A cottage cheese pancake with a souffle-like texture with a golden, buttery edge and fluffy rich insides. SO GOOD. And 15 grams of protein, too!
Single Serve Cottage Cheese Pancake
News Flash: Cottage Cheese Makes An Amazing Pancake.
Guys, this cottage cheese pancake is really something.
It’s got a souffle-like texture with a golden, buttery edge and fluffy, rich insides – and I never would have expected myself to love something like this so much (what?! cottage cheese! not again!). But whipping up one of these pancakes for myself after getting the girls off to school is just a real joy and delight in my life right now.
This is a pancake for one person, and it will need to be fried in butter, because that is the law. With just the right heat, it’s going to get this golden, crispy, extremely beautiful exterior that makes it look like a pancake you’d be getting from a bougie brunch spot in New York City. Except… it’s you. In your house. In your pajamas.
I do not make this pancake for health reasons – I just love the taste and texture. But I know many of us have protein on the radar, and this girl packs in a nice solid 15 grams of protein for us. Thank you, ma’am!
This is a fun one. I hope you love it.
Single Serve Cottage Cheese Pancake
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 1 big, wonderful pancake! 1x
Description
A cottage cheese pancake with a souffle-like texture with a golden, buttery edge and fluffy rich insides. SO GOOD. And 15 grams of protein, too!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese (4% milkfat)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 2 1/2 tablespoons gluten free all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- teeny tiny bit of salt (let’s say 1/8 teaspoon)
- 1/2 tablespoon butter for frying
- maple syrup and butter for serving
Instructions
- Make Batter: In this order, add cottage cheese, egg, flour, baking powder, and salt to a blender and blend until smooth. (I use the Beast Mini Blender – affiliate link)
- Melt Butter: Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat for a minute or so. Add the butter until melted.
- Cook Pancake: Pour pancake batter into the pan (I do enjoy one mega, buttery, super large pancake so I do this all in one, hence the single serve).
- Flip and Finish: Cook until bubbles form on top, about 1-2 minutes. Check underneath to ensure it’s nice and golden, then flip and finish for 1-2 minutes longer.
- Serve: Serve with butter and maple syrup, or whatever toppings you like!
Equipment
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Notes
This will be a souffle-like texture that will get real nice and fluffy in the pan, and then its fluffiness will start to deflate as it rests and as you eat it.
It can take a bit of playing around to get your stove temperature just right to get that perfect golden-browning, so don’t hesitate to adjust based on what you’re seeing. For me, the best temp is medium high, as directed.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: breakfast, cottage cheese, cottage cheese pancake, high protein breakfast, protein pancake
More High-Protein Breakfasts
September 5, 2025
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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Came out exactly as described! Beautiful colour and texture and that crispy edge, divine.
Yay, great to hear!
I am going to try this with soft tofu in place of the cottage cheese. I did this with a waffle recipe and it worked great. Fingers crossed!
Thanks for the recipe! Should this be mixed in a blender to get rid of the curds? Or do you just do it by hand?
Yep, in a blender!
44 carbs is a lot and with such a small amount of flour, it seems really high ! but it sounds so good I wanna try it.
Do u think almond flour will work?
Have to admit- I was a little skeptical. I love a good pancake- this recipe delivers! Soooo good and great to have the extra protein. The guidance is good to note- getting the temperature right is key. Used my immersion blender to get a nice smooth batter consistency. Will be making these on repeat!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This recipe got me through my pregnancy! I’ve been making this since you shared the first iteration of the recipe on your IG story and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made this—it’s been my #1 pregnancy craving. Truly low effort with high payoff, and it was easy way to get extra protein in when I couldn’t stomach much else.
Delicious!!! I’ve already made multiple batches, and they all came out perfectly (using GF flour!). So easy, amazing texture, and so yummy. 10/10!
Super! I made the mistake of putting everything in a small, personal blender and that did not work well with such low volume. They still turned out great, but next time I will use an immersion blender as someone suggested. Super for that 1-2 pancake craving or empty nesters like us!
This is such a simple and delicious recipe! Very quick to cook up and satisfyingly filling. Will definitely make again.
This may be my new favorite pancake recipe. The texture is amazing and the flavor is mild, giving the perfect canvas to go sweet or savory.
What would you suggest for savory toppings or fillings? I thought of the usual brekkie things or as a 🌯 wrap later in the day, but I’m always on the lookout for the unusual. For a long time I’ve wanted to try oatmeal savory (similar to the way people do grits–salt, pepper, butter, cheese), but haven’t yet.
I just made this and it really was delicious! I was worried there would be some cottage cheese tang, but the flavor is well balanced, especially topped with some peanut butter and maple syrup 😋
I’ll definitely be adding this pancake to my cozy breakfast rotation. Bonus points for how satisfying it is!
Yes, it’s kind of magical how you don’t taste the cottage cheese!
Yum!! It Turned out great! We’ll definitely keep making!! Thank you for the recipe!
This was delicious and so easy! I plan to make a bunch on the Blackstone and freeze them.
oh, fun idea!
Hi Emily,
Did you get around to making and freezing them? I thought about it but worried they deflated too much and compromise the texture once frozen. Let me know if it worked for you!
This was so yummy and filling! A hit amongst myself, my husband, 3 year old, and 1 year old! We quadrupled it, then added a little cinnamon and vanilla too. Delicious!
So great! Thanks for making the recipe.
Made these and cooked them in about five minutes. They were such a hit that we made a second, double batch. Kid and husband approved. So easy to make with just a few ingredients. My little said they were the absolute best—and we usually make pancakes with a recipe that’s like 15 ingredients long. My youngest basically made these herself and asked if she can make them by herself for morning breakfast. And we used GF flour. Perfect!!!
Does it need to be 4% cottage cheese?
for the proper texture, yes!
Wow!!! Yummy! Really loved this. Mine didnt turn out very fluffy at all but still delicious. The cottage cheese really does some kind of magic.
Long-time follower, first-time commenter! When I woke up this morning, I didn’t know I would soon get to enjoy a breakfast pancake so pillowy, so soft, so savory and delicious, that I would never want it to end. I have tried a lot of pancake recipes (a lot…I have three kids…) and this one stands out as my favorite. My only regret is that I had to share with my 10-month old 😁
I might try it with shredded cheddar and bacon next time, maybe with some chives, a là “breakfast taco”? Yummmmm
Thanks for making the recipe, Clare!
I made this this morning and it was amazing! Love the texture and the lightness of the pancake. Adding this to my repertoire for sure!! Thanks for another great easy recipe!
I’ve been making this by putting all the ingredients in a big coffee mug and then blitzing them with an immersion blender for a few seconds. I also add a splash of vanilla extract and a tiny bit of almond extract (maybe a few sprinkles) for a birthday cake pancake. It’s SUCH a great recipe.
Oh that sounds good!
Can you use something besides an egg? Either Chia seeds or flaxseeds and still have this work. Thank you.
Hi! We haven’t tested that, let us know if you try it.
This was delicious and the perfect start to my day when I wanted something yummy and filing. Don’t be fooled it is definitely a soft soufflé texture and not that of a pancake but it gives the same feel and taste. Will definitely be making again.
What size pan do you recommend?
at least a 10-inch skillet!
The texture is perfect, and the taste delicious!
Have you ever tried adding protein powder or collagen peptides? Would that change the texture too much?
We haven’t tested that!
I make this all the time ob my little food chopper! Regular or GF flour – it all works. I eat it with some fresh picked raspberries from my backyard. Thanks Lindsay!