Plan my Pancake Day
Plan my Pancake Day
Easy

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Prep 10 minsCook 20 minsServes 4£0.95/servingAmerican Stack

Cottage cheese pancakes made the simple way: a tub of cottage cheese stirred into a plain flour batter, curds and all, with no blender to wash up. The curds soften in the pan into small creamy pockets, so each pancake comes out soft in the middle, golden on the outside and slightly tangy, a bit like a cross between a fluffy American pancake and a baked cheesecake. They are an everyday breakfast rather than a diet recipe, and they suit anyone who has half a tub left in the fridge. Keep the heat moderate and the pancakes small, and they turn easily.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes - american stack pancake recipe served on a plate, photographed from above

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1

    Tip the cottage cheese into a sieve set over a bowl and leave it for a few minutes while you weigh everything else. Discard any liquid that drains off.

  2. 2

    In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla together. Stir in the drained cottage cheese with a fork, breaking up only the very largest lumps.

  3. 3

    In a second bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

  4. 4

    Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold together until no dry flour is visible. The batter should be thick and lumpy, dropping slowly from a spoon. Leave it to rest for 5 minutes.

  5. 5

    Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat and add a small knob of butter. When it foams, drop in heaped tablespoons of batter, about 2 per pancake, and nudge each into a round roughly 9cm across.

  6. 6

    Cook for 3 minutes, until the edges look set and the underside is golden. Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes more, until the centre feels springy when pressed.

  7. 7

    Keep the cooked pancakes warm in a low oven while you cook the rest, adding a little more butter to the pan between batches.

  8. 8

    Serve warm, stacked three or four high, with fruit and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

Pro Tips

  • →Use full-fat cottage cheese. Low-fat versions are wetter and give a rubbery, slightly squeaky pancake.
  • →Do not blend or beat the batter smooth. The whole curds melt into soft pockets, and that texture is the point of this recipe.
  • →Cook on medium-low. These have more egg and cheese than a standard pancake, so they colour quickly and can stay raw in the centre on a high heat.
  • →Wait until the edges look set before flipping. Turning too early tears the soft batter.
  • →Rest the batter for 5 minutes before cooking so the flour can absorb some of the liquid and the batter firms up.
  • →Wipe the pan with kitchen paper between batches. Any cheese that escapes can catch and burn, and it will stick to the next pancake.

Topping Ideas

Fresh berries and a spoonful of Greek yoghurtHoney or maple syrupSliced banana and a pinch of cinnamonStewed apple or rhubarbLemon zest and a dusting of icing sugarSmoked salmon and chives (leave out the sugar and vanilla)

Learn More

Terms in this recipe

ButtermilkBaking powderHotcakeFlapjack

Defined in the Pancake Day glossary.

Questions & answers

Do I need to blend the cottage cheese?⌄
No. This recipe deliberately keeps the curds whole. They soften in the pan into small creamy pockets, which gives a pancake with more texture than a blended batter. If you prefer a completely smooth pancake, our high-protein pancakes are made in a blender and use oat flour instead of plain flour.
What do cottage cheese pancakes taste like?⌄
Mild and slightly tangy, with a soft, almost custardy centre and golden edges. They do not taste strongly of cheese. With fruit and honey on top, most people would take them for an unusually soft American pancake.
Why are my cottage cheese pancakes runny in the middle?⌄
Usually the heat is too high, so the outside browns before the curds and egg in the centre have set. Turn the heat down to medium-low, keep the pancakes about 9cm across and give them the full 3 minutes on the first side. A very wet brand of cottage cheese that was not drained can cause the same problem.
Can I use low-fat cottage cheese?⌄
You can, but full-fat gives a noticeably better pancake. Low-fat cottage cheese holds more water, so the batter is looser and the cooked pancakes can turn rubbery. If low-fat is all you have, drain it well and add an extra tablespoon of flour.
Can I make the batter the night before?⌄
It is best cooked within an hour or so. Overnight, the cottage cheese keeps releasing liquid and the baking powder loses some of its lift, so the pancakes come out flatter. You can weigh out the dry ingredients the night before and mix everything in the morning.
Can I freeze cottage cheese pancakes?⌄
Yes. Cool them completely, freeze them in a single layer on a tray, then move them to a freezer bag. Reheat from frozen in a toaster or in a dry frying pan over a low heat until hot all the way through.
Can I make them gluten-free?⌄
Swap the plain flour for a gluten-free plain flour blend and check that your baking powder is gluten-free. The batter may need a little less milk, so add it gradually.
Can I use ricotta instead of cottage cheese?⌄
Yes, though the result is smoother and richer, without the distinct curds. If you have ricotta in, our lemon ricotta pancakes are built around it and use whipped egg whites for extra height.
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