These easy cottage cheese banana pancakes are soft, sweet, and tender, perfect for drizzling with maple syrup and all your favorite toppings. The whipped cottage cheese offers a light, fluffy texture that makes them totally craveable while adding a nice boost of protein. Best of all, each serving contains 24 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and whole grains without needing to fuss with protein powder. They couldn’t be easier and make the best last-minute breakfast for anyone trying to start their day with more protein! {Gluten-free & Vegetarian}
Table of Contents
Banana Cottage Cheese Pancakes
I’ve been making these 3-ingredient cottage cheese waffles for years using very similar ingredients to this pancake recipe. Although it sounds a little weird to toss oats, cottage cheese, egg whites, banana, and a few other ingredients in a blender, it seriously works.
These cottage cheese protein pancakes are even softer and sweeter than my cottage cheese waffle recipe thanks to the added moisture and natural sweetness from the bananas.
They make a great alternative to regular banana pancakes for a weekend brunch, but are nutritious (and delicious) enough to enjoy every day of the week!
Elysia’s Recipe Recap
Texture: Soft and tender with a little extra texture due to the oats
Taste: Mild, slightly nutty with a sweet banana flavor
Ease: They’re some of the easiest from-scratch pancakes you’ll ever make!
Nutritional benefits: The extra fiber and protein will help balance your blood sugar, keeping your mood and energy level stable for hours.
Would I make these again? Absolutely! I love that they have extra protein and are made with such simple ingredients. We’re eating these on repeat!
If you’re a fan of protein pancakes, you’ll also love these Banana Protein Pancakes and Chocolate Banana Protein Pancakes!
Ingredient Notes
- Rolled oats: I highly recommend using regular rolled oats, not quick oats, as they hold up to all the moisture in the cottage cheese better.
- Cottage cheese: This will be blended into the batter for additional protein, and you would never know they contained cottage cheese unless someone told you. I used 2%, but you could use a higher or lower fat percentage if desired.
- Chia seeds: Help to thicken the pancake batter slightly and add extra fiber and healthy fats. You can use white or black chia seeds.
- Egg whites: For extra protein, which also helps make the pancakes nice and tender.
- Ripe banana: Always use fully ripe bananas, ideally completely brown on the outside for the best flavor.
- Baking powder: To help raise the pancakes and make them nice and fluffy.
- Flavoring agents: Vanilla extract and cinnamon add extra flavor to the pancakes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add the rolled oats to a blender and blend on a high speed to create a fine flour consistency. Set the blended oats aside in a bowl.
- Next, add the cottage cheese, eggs, and banana to the blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the blended oats back to the blender along with the baking powder, vanilla and cinnamon. Blend until smooth, with no lumps remaining. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes or so to thicken a bit.
- Heat a large pan, skillet or griddle over medium heat and grease with cooking spray or coconut oil. Once heated, add a ladle or a couple of spoonfuls of the pancake batter.
- Cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until bubbles start to form on the surface and the edges begin to turn golden brown. Flip the pancakes carefully and cook the second side for 2-3 minutes or until cooked through. If the pancakes start to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium low. Remove from the pan and continue these steps with the remaining batter.
- Serve with banana slices, fresh berries, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy!
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Expert Tips
- To maximize the flavor and sweetness of these pancakes, I like to use an overripe banana (the brown spotty kind).
- If using an electric nonstick griddle, you may not need to use cooking spray. Do a test run and if the pancakes stick, spray the griddle before you add the batter each time.
Recipe FAQs
Although you can use a large skillet or a griddle, I find an electric griddle to be the easiest. You can cook a bunch of pancakes at once, which speeds up the cooking time, and most electric griddles are naturally nonstick. If you make a lot of pancakes, they’re a good investment.
If you’re not a huge fan of the flavor of banana, you can absolutely replace it! You can generally replace mashed banana with unsweetened applesauce or even canned pumpkin puree in any recipe. This is a nice way to change up the flavor profile throughout the year, too. You’ll never get bored!
This recipe is based on using whole rolled oats, which are blended into the batter. It would not be a good idea to blend the whole wheat flour, as this would activate the gluten and make the pancakes tough and chewy instead of light and fluffy.
Blending the oats turns them into oat flour, which can often be used as a 1:1 replacement for wheat flour in quick recipes like this. If you want to use flour, blend the wet ingredients together then whisk in the dry ingredients (replacing the oats with 1 cup of whole wheat flour) and adjust the amount of liquid, if needed.
Storage Guidelines
To refrigerate: If you have leftover pancakes or want to make enough to meal prep, it’s best to cool the pancakes, then store them in a freezer bag or airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between each one.
To reheat: Just pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute or until nice and hot. You can also pop them in the toaster oven for a few minutes.
To freeze: For longer storage, place the pancakes in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment, freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
These fluffy cottage cheese pancakes can be enjoyed just like traditional pancakes! Keep it classic and add pure maple syrup (with all your favorite breakfast sides) or change it up.
I often like to serve pancakes with a drizzle of natural nut butter, which tastes great and adds extra fats. Add some sliced banana or extra fresh fruit to make them extra delicious.
You can even serve them as “bread” with a cooked egg, cheddar cheese, and a turkey sausage patty for a sweet and savory breakfast on the go.
Recipe Variations
- Add more protein: For even more protein and a little extra sweetness, add a scoop of protein powder (I like Good Protein) to the mix. You may need to add a splash of milk to help hydrate it.
- Sprinkle some add-ins: We all have our favorite pancake add-ins, like dark chocolate chips, fresh blueberries, chopped nuts, and more.
- Try a different extract: Extracts are such an easy way to change the flavor in a recipe! Replace the vanilla with almond extract for a banana nut flavor that tastes especially delicious with maple syrup.
More Protein-Packed Breakfast Recipes
- No Banana Protein Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pie Spice Pancakes
- Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
- Cottage Cheese Banana Bread
- Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats
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Cottage Cheese Banana Pancakes with Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cups rolled oats
- 3/4 cup egg whites
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese (I used 2%)
- 1 medium overripe banana (about 1/2 cup mashed)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Olive oil spray for frying (or coconut oil or butter)
Instructions
- Add the rolled oats to a blender and blend on a high speed to create a fine flour consistency. Set the blended oats aside in a bowl.
- Next, add the egg whites, cottage cheese, banana, maple syrup, (if using), chia seeds and vanilla extract to the blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add the blended oats back to the blender along with the baking powder and cinnamon. Blend until smooth, with no lumps remaining. Allow mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken a bit.
- Heat a large pan, skillet or griddle over medium heat and grease with cooking spray or coconut oil. Once heated, add about 1/4 cup of the pancake batter for each pancake to the pan.
- Cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until bubbles start to form on the surface and the edges start to firm. Flip the pancakes carefully and cook the second side for a about 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through. If the pancakes start to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium low. Remove from the pan and continue these steps with the remaining batter.
- Serve with banana slices, fresh berries, and a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- If using an electric nonstick griddle, you may not need to use the cooking spray. Do a test run and if the pancakes stick, spray the griddle before you add the batter each time.
- To maximize flavor and sweetness of these pancakes, I like to use an overripe banana (the brown spotty kind).
- I got 10 pancakes from this recipe. The nutritional information is based on a serving size of 5 pancakes.
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