the cottage cheese is thoroughly blended!
  2. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and blend just until the mixture is combined.
  3. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add a splash of oil and brush to coat the skillet.
  4. Scoop the batter into the preheated skillet and cook until bubbles form on top, pop and don’t refill with batter. This is when you know they are ready to flip.
  5. Flip the cottage cheese pancakes and cook until the second side is golden brown.
  6. Keep the pancakes warm in a 200-degree oven while you cook the remaining batter.
stack of pancakes on a white plate with a fork. pancakes topped with blueberry, lemon zest, and maple syrup

Test for making fluffy pancakes

  • Don’t over-mix the batter. Once the dry ingredients are added, blend the batter just until everything is combined.
  • Adequately pre-heat the nonstick skillet or griddle. This ensures the batter will begin to cook the moment it hits the pan which will keep the batter from spreading too much and forming a large, thin pancake.
  • Don’t touch it! Let the pancake cook, without moving, until bubbles form on the surface of the pancake, the pop and do not refill with batter. This is the sign they are ready to be flipped. Flip the pancakes and again, do not touch until the bottom side is nicely browned.
  • Avoid pressing on the pancake with the spatula. If you press down you squash all of the height we’ve achieved!

Storage and Reheating Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Keep the Batches Warm

Since pancakes are cooked in batches, we recommend either serving them as they come out of the pan or keeping them warm in the oven as you cook the batches. To do this, heat your oven to 200-degrees and set a wire rack inside a baking sheet. As the pancakes are done cooking, transfer them to the sheetpan and keep them warm in the oven as you cook the remaining pancakes.

Storing Leftovers

It’s best to store pancakes in the freezer. Arrange the cooled pancakes on a small sheetpan in a single layer and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer the pancakes to a resealable zipper-lock bag and store in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Reheating

The best way to reheat pancakes is to pop them in the toaster or toaster oven. Toast the frozen pancakes until thawed, warmed through and slightly crisp on the outside. Be careful not to overheat the pancakes or they may become dry and tough. We don’t recommend reheating in the microwave as this makes the pancakes tough and rubbery.

pancakes on a white plate topped with blueberries, butter and maple syrup

FAQs About Pancakes

Why are my pancakes gooey inside?

It’s likely that your pan is too hot. If your pan is too hot, the exterior of the pancakes will brown too quickly, not giving the center of the pancakes enough time to cook through.

How to reheat pancakes without drying them out?

We recommend toasting pancakes in the toaster or toaster oven. This heats them quickly without pulling out moisture.

What can go wrong if you cook pancakes with no eggs?

If you make this recipe without the egg the pancakes will likely not fold together very well. They will be more likely to fall apart in the pan.

Is there a recipe for oatmeal pancakes?

Try our Toasted Oat Pancakes recipe!

What can you add to pancakes to make them taste better?

We like to add a splash of vanilla or almond extract to pancake batter. Lemon zest or orange zest also adds a nice bright zing! And finally, play around with adding different spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger.

Serving Suggestions + Pancake Toppings

Round out the meal and serve these pancakes with our Crustless Quiche Lorraine or Cheesy Fried Eggs. Candied Bacon is always a hit, plus this Grape Salad is a fun variation on a fruit salad.

Our favorite way to serve these pancakes is to stack them high, top them in good salted butter and fresh blueberries and shower them with pure maple syrup. Here are some other topping ideas:

Nut butter: Warm up some nut butter (homemade peanut butter or homemade almond butter are great options) and drizzle it over the pancakes. You could also top these with homemade nutella!

Maple nut butter: Combine pure maple syrup and nut butter in a microwave-proof bowl. Heat for about 20 seconds then mix together. Drizzle over the pancakes.

Fresh fruit: Top your pancakes with sliced bananas, strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries. You can also try mixing different fruits together for a colorful and flavorful topping.

Greek yogurt: Spoon some Greek yogurt on top of your pancakes for a creamy and tangy addition. You can also mix in some honey or maple syrup for a touch of sweetness.

Crunch: Sprinkle toasted nuts or granola overtop for some crunch.

Cottage cheese: Go all in on the cottage cheese and top these pancakes with even more cottage cheese! Sprinkle fresh chopped strawberries and sugar over top.

Jam: Spread a dollop of Peach Jam or Cherry Jam on these pancakes. For an English-inspired breakfast, add some clotted cream as well!

pancakes on a white plate topped with blueberries, butter and maple syrup

More Healthy Breakfast Recipes

Ready for more healthy breakfast ideas? We’ve got you covered!

Make our revolutionary Whole-Wheat Muffins! They truly change the game when it comes to whole-wheat baking. If you like whole-wheat muffins, then you’ll also love our Bran Muffins!

Use up any leftover blueberries and lemon to make our Healthy Blueberry Muffins or Lemon Blueberry Bread.

These Yogurt Pancakes are another healthy pancake recipe to try.

Looking for something savory and ultra-satisfying? This Turkish Eggs recipe features fried eggs, a creamy yogurt sauce, quick-pickled vegetables, and chile oil.

Unlike most banana breads, you can enjoy this Healthy Banana Bread for breakfast and feel good about it!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes Recipe

5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Yield 10 pancakes (3–4 servings)
Category Breakfast/Brunch
Cuisine Amercican

Description

Healthy, fluffy protein-packed pancakes made with whole-wheat flour. Finally pancakes that are worthy of the most important meal of the day!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (147g) whole milk
  • ½ cup (115g) whole milk cottage cheese
  • 1 large egg (~50g)
  • 2 tablespoons (24g) olive oil + more for cooking
  • 1 tablespoons (20g) pure maple syrup or sugar
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla, optional
  • 1 cup (122g) white whole-wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoons (5g) baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon (2g) baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon (2g) kosher salt
  • optional toppings: butter, lemon zest, berries, pure maple syrup

Instructions

  • In a blender, combine milk, cottage cheese, egg, oil, maple syrup, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, and vanilla; blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
    batter in a blender bottle
  • Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; blend just to combine.
    batter in a blender bottle
  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200ºF (93ºC). Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet; place in oven.
  • Heat ½ teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Brush oil around pan with pastry brush. Carefully wipe out oil using a paper towel but leave a thin film on bottom of pan.
  • Spoon batter by 3 tablespoons or scant ¼-cup (or #24 scoop) into pan in 2 places. Barely spread each portion into 3 to 3½-inch round. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on surface are beginning to break an not fill in, about 2 minutes.
    pancake batter in nonstick skillet
  • Using a thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Repeat cooking process with remaining batter (adding an additional splash of oil about halfway through batches).
    pancake batter in nonstick skillet
  • Serve pancakes immediately or transfer to wire rack in oven to keep warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 3 pancakesCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 15gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 390mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8g
Like this? Leave a comment below!I love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @zestful-kitchen and #zestfulkitchen!
stack of pancakes on a white plate with a fork. pancakes topped with blueberry, lemon zest, and maple syrup

Pin This Recipe

Love this recipe and want to save it? Pin this recipe!

Pin This Recipe
Get our FREE 20-Recipe Digital Cookbook
Subscribe and receive our popular SOUP-er Simple digital cookbook with 20 soup recipes that require just 10 ingredients and are ready in 45 minutes or less.

Share it with the world

Pin

About The Author

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

Learn More

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How many stars would you give this recipe?




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These were light with a lovely, delicate crust, and my picky eaters couldn’t tell they were made with whole wheat and gobbled them up. I love that they’re healthyish with whole wheat and extra protein from the cottage cheese. Thanks for another great recipe!