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! Save

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! Save

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! Save

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! Save

Kathleen’s Cottage Pancakes

5 from 5 votes
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
  • 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 ⅛ 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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Recipe Rating




385 responses to “Kathleen’s Low-Carb Cottage Pancakes”

  1. Melanie Avatar
    Melanie

    Hi. Just wondering can I use almond flour instead? Trying to keep the carbs as low as possible. Thanks

    1. I haven’t used almond flour in this recipe but I believe another person commented after making the substitution at some point. My recollection is that it worked but the pancakes were flatter than usual. I hope that helps, and if you try, I’d love to know how you make out!

  2. I tried this recipe. They come out thin like a crepe. Which I love. Not thick like a normal pancake. You could easily add lemon and poppy seeds. Switch the flour for almond flour. Good flexible and quick.

    1. Hi Sally, It’s interesting that yours came out like crepes–maybe it was because the almond flour was less absorbent than regular flour–but I love that as an option. If you wanted to keep them grain-free but more like traditional pancakes, you could try using a little more almond flour. Thanks so much for your comment!

  3. I made these today and was sad when they came out very flat! I followed the recipe to a -T- and they came out flat and tasting very eggy on their own. With some butter and syrup they were delicious though! I love the small ingredient list and the protein these pancakes pack. Any ideas on why they came out so flat?

    1. Hi Lara, What kind of flour did you use? There are details above the recipe regarding options I’ve tried other than all-purpose. If those comments don’t help, let me know and we can further trouble-shoot!

  4. CJ Gardner Avatar
    CJ Gardner

    Best, lightest, most flavourfull pancakes I have ever tasted. This will be my only recipe from now on!

    1. Wonderful news! Thank you for letting me know!

  5. My daughter who loves eggs found this recipe terrific. I did too; however my other daughter who is very picky knew something was amiss. She doesn’t like eggs and could taste the eggs.

    1. I’m delighted this was a hit for 2 out of 3! It is a tougher sell for someone who doesn’t love eggs!

  6. Hello Ann, I have made your recipe a couple of times and love them. A month or so ago I came across the original recipe for ‘cottage cheese pancakes’ given to me by a friend over 40 years ago! It was nearly identical, hers used 1 c cottage cheese, 1/4 oil and a 1/4 t. vanilla. You might want to experiment with the changes and see what you think. She too used a blender for 1 minute, all at once. I still remember making a pig out of myself and I had just met the woman. Sooo, good. Thanks for sharing.

    1. That’s awesome, Leah! What a gem! I will have to try that one of these days. I’m delighted you like this version and appreciate your taking the time to pass along your variation, which certainly has stood the test of time!

  7. How many calories and carbs in a serving of these pancakes

    1. Hi Suz, I don’t typically calculate calories and carbs but do have a link to a user-friendly calculator in the Helpful Tips section. A reader did share her calculations though, so I copied them below. Hope you enjoy!

      Calories per pancake: 40 (+ or – a few depending on cottage cheese used)
      Fat: 1.7 grams
      Sodium: 39.1mg
      Carbs: 2.7
      Sugars: .28g
      Protein: 3g

      Based on approx. 20 pancakes. She used low fat (2%) cottage cheese. These values will vary, but not by much, depending on the milk fat and sodium used in the cottage cheese or the type of flour used. She mentioned that she did not add any salt because her cottage cheese was salty enough.

  8. Bridgete Phillips Avatar
    Bridgete Phillips

    My son’s doc did he needs to eat a good breakfast every morning and that is a challenge. I don’t like eating in the morning either so I understand. But a growing boy going to school has to eat! I have been trying to find recipes where I can “hide” eggs and other proteins as he does not like eggs (sigh). Decided to try these on a Sunday and not surprise him on a school day…and although I didn’t fool him with the eggs I passed them off as “French Toast Pancakes” and he actually liked them! They are eggy but there is enough flour and baking soda to give a pancake look and feel and more carby texture. But they do smell and and tast more like french toast. Also, since there is very little carbs all that protein fills you up but you don’t need a nap afterwards. My husband, who is a pancake lover, loved the taste and also loved that he didn’t feel stuffed yet satisfied after he ate them. We have both had gastric bypass so carbs really make us bloated and feel like crap. I did omit the salt since a lot of people said it made them too salty. I would love more recipes like this that are full of protein yet don’t taste like an omelette! This one is a keeper!

    1. I’m so happy these were an all-around success, Bridgete, and so appreciate the feedback. I have a good number of healthy, high-protein options in the recipe archives if you have some time to look over them..and there’s more on the way!

  9. Louise Lavictoire Avatar
    Louise Lavictoire

    I love this recipe, but I would use almond or coconut flour, this way people on a keto genic diet could have these pancakes

    1. Thanks for the suggestion, Louise. I’d love to hear how you make out if you try.

  10. Gulinda Avatar
    Gulinda

    Hey! Can I use coconut flour – and how much? Hoping you would know 😀

    Thanks

    1. Hi Gulinda, Coconut flour is not comparable to other flours as it is far more absorbent. If you wanted to experiment with this recipe, I would recommend starting with 1/4 the amount of all purpose flour. I can’t say for sure how similar the results will be since I haven’t tried. If you do try, I’d love to hear how you make out!

  11. Diane Avatar
    Diane

    Can the leftovers be frozen?!?

    1. They can be, Diane. Once cooled, they will also keep well in the fridge for up to a week.

  12. Farzana Avatar
    Farzana

    Great idea, my daughter is on low carb diet, this recipe will surely help. I’ll surprise her tonight, pancakes with savory toppings.!

    1. What a nice surprise. I hope they were a hit with the savory toppings!

  13. […] So the pancakes I made weren’t the typical kind of pancakes that my friends (and my stomach) has grown to love. These were made with cottage cheese! Recipe hither. […]

  14. Roosterhead Avatar
    Roosterhead

    I’m confused. I don’t see any actual recipe here. Just a picture an a description.

    1. I’m having a temporary glitch with the recipe card feature and hope to have it remedied quickly. I apologize for the inconvenience and will let you know when it’s fixed!

      1. All is working again 🙂

  15. Love these. 0n low carb diet these are my go to treat! Thanks

    1. You’re very welcome, Adina. Thanks for letting me know!

  16. Patti Hamilton Avatar
    Patti Hamilton

    OMG! These are fantastic! The recipe makes a big batch so Im using the extras as bread for sandwiches.

    1. That’s awesome, Patti! And I never thought of using the leftovers as bread!

  17. Eizabeth Blandon Avatar
    Eizabeth Blandon

    Delicious, ate with fresh blackberries and a bit of
    Honey on top

    1. Love these with blackberries, Elizabeth!

  18. Antonette Avatar
    Antonette

    How many carbs are in this recipe?

    1. Based on the number of servings indicated, they have about 2.5 grams of carbs per pancake.

  19. Please upload this recipe into My Fitness Pal. It is an excellent alternative when you’re trying to cut carbs.