Kathleen’s Low-Carb Cottage Pancakes

By Ann Fulton

Thanks to their light and fluffy texture and low-carb appeal, even those who don't care for cottage cheese adore Kathleen's Cottage Pancakes! 
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Thanks to their light and fluffy texture and low-carb appeal, even those who don’t care for cottage cheese adore Kathleen’s Cottage Pancakes! 

 

 

High protein and low carb are typically not the words I associate with pancakes, but this recipe shakes things up a bit!  

A friend of The Fountain Avenue Kitchen passed this novel pancake recipe along to me, saying that it is something she makes for her husband almost every morning.

The ingredients are quirky–for pancakes, anyway–but so very healthy.  I simply could not pass this recipe by.

The cottage cheese lends a lightness to the batter while the eggs provide exceptional protein and flavor.  I loved the underlying egg flavor.

Note, there’s not a speck of sugar in this recipe–and just a small amount of flour.  I think next time I will try whole wheat flour, or perhaps my gluten-free blend.  My dad would like these.

By the way, my sons both declared this a “make-again” recipe.  My picky eater did not so much as notice there was a “funny” ingredient in there: )

Thanks to their light and fluffy texture and low-carb appeal, even those who don't care for cottage cheese adore Kathleen's Cottage Pancakes! 

Note:  I have been asked several times if I have tried these pancakes with my gluten-free flour blend, and I wanted to provide an update. In addition to making them with that blend, I have also tried them with oats, as one friend shared that she had successfully done. That time, I used quick oats and added 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda and baking powder in lieu of the 1/4 teaspoon baking soda called for in the original recipe.  

While they tasted fine, the resulting pancakes lacked the fluffiness present in the original recipe.  The gluten-free blend fares very well, resulting in an end result similar to the original version.  I use the 1/2 teaspoon each of baking soda and powder here, too.  Both times, I polled my husband and kids and they gave both versions their stamp of approval although did notice a difference with the oat version, mainly because those pancakes appeared flatter than usual.

Update 4/4/18: Recently, I’ve had several readers ask about making these with almond flour.  Although I have not yet tried it, my suspicion is that it would work but that the pancakes would be somewhat flatter. If you try, please feel free to comment!

Thanks to their light and fluffy texture and low-carb appeal, even those who don't care for cottage cheese adore Kathleen's Cottage Pancakes! 
Kathleen’s Cottage Pancakes
Thanks to their light and fluffy texture and low-carb appeal, even those who don't care for cottage cheese adore Kathleen's Cottage Pancakes! 
Ingredients
  • 6 eggs
  • 1½ cups cottage cheese
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt*
  • ½ cup flour (see comments above regarding gluten-free options)
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
  1. Beat eggs until light. Mash cottage cheese (Kathleen uses a food processor, I used my mini chopper to really get it smooth). Add to eggs along with the remaining ingredients. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a lightly-greased griddle (I like to use my cast iron skillet) and cook over medium heat until browned on both sides and cooked through. Top with maple syrup or fresh fruit, as desired.
  2. Makes about 2 dozen small pancakes. I made mine a bit bigger and got 17 or 18.
Notes

*If using regular table salt, you may wish to start with â…› teaspoon. Also, sodium contents vary among cottage cheese brands. If your brand contains a high level of sodium, I recommend using less (or even skipping it) when making these pancakes for the first time.

For a healthy, aromatic option with a high smoke point, try cooking the pancakes in coconut oil.

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Comments

  1. Jacqui Judd
    (5/5)

    Love, love this recipe and have been making them for years for my type 1 diabetic husband who loves them. Became gluten intolerant myself and have now been making them with GF flours. Almond flour was ok, best results from all purpose GF flour blends. Also learned a tip to let the batter sit for 10-15 mins to let the flour get fully wet and it reduces any grittiness. Also upped the baking soda as you recommended to 1/2 tsp and add 1/2 tsp baking powder. They aren’t as fluffy but we both still love them and use the leftovers for sandwich wraps or freeze and reheat. They reheat wonderfully.

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      I’m delighted this recipe has been a go-to for you, Jacqui, and that you’ve been able to make a worthy GF adjustment. Thanks for mentioning the rest time – I do the same with the GF batters and agree it reduces any grittiness. We often toast the leftovers. So good!

      Reply
      1. Sandra

        Can you please tell me what the macros are? I can’t seem to find them on this page.
        So so one pancake. How many calories, carbs, protein and fat are there?

        Reply
        1. Emily Russo, MS, RD, CDN

          Hi Sandra, thanks for your question. The reason we don’t list nutritional breakdowns next to each recipe is because the numbers can change significantly depending on brands people buy and how exact the measuring is. In saying that, if you email me separately with the brand and type of cottage cheese and flour you use, as well as how many pancakes your batter makes, I can provide you with my best estimations on the protein, carbohydrates, and fat content of each pancake. I’m happy to help!

          Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Hi Ang, I’m happy you like the pancakes! The reason I don’t list nutritional breakdowns next to each recipe is because the numbers can change significantly depending on brands people buy and how exact the measuring is. In saying that, if you email me separately, Emily, the FAK dietitian, can provide you with her best estimations on the nutrients you would like to know more about.

      Reply
  2. Kathleen
    (5/5)

    I have tried these with both using flour and almond flour both turn out just fine. Cook at amuch lower heat than a regular pancake.

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Thank you for your positive feedback with the added mention regarding the successful use of almond flour and the lower heat adjustment. Much appreciated!

      Reply
  3. Hannah

    Mine ended up tasting salty with the cottage cheese I used so I didn’t add any salt but to counteract the saltiness I added 1 squirt of liquid stevia and 2 tsp of vanilla. It was perfect!

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      So happy you loved them, Hannah, and thanks for the salt mention. The sodium level varies so much from one brand of cottage cheese to the next, so definitely better to err on the low (or no) side. Great tip with the vanilla and stevia, too.

      Reply
    2. Margot Goldstein

      I knew cottage cheese was going to add salt I didn’t need, and I meant to add vanilla and will definitely add sweetner.

      Reply
  4. Bonnie Maus

    Thank you! I will try these sometime….they sound SO good and different.
    Thanks for the gluten-free info….my granddaughter and her 3 kids all eat GF and will appreciate this too!

    Reply
  5. Titi K Ricafort

    This was a great first time recipe. I added a packet of apples and cinnamon oatmeal and that made it taste even better. Of course the added sugars probably weren’t needed

    Reply
  6. Clifton

    This recipe is a staple in our house for several years now. We’ve made these with white whole wheat, whole wheat flour. I will have to try coconut flour next.

    My family loves this recipe. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Clifton, Great to read that this recipe has been a go-to in your house. I’d love to know how you make out if you try coconut flour. I have not tried it in this recipe myself but would imagine you’d only need 1/4 to 1/3 of the stated amount since coconut flour works differently than other flours. Keep me posted!

      Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Hi Joe-Ann, I don’t regularly provide nutrition stats because it isn’t an exact science and I often provide many choices within a single recipe. In this instance, for example, sodium levels can be vastly different based on which cottage cheese brand is used. I do provide a link to a user-friendly calculator on my “helpful tips” page and several commenters have left details based on their calculations.

      Reply
  7. Regina Morra

    Great high protein breakfast. I made them entirely in blender. Whirled whole oats first, then added other ingredients & vanilla. Delicious.

    Reply
  8. George Gray

    I used Almond flour in place of wheat flour and even though they came out a bit flatter, everyone loved them!

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Wonderful, George! Thanks for your feedback regarding the almond flour and so happy they were enjoyed!

      Reply
  9. David

    I tried making this recipe with almond flour, since it’s low in carbs, but it ended up looking like scrambled eggs, and tasting like poorly made french toast. If anyone there’s anyone else who tried making it with almond flour, please let me know how it turned out.

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Hi David, Perhaps others who have tried with almond flour will weigh in, but I think there are a few comments to that effect in the long list of comments that exists. Even with almond flour, I’m perplexed as to why the pancakes would resemble scrambled eggs. Did you blend the mixture or mix it by hand by chance? I’m happy to help troubleshoot!

      Reply
  10. Trudi

    These are a staple in my house! And I’ve gotten everyone at work hooked on them, too! I use coconut flour and they turn out super light and fluffy with a french toast texture 🙂

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      That’s terrific, Trudi! Thanks also for mentioning your use of coconut flour and feel free to mention the amount you use in case others would like to try. I’m guessing you use less than the amount of flour called for?

      Reply
  11. Drew

    Tried these this morning with Almond flour. I added a small avocado and a little bit of Ghee to make the batter creamier and add a some good fat. My girls loved them.

    Thanks for the recipe

    Reply
  12. Bailey

    Has anyone tried making the batter ahead of time and storing it in the fridge for a couple days? Just wondering if it will keep well so I can have it ready to go on work days. Thanks !

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Hi Bailey, Coincidently, the commenter right before you made the batter the night before and said the results were wonderful. If you extend the advance prep by more than a day or two, feel free to report back!

      Reply