Cottage Cheese Pancakes

I love pancakes in the morning, and these protein-rich vegan cottage cheese pancakes really do it for me. If adding cottage cheese to pancakes sounds weird to you, put that aside. It makes them nice and tender with a slight tang. You just blend it up with a little lemon juice and soy milk, mix it with some vegan butter, flour, baking powder, and vanilla (oh, and a little maple syrup for sweetness), and fire up the stove.

These pancakes cook in 6 minutes (if that) and come out SO tender and fluffy. Serve ’em hot, topped with Vegan Butter and maple syrup alongside a steaming Dirty Chai Latte. Breakfast never tasted so good.

The Magic of This Cottage Cheese Pancakes Recipe, Explained

Want to know why this easy pancake recipe has become a go-to in my household?

• The lemon juice-soy milk-cottage cheese combo acts as a sort of vegan buttermilk that really helps the batter puff up in the pan, cooking into wonderfully light, fluffy, tender pancakes.
• Because of the vegan cottage cheese, these pancakes are much higher in protein (12 grams per serving) than many other options, so they’ll keep you fueled for longer.
• Keeping breakfast simple and easy is a priority for me. These pancakes only take 25 minutes to make, and all you need is a blender, a mixing bowl, and a griddle pan. That’s a win, in my book.

Notes on Ingredients

You might already have many of the ingredients for this recipe in your kitchen. Here’s a checklist (you’ll find precise measurements in the recipe card below):

• Tofu cottage cheese – You can grab some from the store or try my Homemade Tofu Cottage Cheese.
• Soy milk – Really any unsweetened vegan milk will do. You could even try making your own almond milk.
• Lemon juice – Or apple cider vinegar. The acid reacts with the soy milk to create a sort of vegan buttermilk that keeps these pancakes fluffy and tender.
• All-purpose flour – Your favourite 1:1 gluten-free flour would also be fine.
• Baking powder – To help the pancakes rise so they’re nice and fluffy.
• Sea salt – Or table salt.
• Maple syrup – You could also use agave or my homemade date syrup.
• Vanilla extract – To add some depth to the flavour profile. Vanilla paste would work well, too.
• Salted vegan butter – Store-bought or homemade vegan butter will do. If you prefer a neutral oil, such as avocado oil or refined coconut oil, that would be fine, although vegan butter will yield richer pancakes.
• Oil – To grease the pan. I’d go with avocado oil or refined coconut oil. You could use more vegan butter, but oil won’t burn as easily.

How to Make Dairy-Free Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Ready? Roll up your sleeves and grab your mixing bowl. Here’s a quick look at how to make vegan cottage cheese pancakes. Please see the recipe card below for more thorough instructions.

• Blend. Blend together the tofu cottage cheese, soy milk, and lemon juice.
• Sift. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

• Add the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, mix the maple syrup, vanilla extract, melted butter, and the contents of the blender into the dry ingredients.
• Rest. Let the batter sit for at least 5 minutes.

• Cook the pancakes. Heat a griddle pan over medium heat and brush with oil. Pour ¼ cup of batter* into the pan, and cook for 2–3 minutes per side. Repeat for the remaining batter.
• Serve. Serve pancakes hot; drizzle with maple syrup on top and your favourite toppings. See the section below titled “Topping Ideas” for inspo.

*For bigger (and fewer) pancakes, you could use 1/3-1/2 cup of the batter per pancake. You may need to cook them a smidge longer, but the pancakes will turn out just as fluffy and delicious.

Tips for Perfect Pancakes

• Weigh your ingredients. For the best results, weigh your ingredients with a food scale.
• Test the baking powder. Just mix half a teaspoon of baking powder with hot water. If it fizzes vigorously, you’re good to go. If it doesn’t, you need new baking powder (unless you want flat, dense pancakes).
• Sift the dry ingredients. I mean it! This really helps make the pancakes nice and fluffy.
• Don’t over-mix. Over-mixing can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, resulting in tough, dense pancakes. So, when mixing together the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until everything is incorporated. The batter will have some small lumps, and that’s totally fine.
• Rest the batter. Let the batter rest for at least 5 minutes. During this time, the flour will hydrate, and the baking powder will start working its magic. This will help ensure softer, fluffier pancakes.
• Room temperature ingredients. Let your wet ingredients come to room temperature before beginning. They will incorporate more smoothly and easily into the batter.
• Keep ’em hot. If you’re making a lot of pancakes, pop the cooked ones in a 200°F oven to keep them warm as you make your way through the batter.

Topping Ideas

Feel free to go wild with toppings here. There are so many great options:

• Classic. Keep things simple with a pad of Vegan Butter and some maple syrup. If maple syrup feels too run-of-the-mill, try my Date Syrup or this Pumpkin Spice Syrup.
• Fresh fruit. Top these pancakes with berries, bananas, peaches…whatever’s in season! That, along with some maple syrup and Coconut Whipped Cream or Cashew Whipped Cream, is my version of heaven.
• Fruity sauces. Kick up the sweetness a notch with a dollop of Strawberry Jam or Strawberry Cake Filling. The maple cranberry compote from my Orange Cranberry Waffles Recipe would also be amazing.
• Nut butter. I’ll sometimes smear my vegan pancakes with some homemade Peanut Butter, Pecan Butter, or Almond Butter. Store-bought nut butter would be fine, too.
• Savoury spin. These pancakes aren’t overly sweet, so you could opt to top them with Vegan Sour Cream and fresh chopped chives (maybe some Vegan Bacon Crumbles, too) if you wanted a more savoury breakfast.

Storing Leftovers

• Refrigerator: Seal any fully cooled leftover pancakes in an airtight container. They’ll keep in the fridge* for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: You could also spread the pancakes over a sheet pan, pop ’em in the freezer for a couple of hours, and then load them into a freezer bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can reheat them straight from frozen, so no need to thaw.
• To reheat: I recommend spreading your leftover pancakes over a sheet pan, covering with aluminium foil, and baking at 350°F (180°C) for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. A toaster oven would also work. You can microwave leftover cottage cheese pancakes, but they may dry out a bit.

*The pancakes will dry out a smidge in the fridge. So I much prefer freezing them.

More Vegan Pancake Recipes

In the mood for more plant-based pancake recipes? You’ve come to the right place:

• Vegan German Pancakes
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes
• Easy Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
• Sheet Pan Pancakes
• Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes (With Maple Cream Cheese!)

Enjoy friends! If you make these vegan cottage cheese pancakes, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitche on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!