These pancakes started as a way to use up cottage cheese and ended up in the permanent rotation. The cottage cheese blends into the batter rather than sitting in lumps, and what you get is a pancake that’s noticeably fluffier and more substantial than a regular stack. The almond extract is the detail that makes them taste like something from a proper brunch place rather than a quick weekday breakfast. Cherries folded in or served on top, the whole thing on the table in 20 minutes.
If you like cooking with cottage cheese, the cottage cheese cherry balsamic salad with walnuts uses the same combination of cottage cheese and cherries in a completely different direction – good for lunch after these for breakfast.
Ingredients (Serves 2-3, makes 8 pancakes)
- 1 cup cottage cheese (full-fat or low-fat)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk (or almond milk for a lighter option)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (or oat flour for a healthier twist)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (optional, for a touch of sweetness)
- ½ cup fresh or frozen cherries, pitted and halved
- 1 tbsp butter or oil, for cooking
Optional Toppings:
- More fresh cherries
- Sliced almonds
- Greek yogurt or extra cottage cheese
- Maple syrup or honey
For another cherry recipe worth trying, the grilled chicken with cottage cheese and cherry salsa takes the same flavor combination into dinner territory.
Instructions:
- Blend Wet Ingredients: In a blender or mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and honey. Blend (or whisk) until smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add Cherries: Gently fold in the pitted cherries.
- Cook: Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter or oil. Pour ¼ cup batter per pancake onto the pan.
- Flip: Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and fluffy. Flip when bubbles start to form on the surface.
- Serve: Stack pancakes and top with extra cherries, sliced almonds, Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Tips
A few things that make a difference with these pancakes. Don’t skip blending the wet ingredients – it’s what makes the cottage cheese fully incorporate into the batter rather than leaving visible curds. Medium heat is important – too hot and the outside browns before the inside cooks through, especially with the cherries in the batter adding moisture. Let the batter rest for five minutes after mixing before cooking the first pancake. And resist the urge to press them down with the spatula after flipping – they need the height.
Estimated Nutrition Per Serving (4 pancakes)
- Calories: ~280
- Protein: ~18g
- Carbs: ~35g
- Fats: ~7g
- Fiber: ~3g
(Nutrition may vary based on ingredients used.)
FAQs
Can I use frozen cherries?
Yes – don’t thaw them first or they’ll bleed into the batter and turn everything pink. Keep them frozen until the moment you fold them in. They’ll thaw quickly in the pan and the color stays cleaner. Fresh cherries are nicer when they’re in season but frozen works perfectly well year-round.
Do I need a blender or can I just whisk?
A blender gives you the smoothest result – the cottage cheese fully emulsifies into the batter and you can’t tell it’s in there. A whisk works but you’ll have small cottage cheese curds throughout the pancakes. Taste-wise it’s the same, texture-wise slightly different. Either approach is fine – use whatever is less washing up.
Why are my pancakes coming out dense?
Usually one of three things: the batter was overmixed after the flour went in (which develops the gluten and makes them tough), the heat was too high so the outside set before the inside had time to cook, or the batter needed a few minutes to rest before cooking. Mix until just combined, cook on medium rather than high, and give the batter a five-minute rest.
How do I make these higher protein?
The cottage cheese already gives these a decent protein boost over standard pancakes – two eggs and a full cup of cottage cheese puts you at around 12 to 14 grams per serving before toppings. If you want to push it further, the easiest option is increasing the cottage cheese to 1 and a quarter cups and reducing the milk slightly to compensate for the extra moisture. Serving with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top instead of just maple syrup adds another 8 to 10 grams without changing the recipe at all. Adding a quarter cup of vanilla protein powder in place of the same amount of flour works too – whey or casein both blend in cleanly without affecting the texture noticeably.
Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes – oat flour is a direct swap and works really well here. The pancakes are slightly denser with oat flour but still fluffy and the flavor is good. Almond flour alone makes them too fragile to flip cleanly – if you want to use almond flour, use half almond and half oat flour rather than all almond.
Can I make the batter ahead?
The batter keeps in the fridge overnight and the pancakes are actually slightly better the next morning – the baking powder activates more slowly in the cold and the pancakes come out a little fluffier. Store covered in the fridge, give it a gentle stir before cooking, and don’t add the cherries until just before you cook them.
What else works instead of cherries?
Blueberries are the most natural swap and work really well with the almond extract. Raspberries are good but they break down more in the batter and can make it a bit wet – fold them in gently and cook immediately. Sliced strawberries work well as a topping rather than in the batter. Diced peaches in the batter are genuinely excellent if you have them.
For more high protein breakfast ideas, the ham and cheese breakfast strata is a good make-ahead option for weekends, and the cottage cheese egg muffins are worth bookmarking for weekday mornings.
Cherry Almond Cottage Cheese Pancakes
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Ingredients
Method
- Blend Wet Ingredients: In a blender or mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and honey. Blend (or whisk) until smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add Cherries: Gently fold in the pitted cherries.
- Cook: Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter or oil. Pour ¼ cup batter per pancake onto the pan.
- Flip: Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and fluffy. Flip when bubbles start to form on the surface.
- Serve: Stack pancakes and top with extra cherries, sliced almonds, Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Nutrition
Notes
Add Protein Powder – Replace ¼ cup of the flour with ¼ cup vanilla or unflavored protein powder to pack in extra protein without affecting texture. Whey, casein, or plant-based protein works well.
Use Egg Whites – Swap 1 whole egg for 2 egg whites to keep the pancakes light while increasing protein.
Swap Flour for Almond Flour + Oat Flour – Instead of standard flour, use ½ cup oat flour + ¼ cup almond flour, which naturally contain more protein.
Use Greek Yogurt Instead of Some Milk – Substituting ¼ cup Greek yogurt for part of the milk makes the pancakes richer in protein.
Toppings for Extra Protein – Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, peanut butter, or crushed almonds instead of syrup.
💪 Protein Boost Example: Swapping flour for protein powder & oat flour, increasing cottage cheese, and using Greek yogurt could bring the protein count to 25g+ per serving!
