Quick Sourdough Cottage Cheese Pancakes (Protein Rich)

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These sourdough cottage cheese pancakes are hearty, flavorful, and protein-packed—thanks to cottage cheese, eggs, oats, and a full cup of sourdough starter. Made with whole wheat flour and blended for quick prep, they’re a wholesome breakfast that’s both kid-approved and satisfying for adults. Try topping them with Greek yogurt and jam for a nourishing start to the day.

Why You Should Save This Sourdough Protein Pancakes Recipe

• Quick blender prep means breakfast is on the table fast—even on busy mornings.
• Packed with protein from eggs, oats, and cottage cheese to keep you full until lunch.
• Use up your discard or starter for a boost of flavor and less food waste. You can ferment it!
• Kid-friendly and freezer-friendly—great for meal prep or feeding a crowd.

What Makes These Pancakes Special

These pancakes are a total game-changer. They’re quick and they taste amazing — better than your usual flapjacks. With the added protein from the cottage cheese, they keep you going until lunch.

I told my kids they were cottage cheese sourdough pancakes, and they looked at me sideways… until they took a bite. “Wait — these have cottage cheese in them?” they asked. Yep. All blended smooth, no lumps or weird texture — just soft, golden pancakes they devoured without a second thought.

I’ve been aiming for 30 grams of protein in the morning lately, and these sourdough protein pancakes make it easy. With oats, eggs, whole wheat, and a big helping of cottage cheese, they’re stacked with protein, but still feel like comfort food. And if you want to prep ahead, there’s even an overnight fermented option in the recipe card notes.

Ingredients for Easy Sourdough Pancakes

These pancakes are made with real, wholesome ingredients that fuel your morning without fuss.

• Whole wheat flour: Adds flavor and fiber. All-purpose works too, but I love the nutty depth of whole wheat sourdough discard pancakes.
• Baking powder: For that classic pancake rise.
• Old-fashioned oats: Blended right in for extra nutrition and texture—no one will know they’re there.
• Cottage cheese: The star protein source. Once blended, it disappears into the batter—my kids couldn’t believe these were cottage cheese pancakes.
• Sourdough starter: Use discard for a stronger tang or active starter if you’re planning to ferment the batter overnight (see recipe notes for that option).
• Eggs: For structure and added protein.
• Butter: Six tablespoons for richness and that golden pancake edge.
• Vanilla, sugar, and salt: Just enough to round out the flavor.
• Avocado oil (or neutral oil): For greasing your skillet or griddle.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Cottage Cheese Pancakes (With Process Photos)

These pancakes come together quickly with the help of a blender and a few wholesome ingredients. Here’s how I make them on busy mornings:

1. Whisk the dry ingredients

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour and baking powder until no lumps remain. Set aside.

2. Blend the wet ingredients

Add cottage cheese, sourdough starter (discard or active), oats, eggs, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt to your blender. Process on high for about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the sides halfway through.

💡 Kitchen tip: You can also prep this blended batter the night before and refrigerate it to ferment overnight. Just stir in the flour and baking powder in the morning! (See recipe card notes.)

3. Combine wet and dry

Pour the blended mixture into your flour mixture and gently whisk until just combined. The batter will be thick.

4. Preheat and grease your skillet

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a 12-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once shimmering, wipe it out gently with a paper towel, leaving a thin film.

5. Scoop and spread

Use a large cookie scoop or ¼-cup measuring cup to portion the batter into your skillet. Spread each one into a 4–5 inch round.

6. Cook and flip

Cook until the edges look set and you see small bubbles forming—about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown, another 1–2 minutes.

7. Serve warm

Serve plain or topped with butter and maple syrup—or go the extra mile with one of my protein-rich Greek yogurt toppings from the recipe card.

Toppings & Tips for Success

These pancakes are delicious with just butter and syrup—but if you want to level up the nutrition, here are a few topping combos that add extra protein and flavor.

Favorite Greek Yogurt Toppings

• Peanut Butter Maple Yogurt
  Stir together:
  1 cup plain Greek yogurt + 2 tablespoons peanut butter + 2 tablespoons maple syrup.
• Fruit & Yogurt Swirl
  Dice ½ cup of fruit (strawberries, bananas, blueberries) and reserve a few spoonfuls. Stir the rest into:
  1 cup plain Greek yogurt + 1 tablespoon maple syrup.
• Raspberry Jam Swirl
  Warm ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam and whisk until smooth. Stir 1 cup Greek yogurt in a bowl + a few drops of almond extract or vanilla. Spoon yogurt onto pancakes and drizzle with the warm jam.

Tips for Pancake Success

Need fluffier pancakes and fewer flops? These tips have saved me time—and a lot of frustration.

• Get the heat right.
  Aim for a surface temperature of 360°F to 370°F. That’s the sweet spot for golden pancakes that cook through evenly.
  👉 You can use this infrared thermometer to quickly check the surface temperature of skillet or griddle.
• Expect a weird first pancake.
  Don’t worry if your first one is too dark or oddly shaped. It’s almost a rite of passage.
  Two things that help:
  • Let the pan heat up fully before adding the batter.
  • Wipe out excess oil with a napkin or paper towel—just a thin film is all you need.
• Go easy on the oil.
  Too much oil makes for greasy pancakes. I use a bit of avocado oil or butter, then carefully wipe the pan so it’s lightly coated but not slick.
• Spread thick batter gently.
  This batter is hearty from the oats and whole wheat. Use the back of your scoop or a spoon to gently spread it into 4–5 inch rounds, about ¼–½ inch thick. This helps them cook evenly all the way through.

More Sourdough Recipes

• Quick (Blender Option) Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancakes
• Raspberry Sourdough Muffins (Fermented Overnight)
• Healthy Sourdough Breakfast Cookies
• Sourdough Banana Pancakes

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Quick Sourdough Cottage Cheese Pancakes (Protein Rich)

Alicia Pyle

Blend, pour, and cook—these protein-rich sourdough cottage cheese pancakes come together fast and keep you full all morning long. The kind of breakfast that actually holds you till lunch.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 9 5″ pancakes

Calories 253 kcal

Equipment

• Blender optional
• Large portion scoop this #16 scoop works great

Ingredients

  

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Dry Mix

• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour all-purpose works, too
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

For The Blender

• 1 and 1/2 cups cottage cheese (12 ounces)
• 1 cup sourdough starter discard (or active if fermenting)
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 4 eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted slightly cooled
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons avocado oil (or preferred vegetable oil), divided for greasing the skillet

Instructions

 

• Prep the dry and blender ingredients.

  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder until no lumps remain. In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, sourdough starter, oats, eggs, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Blend on high for about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the sides halfway through, until smooth and creamy.
• Mix the batter.

  Pour the blended mixture into the flour mixture. Whisk gently until just combined. The batter will be thick.
• Heat your skillet or griddle.

  Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet (or well-seasoned cast iron, griddle, or flattop) over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully wipe out the oil, leaving a thin film on the bottom and sides.
• Portion and cook.

  Using a large scoop #16, or a ¼-cup measuring cup, portion batter into the pan. Gently spread each scoop into a 4–5 inch round. (I often add a little extra for larger pancakes.) Cook until the edges are set and the first side is deep golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip with a thin, wide spatula and cook 1–2 minutes more until golden brown on the second side.
• Repeat and serve.

  Repeat with remaining batter, adding the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil as needed. Serve warm—plain, with butter and maple syrup, or with your favorite Greek yogurt topping. This recipe makes about 9 pancakes, each about 5 inches wide.

Notes

To keep pancakes warm while you finish cooking: Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and pop it in a 200°F oven. As each batch finishes, transfer the pancakes to the rack to stay warm and fluffy until serving.

I typically cook these pancakes on my well-seasoned cast iron skillet, but an electric griddle or non-stick skillet works great, too.

🍓 Greek Yogurt Topping Ideas (Protein Boost)

1. Peanut Butter Maple Yogurt

Whisk together:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  Dollop over warm pancakes.

2. Fruity Yogurt Topping

Dice ½ cup fresh fruit (strawberries, bananas, or blueberries), reserving 2 tablespoons.
Stir the remaining fruit + 1 tablespoon maple syrup into:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  Top pancakes with yogurt, then sprinkle reserved fruit on top.

3. Raspberry Jam Yogurt Swirl

Microwave or heat ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam until fluid (about 30 seconds), and whisk until smooth.
In a small bowl, stir:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/8 tsp almond or vanilla extract
  Spoon yogurt onto pancakes and drizzle with warm jam.

Fermented Version (Optional):
To make a fermented batter, blend all the wet ingredients (everything listed under “For the Blender”) and cover the mixture. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, whisk the flour and baking powder in a bowl, then pour in the fermented batter and whisk until just combined. Proceed with the cooking instructions as written. This version adds extra depth of flavor and improves digestibility!

*Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 10gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 470mgPotassium: 138mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 388IUCalcium: 130mgIron: 1mg

Keyword sourdough cottage cheese pancakes, sourdough discard cottage cheese pancakes, sourdough protein pancakes

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