Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Name: Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1½ cups (360 ml) whole-milk cottage cheese, at room temperature; 4 large eggs, at room temperature; ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine sea salt; ½ teaspoon (2½ ml) vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter, melted

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, protein-rich pancakes made with creamy cottage cheese that creates a delicate crumb and subtle tang. These are fluffier than standard pancakes and stay moist longer. Serve warm with your favorite toppings—they're equally good with fresh berries and yogurt or with maple syrup and butter.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 12 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 27 min
Makes: 8 pancakes

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Steps

Before you start

Have all ingredients at room temperature
Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes before you start cooking
Set out your serving plates and keep them warm

1
Blend wet ingredients
- In a blender or food processor, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
- Blend until smooth and nearly lump-free, about 30 seconds.
- (If you prefer a rustic texture with small curds, you can skip the blender and whisk these together vigorously in a bowl, but blending creates the lightest pancakes.)
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Ready when: mixture is smooth with no visible chunks
Tip: Blending is worth the extra step—it makes the pancakes extra fluffy by breaking down the cottage cheese curds evenly.
2
Mix dry ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
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Ready when: no streaks of flour visible and baking powder is distributed evenly
3
Combine wet and dry
- Pour the blended cottage cheese mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Stir gently with a whisk or rubber spatula until just combined.
- The batter should be thick and slightly lumpy—do not overmix, or the pancakes will be tough.
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Ready when: no dry flour streaks remain
Tip: A few lumps are fine and actually desirable—they help keep pancakes tender. Overmixing gluten makes them rubbery.
4
Heat griddleOven 350°F / 175°C
- Place a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat (about 350°F / 175°C if using an electric griddle).
- Let it preheat for 2 minutes.
- Test readiness by flicking a few drops of water onto the surface—they should sizzle immediately and evaporate within 2 seconds.
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Ready when: water droplets sizzle and evaporate instantly
Tip: Too hot and pancakes brown before the inside cooks; too cool and they spread thin and stay pale.
5
Cook first side
- Scoop about ¼ cup (60 ml) of batter onto the griddle for each pancake, spacing them 2 inches apart.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes without moving them, until the top surface looks dry and small bubbles form across it and begin to pop.
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Ready when: surface looks dry, bubbles form and pop, edges look set and slightly golden
Tip: Resist the urge to flip early. Those bubbles are steam escaping from a cooked crumb—once they pop, the underside is golden brown.
6
Flip and cook second side
- Using a spatula, flip each pancake carefully.
- Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the second side, until the underside is golden brown and the pancake feels firm to a gentle poke with the spatula.
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Ready when: underside is golden brown, pancake is springy when gently pressed
Tip: The second side cooks faster—watch carefully so you don't overcook and dry them out.
7
Keep warm and serveOven 200°F / 95°C
- Transfer cooked pancakes to a warm plate.
- If cooking in batches, keep finished pancakes in a 200°F (93°C) oven while you finish the rest.
- Serve warm with your choice of toppings: fresh berries, a dollop of Greek yogurt, maple syrup, jam, or honey.
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Tip: Cottage cheese pancakes stay moist even as they cool, so they're forgiving if you're cooking for a crowd.

Good to know

Tips

Room-temperature ingredients blend together more smoothly and create lighter pancakes. Take eggs and cottage cheese out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
If your griddle is older or not nonstick, lightly brush it with melted butter or oil before the first batch; the batter itself has enough fat that you usually won't need more.
For extra fluff, separate the eggs and fold in the beaten egg whites just before cooking—this adds even more air.
Cottage cheese pancakes are wonderful topped with fresh fruit, a spoonful of sour cream, or a drizzle of honey. They also pair beautifully with smoked salmon and dill for a savory breakfast.

Make ahead

You can prepare the batter up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerate it covered. Let it come to room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking. Cooked pancakes freeze well for up to 1 month; reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes or in a toaster.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours in an airtight container. Refrigerator: up to 3 days, covered. Freeze: up to 1 month in a freezer bag. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes, or in a toaster on medium setting until warm throughout.

Substitutions

whole-milk cottage cheese → Greek yogurt or ricotta cheese. Use the same volume. The texture will be slightly denser and tangier with yogurt, or richer with ricotta. Both work beautifully.
all-purpose flour → whole wheat flour or spelt flour. Use the same amount. The pancakes will be slightly nuttier and a touch denser. Whole wheat absorbs liquid differently, so add 1 tablespoon more cottage cheese if the batter seems too thick.
granulated sugar → honey or maple syrup. Use 1½ tablespoons (22 ml) of liquid sweetener. Reduce the cottage cheese mixture by 1–2 tablespoons to balance the extra liquid.
vanilla extract → almond extract or citrus zest. Use ¼ teaspoon almond extract, or add the zest of 1 lemon or orange to the wet ingredients for a bright flavor shift.