These 3-ingredient cottage cheese waffles make for a great healthy high protein breakfast for the whole family! Made in the blender with cottage cheese, oats and eggs, these tasty waffles couldn’t be easier to whip together yet are loaded with 8 grams of protein to start your day off right. Perfect for weekly meal prep! {Gluten-free-friendly & vegetarian}
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3-Ingredient Cottage Cheese Waffles for Meal Prep
When it comes to breakfast, it can be easy to get stuck in a rut of eating the same things day after day. Although a healthy routine is key to a balanced lifestyle, incorporating variety is important too!
That’s why I absolutely love this recipe. You just need 3 ingredients, a blender, and a waffle iron. They’re the perfect base for sweet or savory toppings, and can even be frozen for meal prep.
Always struggling to get enough protein in the morning? These 30+ Healthy Cottage Cheese Breakfast Recipes will help you increase your protein intake!
Why These Waffles Are Dietitian-Approved
- Protein-packed: Made with eggs and cottage cheese which is rich in calcium and high in protein, this protein waffle recipe contains 8 grams of protein for one just small waffle.
- Made in the blender: For busy mornings, this waffle recipe is seriously the best! Just blend together the 3 ingredients (plus any extra desired flavoring), cook up your waffles and serve with all your favorite toppings.
- Budget-friendly: Eggs, rolled oats and cottage cheese are affordable and common ingredients. Rolled oats are shelf stable and can be used in many different recipes, while eggs and cottage cheese are great protein sources to keep on hand. No protein powder is required, which keeps the cost down too!
Pro Tip
In a hurry? Use the batter to make pancakes instead. Total game-changer!
Ingredient Notes
- Rolled oats: Rolled oats are processed less than quick oats and are blended into a fine oat flour for these waffles. They are a good source of fiber which helps you feel full for longer between meals. Use certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
- Cottage cheese: Cottage cheese is an excellent source of calcium, it’s low in saturated fat and a good source of protein. It can also help produce more moist and fluffy protein waffles. Either low-fat or full-fat cottage cheese will work!
- Eggs: To help bind the ingredients together and provide additional protein.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Using a high-powered blender, blend all of the ingredients until smooth.
- Preheat the waffle iron and spray it with cooking spray. Pour batter on heated waffle iron carefully, in an even layer. Cook until the waffle is golden and crispy on the edges.
- Remove the waffle from the iron and pour the remaining batter onto the waffle iron. Cook until lightly brown and crispy. Serve waffles immediately with your desired sweet or savory toppings.
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable waffle recipe!
Tips for the Best Protein Waffles
- For best results, be sure to blend the waffle protein mix until smooth with no lumps remaining. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender to ensure all of the ingredients are evenly combined.
- I used the Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Maker and got 2 large circular waffles or 8 smaller quarter waffles. The number of waffles this recipe makes will depend on the size of your waffle maker.
- This recipe can be made in a mini waffle maker, too. Great for kids!
Recipe FAQs
Your average traditional waffles contain around 3 grams of protein. These protein waffles have 8 grams of protein for 1 small waffle. If you have two for a serving, you can easily pack in at least 16 grams of protein.
I find that the cottage cheese and eggs add sufficient moisture to these waffles, and because no protein powder is added, the waffles don’t have that same dry chalky taste that some protein waffles have. That being said, if you’d like to add some extra moisture, you can add a source of fat like a teaspoon or so of coconut oil or canola oil to the waffle batter.
Storage Guidelines
Refrigerator: Store cooled waffles in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freezer: Allow waffles to cool to room temperature. Arrange cooled waffles on a baking tray, place in the freezer and freeze until waffles are solid, about 2 hours. Then place the waffles in a freezer-safe bag, separated by wax or parchment paper. Waffles are good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat: To reheat waffles, place them in the toaster and toast for about one minute or until heated through.
Optional Add-ins
Although these protein waffles are a great option as is, you may wish to toss in some extras for additional flavour.
Try any or a few of the following:
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Maple syrup or honey (or desired sweetener)
- Dark chocolate chips
- Blueberries
- A tablespoon of peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)
Healthy Waffle Topping Ideas
High protein waffles are the perfect base for any of a number of toppings. Whether you prefer sweet or savory breakfasts, they’re a blank slate!
- Sliced bananas and natural peanut butter or almond butter
- Fresh berries with Greek yogurt and drizzle of maple syrup
- Sliced bananas, pecans and a drizzle of caramel sauce
- Greek yogurt with honey and blueberries
- Fried egg and avocado
- Strawberry Chia Jam
Recipe Variations
- Don’t have cottage cheese? Try ricotta cheese instead.
- For extra protein: Replace a 1/4 cup of the rolled oats with 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder. You can use whey protein or plant-based protein powder. You can also use egg whites to replace the eggs.
- Make sweeter waffles: If you plan to make sweeter waffles, I recommend adding a bit of vanilla extract, cinnamon and maple syrup or other desired sweetener to the oats, cottage cheese and egg mixture to enhance the flavor.
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- Banana Protein Pancakes
- Banana Protein Muffins
- Blueberry Protein Muffins
- Banana Oatmeal Waffles
- Paleo Waffles
- Protein Pancake Mix Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
3-Ingredient Cottage Cheese Waffles {No Protein Powder}
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 4 large eggs
Optional Add-Ins
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup (or desired sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender. Blend on high until smooth and no more lumps are present.
- Preheat your waffle iron according to the box directions. Once hot, spray with cooking spray and carefully pour the batter onto the waffle iron so that it’s coated evenly. Cook the waffle until golden brown and crispy on the edges (I cooked mine for about 6 minutes on setting #2).
- Remove the waffle from the iron and pour on the remaining batter. Cook until lightly brown and crispy.
- Serve the waffles immediately with your favourite sweet or savoury toppings.
Notes
- For best results, be sure to blend the waffle protein mix until smooth with no lumps remaining. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender to ensure all of the ingredients are evenly combined.
- I used the Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Maker and got 2 large circular waffles or 8 smaller quarter waffles. The number of waffles this recipe makes will depend on the size of your waffle maker.
- If you plan to make sweeter waffles, I recommend adding a bit of vanilla extract, cinnamon and maple syrup or other desired sweetener to the oats, cottage cheese and egg mixture to enhance the flavor.
- These easy protein waffles are great to have on hand for quick breakfasts in the morning. I recommend making up a double batch for meal prep. If desired, you can make them in a mini waffle maker too!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in February 2023 and the text and formatting were updated in July 2025.
My kid just ate HALF MY MEAL PREP for the week. Good thing they are so easy and I can whip up another batch! I added cinnamon, 1.5 tablespoons of monk fruit, and vanilla bean paste. Not super sweet, but perfect for me!
When your kid eats HALF your meal prep, that’s always a good sign :) Maybe whip up a double batch next time?? Haha. Love the additions you made — I bet they were delicious!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a kind rating and review!
I have been making this recipe in my mini waffle maker every day for the past week. It keeps me full for several hours after breakfast. I don’t have any cottage cheese, so I use Greek yoghurt instead. Comes out perfectly – fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Thank you for such a great recipe!
That’s amazing that you’ve been making this recipe all week! And it’s great to know that it works out well with the Greek yogurt too. I’ll have to try that sometime :) I really appreciate the kind rating and review!
These look amazing? I just have a couple questions… is the outside crispy like a regular waffle? And could you use fat-free cottage cheese or what kind of cottage cheese do you recommend?
Yes, the outside is crispy and the inside is soft just like a normal waffle :) If you cook them for longer, they’ll be even more golden and crispy :) I typically use 1% or 2%, whatever I have on hand. I’m sure it would work just fine with fat-free as well. Hope you enjoy the waffles if you try them out!
These are delicious! I did add cinnamon and about a tablespoon of monk fruit sweetener. I got three waffles in my small waffle maker–for me, three days of yumminess. I warmed frozen blueberries for day one–super good! Next day I had unsweetened applesauce. I love regular waffles plain and these would be good that way, too. I also used a mini food processor instead of my blender and did the mixing in stages. Worked very well.
Thanks so much for the kind feedback Sue! I’m so glad the waffles worked out well for you and I love the serving ideas! Great to know they worked out in a mini food processor too. I appreciate you sharing as I’m sure it’s helpful for others :)
Is this 8grams of protein without protein powder?
Yes! There is no protein powder in these waffles, so this protein is coming from the oats, eggs and cottage cheese. Hope that helps!
But you have a note about protein powder after the recipe. I’m confused too. I assume that was meant for a different recipe?
You are totally right – I apologize for the confusion! The protein powder note was meant for another post. I deleted that part from the notes. I appreciate you bringing that to my attention!
Easy, healthy, tasty! Meets all my criteria.
Did I say tasty?? Yes, very delicious. And that’s without the optional flavorings.
Glad these waffles checked off all the boxes ;) Thanks so much for the kind review!
So good! I’ve been looking for a recipe that doesn’t require protein powder and these waffles were a hit. My toddler also loved them! Thank you. ❤️
You’re welcome Liz! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed them, including your toddler! I appreciate the kind feedback and 5-star rating!
How do these waffles stand up to freezing / reheating? Or if that’s not ideal, how long would they stay nice in the fridge for reheating?
I freeze and reheat these waffles all the time and they turn out great! Just pop them in the toaster and they’re good to go. Hope that helps!
I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve made this recipe! Although it’s technically waffle batter, I use it for pancakes. They turn out *perfectly* every time and I love that they’re packed with protein and fiber. Easiest breakfast ever!
That’s amazing! Love how you’ve been using the batter for pancakes! I definitely need to try that next time :)
Is the 8g of protein for the 1 large waffle or the smaller quarter waffle? I have a small waffle maker and I’m trying to figure out how much protein would be in each waffle. Thanks!
So sorry for the delay! It would be about 8 grams of protein for a smaller quarter waffle. Hope that helps for future reference!
Awesome recipe! I used 2% cottage cheese, added the vanilla, cinnamon and 4 packs of stevia. I also had some frozen blueberries that I thawed and added then let the batter sit for 10 minutes to thicken. I will not add any fruit to the batter next time because they don’t stick. it would be better to add fresh fruit on top. My husband loved waffles and I will definitely make them again.
Thanks so much for returning to provide this feedback and the tips about the fruit! So glad you and your husband enjoyed the waffles :)
I just tried these this morning. Just very basic but delicious. I even reheated one in the toaster as a test for leftovers. Now I have 3 more breakfasts in the fridge. Next time I will add some cinnamon or maybe pumpkin pie spice. Has anyone tried vanilla or almond extract? I just found your website and I love it.
Thanks for all the tasty looking recipes. They will fit right in with my return to WW.
So happy you enjoyed the waffles! They’re such a great make-ahead option for the week, and I love how you can play around with the flavors. I’ve tried them with both the cinnamon and vanilla extract and they’re really tasty with the extra flavor add-ins. Pumpkin spice would be a nice touch too! Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so glad you found my site and that the recipes work well for your dietary needs :)
Hello! Can substitute oats with almond flour? Which would be the measure ?
Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to test this recipe with almond flour, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. If you decide to experiment, please keep me posted! Or if you’re looking for a waffle recipe using almond flour, you could try this one instead: https://www.hauteandhealthyliving.com/paleo-waffles/
These are delicious! I’ve done them with and without cinnamon and vanilla- and they’re great either way. I add collagen powder to the mix before blending to up the benefits and protein even more. My kids love them too! An excellent way to start our day. Thank you for this recipe!
So happy you and your family have been enjoying the recipe!! Love how you added a bit of collagen to the mix too :) Thanks so much for returning to leave a rating and review!