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Made with ripe bananas, cottage cheese, eggs, and oats, these Banana Cottage Cheese Pancakes provide 16 grams of protein per serving without protein powder. They are naturally sweet, easy to prepare in the blender, and gluten-free when made with certified gluten-free oats.
Best of all, the pancakes do not taste like cottage cheese. Blending the batter breaks down the curds and oats, creating a smooth batter with no noticeable cottage cheese texture.
Banana Cottage Cheese Pancakes at a Glance
- Yield: 12 pancakes or 4 servings
- Texture: Blending creates a smooth batter with no noticeable cottage cheese curds.
- Nutrition & Dietary Notes: 16 grams of protein per serving and gluten-free when using certified gluten-free oats
- Flavor Profile: These pancakes taste more like lightly sweet banana-oat pancakes than cottage cheese. Blending removes the noticeable curds, while ripe banana and cinnamon provide most of the flavor.
- Why This Recipe? No protein powder or lengthy ingredient list. Just familiar ingredients and quick blender prep.
Kristen's Key Tips for Banana Cottage Cheese Pancakes
I have been making banana oat pancakes for decades, but in an effort to add more protein to my morning routine, I decided to experiment with adding cottage cheese to the batter.
After all, I already use cottage cheese to add protein to my cottage cheese smoothie and baked cottage cheese eggs. But would it work in a blended, gluten-free pancake batter?
After several rounds of testing, I landed on the right balance of oats, cottage cheese, banana, and milk for pancakes that cook through evenly while remaining tender. Here is what makes the biggest difference:
- Add liquids to the blender first. Add the milk, eggs, and cottage cheese to the blender before the oats so the blades can move freely and create a smooth batter.
- Start the blender on low speed. Starting on low speed helps pull the ingredients toward the blades rather than pushing them toward the sides. After 30 seconds or so, increase the speed to high and blend until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat. Cooking over higher heat causes the outside to cook faster than the inside, which can lead to pockets of wet batter or burnt pancakes.
- The surface of the pancakes will brown more than traditional pancakes. The ripe banana and whole grain oats cause the surface to be a deep, golden brown, rather than lightly golden. This does not mean the pancakes are overcooked.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Rolled Oats: The measurements are based on using old-fashioned oats. I tested the recipe with quick oats as well. Because the batter was slightly thinner, I needed an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons to reach the same thick, scoopable consistency. And if needed, use certified gluten-free oats.
- Cottage Cheese: Look for cottage cheese made with milk, cream, and salt, and avoid brands with added gums or stabilizers, as they can alter the texture and flavor of the pancakes. I personally love the brands Daisy and Good Culture.
- Bananas: Look for ripe bananas with brown specks, just like you would when making banana bread. Those brown spots indicate the banana is soft and sweet, which blend easily and provide enough natural sweetness to balance the tang of the cottage cheese.
- Milk: Use any fat percentage of milk you have on hand. Non-dairy milk works as well.
How to Make Banana Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Blend, cook, and enjoy! With the help of the blender, these pancakes come together quickly.
Step One: Blend Batter
Add the milk, eggs, and cottage cheese to the blender. Top with the baking powder, cinnamon, oats, and sliced bananas. Cover and blend on low speed for 30 seconds, then gradually increase to medium-high and continue blending until smooth. If the blender struggles, stop and scrape down the sides, then blend again until no visible oat flakes or cottage cheese curds remain.
The batter should be smooth and thick, but scoopable. If it seems runny, blend in 1 tablespoon of oats at a time. If it is too thick to spread, blend in milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
Step Two: Cook Pancakes
Preheat a skillet to medium heat or an electric griddle to 325°F. Once heated, lightly grease with a bit of butter or your favorite nonstick spray, then ladle out ¼ cup of the batter for each pancake. I love using an ice cream scoop with a lever as it is the perfect size and minimizes mess in the kitchen.
If needed, use a spoon to gently spread the batter out into an even circle, then cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the edges are set and small bubbles form on the surface of the pancake. Gently flip and cook 2-3 minutes longer until set. Do not be tempted to push down on the pancakes to speed up cooking, as that can make the pancakes a bit dense.
Step Three: Serve
Serve with maple syrup, fresh berries, sliced bananas, or even a smear of peanut butter (my personal favorite).
Can Cottage Cheese Pancakes Be Made in Advance?
For the best consistency, cook the pancakes shortly after blending the batter. The oats continue absorbing moisture as the batter rests, causing it to thicken.
Once cooked, the pancakes can be stored and reheated on busy mornings.
Tips for Keeping Warm & Storing
- Keep Warm for Serving: Transfer the pancakes from the skillet to a baking sheet fitted with a baking rack, cover with foil, and place them in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes. The rack keeps the bottom of the pancakes from getting soggy, while the foil will help prevent the pancakes from drying out.
- Refrigerate: Place fully cooled pancakes in an airtight container, separating layers by a piece of parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Microwave the pancakes in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel (to prevent the pancakes from drying out), and microwave for 30-45 seconds or until warmed through.
- Freeze: Flash freeze the pancakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, place on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 30 seconds, flip and continue to heat in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
More Pancake Recipes
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Banana Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk, any variety
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese, see note
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups rolled oats, see note if using quick-cook oats
- 2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and sliced into 2-inch chunks
Instructions
- In the following order, add ½ cup milk, 2 large eggs, 1 cup cottage cheese, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 cups rolled oats, and 2 medium ripe bananas (peeled and broken into large chunks) to a blender.
- Start the blender on low speed, blend for 30 seconds, then gradually increase to high speed and continue blending until the batter is completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. The batter should be thick, but scoopable. If it is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time, blending until smooth and scoopable.
- Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter or cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Once the skillet is heated, drop ¼ cup of batter onto the skillet, leaving at least 1 inch of space between pancakes. The batter should slowly spread into a circle, but if needed, gently nudge the batter into a circle.
- Cook the pancakes until the edges are set and tiny bubbles appear on surface. Flip, and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes or until set. Wipe the skillet clean and repeat with more cooking spray and the remaining batter.
- Serve as desired with berries, syrup, nut butter, or sliced banana.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Decent! Couldn’t tell they had cottage cheese. I still used a little syrup. Let’s see how they reheat tomorrow.
Hi Melissa! Happy to hear you enjoyed the pancakes.
Easy and delicious!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Christine! Seeing this was my personal reminder to make these ASAP!
A great success making them, so full of goodness, filling and delicious tasting! A lovely start to the day with blueberries, yoghurt and maple syrup!! A great recipe to use often.
Thanks Margie! I am thrilled you enjoyed so much and appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
Delicious! Not only did they taste good, but they were filling. They're delicious as is and I didn't miss syrup. Because they were full of so many good ingredients, I didn't feel sluggish after eating them like I sometimes do when I eat regular pancakes. Thanks for another great recipe!
You are so welcome! We love these for all the same reasons and I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Can I make these as sheet pan pancakes?
Hi Cherie! That is a great question. I have not personally tried, but the volume of batter is very similar to my sheet pan pancake recipe, so in theory should work. If you want to give it a try, I would suggest lining a half sheet pan with parchment paper, and baking at 400 degrees (slightly lower temp due to more delicate batter) and bake for 13-17 minutes, or until set.
Thank you!
How many pancakes are considered to be a serving? The nutritional info doesn't specify.
Thanks!
Hi Karen! Using 1/4 cup of batter per pancake as recipe directs, you should make about 12 pancakes--so 3 per serving 🙂 Enjoy!
Thanks, Kristen! They turned out great! I'm just learning how to incorporate cottage cheese into recipes and this was my first attempt. Success! 😀
YAY! Cottage cheese is amazing in so many recipes!
Very easy and tasty! - Would be really good with just fresh berries on top - no need for butter and syrup!