Blend it up.
A fluffy diner-style pancake is a thing of beauty—but sometimes we’re in the mood for something that satisfies our pancake cravings without putting us in a carb coma. Whipped up in the blender in just a few minutes, these slim and crispy cottage cheese pancakes are a delightful protein-packed alternative to the typical carb-loaded breakfast.
You can buy cottage cheese is a variety of fat percentages, but I recommend using 4% or full fat for this recipe. The additional creaminess helps the batter blend smoothly and prevents the pancakes from becoming gummy (for more on that, see below!) Even if you typically prefer low or no-fat cottage cheese, I strongly recommend springing for the full fat here. My brand preferences have already been well-documented during this blind taste test I did for Delish, but any brand you have or can find will work well.
Many cottage cheese pancakes suffer from a dense, gummy texture. Waiting to add the flour until the other ingredients are thoroughly blended (and then blending until just incorporated after the flour goes in) prevents the gluten in the flour from becoming overworked, which may contribute to that gumminess. And adding a little melted butter to complement the fat from the cottage cheese also helps to make the batter more tender. This results in pancakes that are light and just slightly chewy, while still being delightfully tender.
Most pancakes take 2-3 minutes to cook on the first side and show bubbles on top as an indication that it’s time to flip them. This style of pancakes, on the other hand, cooks for just 1 minute per side and doesn’t bubble on top, so it’s important to stay nearby while the pancakes are cooking and check underneath early and often so they don’t burn.
These pancakes were inspired by my Grandma Charlene’s cottage cheese pancakes, which she made on summer family camping trips when I was growing up. The accompanying blueberry sauce is inspired by my other grandma Shirley and the homemade blueberry sauce that she made whenever we went to visit. Grandma and Grandma: these are for you.
Enjoy!
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
(Makes 8)
2 large eggs
½ cup (4 oz.) cottage cheese
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
½ c. (60 g.) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Neutral oil or nonstick cooking spray, for pan
Blueberry sauce, for serving
Equipment: blender, large nonstick pan or griddle
Instructions
In a blender, combine eggs, cottage cheese, granulated sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend on high until smooth.
Pour in flour and melted cooled butter and blend just until incorporated.
Rub a large nonstick or griddle pan with a small amount of neutral oil (or spray with cooking spray). Heat over medium heat until a drop of water dances when it hits the surface.
Pour two circles of batter (about 3 tablespoons each) into the pan. Cook until the pancakes are browned on the bottom, about 1 minute, then flip and cook on the other side until slightly puffed and cooked through, 1-2 minutes more.
Remove pancakes to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter.
Originally posted January 12, 2025.
Comments