Discover the Secret to Fluffy, Protein-Packed Keto Cottage Cheese Pancakes!

Looking for a delicious and healthy breakfast option that aligns with your keto or low-carb lifestyle? These keto cottage cheese pancakes are the answer! Packed with protein and healthy fats, they're a satisfying way to start your day without the carb overload. These pancakes are not only keto-friendly and low carb, but also gluten-free and contain no added sugar.

Why Cottage Cheese Pancakes?

Cottage cheese adds a unique creaminess and a protein boost to these pancakes. It's a great way to incorporate more protein into your breakfast, keeping you full and satisfied for longer. Plus, as long as you use cottage cheese without added sugars, it's a keto-friendly ingredient.

Are Cottage Cheese Keto-Friendly?

Yes! Cottage cheese can be a great addition to a keto diet. Cottage cheese is relatively low in carbohydrates and high in protein, which makes it a suitable choice for those following a ketogenic eating plan. It contains only a small amount of lactose, the natural sugar found in milk, making it a viable option for people looking to limit their carbohydrate intake. On average, a 100-gram (3.5-ounce) serving of cottage cheese typically contains around 3-4 grams of carbohydrates. The cottage cheese that I used in this recipe is KESO 4% fat and has just 1.7g of carbs per 100g.

The Basic Recipe: Simple and Versatile

These pancakes are incredibly easy to make, often requiring just a handful of ingredients. The base recipe typically includes:

Cottage cheese: Use plain, unflavored cottage cheese. This is the star ingredient, providing protein and a creamy texture. 1%, 2% or 4% cottage cheese will all work well.
Eggs: Eggs help give the pancake structure. Large eggs are recommended. Room temperature eggs are best so they incorporate better.
Almond flour: This recipe uses superfine blanched almond flour. Almond flour is naturally high in fats, protein, and fiber, but low in carbs. Make sure to use superfine almond flour and not regular almond flour or almond meal. When measuring almond flour, make sure to spoon the almond flour into your measuring cup and level off the cup.
Baking powder: They give these pancakes “lift” and make them fluffy when exposed to heat. Since pancake batter naturally has a mild, neutral flavor, it’s important to use aluminum-free baking powder. The metallic flavor will ruin the taste, especially in fluffy pancake recipes that call for 2 or more teaspoons.
Sweetener: Any granulated sweetener will work in this recipe. In any of my keto recipes or low carb recipes, you can always choose to use whatever sweetener you prefer. Most sugar free low carb sweeteners you can buy at your local grocery store may not have the best quality ingredients and some even actually contain sugar. Always read the ingredients listed on the package, even the ones that say stevia or monk fruit. Many people are now staying away from erythritol because of the recent studies showing it can cause problems with blood clots in certain people with health problems.
Butter: to add flavor and moisture to the batter.

Making the Batter: Two Approaches

There are two main methods for creating the pancake batter:

Read also: Cottage Cheese Keto Guide

Blender Method:

Place all the ingredients-cottage cheese, eggs, almond flour, melted butter, vanilla, and baking powder-to a blender.
Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides if needed. The blender turns the cottage cheese and the other ingredients into a smooth batter for these pancakes. Add the wet ingredients into the blender jar first and the almond flour on top. This whips the cottage cheese and eggs first and then incorporates the almond flour into the batter. The batter will be thick.

Immersion Blender Method:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and blend together using an immersion blender. If you don't have one, you can use a countertop blender or even a food processor instead.
Super easy! First, you need to place all ingredients into a bowl and blend everything together using an immersion blender, or a hand blender if you will.
Or you can whisk all the ingredients in a mixing bowl or use a stand alone blender.
Place all the ingredients in a tall container.
Using a hand blender, blend the ingredients until they are smooth.

The batter is quite thick, which is what you want when making pancakes with almond flour, so they don’t fall apart.

Cooking the Pancakes: Achieving Fluffy Perfection

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Alternatively, you can use a Dash mini pancake griddle. It's quick and makes even pancakes. I will confess that the purchase of this griddle was a mistake as I thought that I was buying the waffle maker.
Grease the preheated skillet with oil, butter, or spray. Using a non-stick surface is key with this recipe as well as greasing it. If your pancakes are sticking you can grease your skillet.
Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Smaller scoops of batter, no more than ¼ cup, work best, and since the batter is thick, I recommend you use the back of the spoon or scoop to spread it on the pan. Spread it gently using a teaspoon or a spatula.
If Using a Dash Pancake Maker: Gently spray the Dash pancake maker with cooking oil and heat according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pour enough mixture to fill the Dash maker, close the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes until the pancake is cooked and golden.
Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to set, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cook the first side for about 2 minutes and when the edges begin to look defined and they lift easily from the surface, flip the pancakes over.
Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Cook the second side for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, making sure not to press the pancakes down with the spatula.
Repeat with remaining batter.
Preheat your skillet over medium-low heat and grease it with a little bit of butter.
Measure out ¼ cup of pancake batter and pour it into the skillet.
Cook the pancakes for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Remove the pancakes from the pan and repeat with the remaining batter.

Serving Suggestions: Toppings to Elevate Your Pancakes

Once you build your stack the sky is the limit when it comes to topping your pancakes with healthy toppings! When it comes to serving keto cottage cheese pancakes, there are several delicious options to consider. Serve the pancakes hot topped with your favorite toppings.

Fresh Berries: Top your pancakes with a generous handful of fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries. Optional blueberries, raspberries or sugar free chocolate chips if desired.
Sugar-Free Syrup: Opt for a sugar-free syrup or a keto-friendly pancake syrup to drizzle over your pancakes.
Whipped Cream: Dollop some unsweetened whipped cream on top of your pancakes for an indulgent treat.
Avocado Slices: For a savory twist, serve your pancakes with slices of fresh avocado. The creamy and rich avocado pairs well with the lightness of the pancakes.

Variations and Substitutions: Make It Your Own

Coconut Flour: You can choose between almond flour or coconut flour to make these low carb pancakes. Or use both! Technically, you can make keto cottage cheese pancakes with coconut flour instead of almond flour! However, the texture and taste will be completely different. Also, you'll need much less coconut flour, as it has much higher water absorption than almond flour. For our pancakes we used a Dash mini pancake griddle. It's quick and makes even pancakes. I preferred the coconut flour as they were chunkier. But that's just a personal preference.
Cream Cheese: You can use full-fat cream cheese instead of cottage cheese. However, you might need to adjust the amount, as the fat content in cream cheese is different from cottage cheese.
Liquid Egg Whites: I haven’t tested this recipe using liquid egg whites, but it probably would work fine.

Cooking in the Oven, Microwave, or Air Fryer

The best thing about this recipe is that you have a few great options for cooking it.

Oven Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease two-8 ounce ramekins.
Divide batter between both.
Place onto a small baking sheet pan.
Bake for 25-28 minutes until center is cooked and toothpick comes out clean. I think these sweet muffins have the best texture when they have been baked in the oven as opposed to the microwave or air fryer.

Microwave Instructions

Place the cottage cheese, eggs, whey, sweetener, coconut flour and blueberries if using, in a microwavable bowl and stir together . You can also add all ingredients, except blueberries, into a blender and blend on high until combined then add optional blueberries if using.
Divide into 2 greased 8 ounce ramekins.
Microwave 1 minute then check center with toothpick.
Cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute until center is no longer wet.

Air Fryer Instructions

Preheat to 350 degrees F.
Grease two-8 ounce ramekins.
Divide batter between both.

Storage and Reheating: Making Ahead

This recipe only makes about 6 pancakes. If you have any leftover pancakes, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. They can be reheated in the microwave, on the stove or using an air fryer. If you want to freeze them, place them in a ziplock bag or air tight container. They should last up to three months in the freezer.

Read also: Delicious Cottage Cheese Dishes

A Note on Almond Flour

First, we need to understand what almond flour is. Well, it's simply finely-ground almonds - and almonds are naturally high in fats, protein, and fiber, but low in carbs.

The Importance of a Good Skillet

I recommend cooking the pancakes in a nonstick skillet. Heat a nonstick skillet to medium heat.

Nutritional Information

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Nutrition info below does not include optional blueberries. This easy keto cottage cheese pancake muffin recipe has 19 grams of protein and 5 total grams of carbs.

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