These fall cottage cheese pancakes with cinnamon apple maple syrup are full of autumn flavors, fluffy and packed with some protein thanks to the added cottage cheese. The pancakes are made with simple ingredients and comes together quickly. Our family loves to make these pancakes with a little extra protein on slower weekend mornings when we can all sit as family and enjoy the fall flavors.
Cottage cheese has definitely had an epic comeback over the past few years! And I’m here for it! If you have never tried cottage cheese pancakes, take this as your sign to give it a try! The cottage cheese is blended with all the wet ingredients, so you will have no idea that it is there once the pancakes are cooked. But by adding the cottage cheese, you are turning this sweet breakfast treat into a pancake that actually provides some protein without having to add protein powder.
I am so excited for apple season! I love using apples for breakfast recipes, like my oatmeal apple bread and these cinnamon apple pancakes! For these pancakes, the cinnamon apples sauteed with maple syrup makes each bite of these cottage cheese pancakes taste a little bit like apple pie! The pancake batter itself is full of warm fall spices to boost that those autumn vibes. It makes for one seriously delicious pancake!
Why you will love this pancake recipe
Protein: I love that these pancakes feel so indulgent but are actually a heathier take on a traditional pancake recipe. The cottage cheese gives these pancakes much need protein to help round out the sugar and will help keep you from crashing later! One small pancake has roughly 13 grams of protein, which is much improved over the average 4 grams traditional pancakes have.
Easy: All the wet ingredients are blended together in the blender. So easy to toss them all in and blend. Once blended smooth, it is then added to the dry ingredients and gently mixed. That’s it! This can all be done while the apples are sautéing to perfection.
Family Friendly: My kids ask for pancakes nearly every weekend. It is a family tradition to have one nice weekend breakfast together, despite our crazy schedule. And these pancakes never disappoint in the fall months. My little ones love to get in and even help make these pancakes.
Fluffy: The goal of every pancake recipe…have fluffy and airy pancakes. And these pancakes hit the mark! The buttermilk and melted butter are really the two ingredients that help give these pancakes a perfect texture.
Tips and tricks to making these cottage cheese pancakes with cinnamon apple maple syrup
- For this recipe, I prefer to peel the apples and then dice them into small bite size pieces. If your do not want to peel the apples, it would be OK to do this. There may be some texture from the peel if you decided to go this route.
- The maple syrup gets a little runny when added to the cooked apples. This has not been a problem for me, but if you want to thicken it up, you can whisk in 2 tsp of cornstarch. To prevent clumping, whisk the cornstarch with a little bit of water in cup and then add it to the skillet with the hot skillet with apples and maple syrup.
- Be careful to not overmix your pancake batter! There will be lumps. Overmixing will actually cause denser pancakes. To keep them fluffy, mix the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
- The pancake batter is meant to be a little thick. If you want to thin it out a little bit, just add a splash more buttermilk to the batter.
- You can make either four large pancakes or 6 small pancakes! We love the larger pancakes but do what works for you!
- The pancakes will be ready to flip when the edges of the pancakes are set, and the bubbles are on top are popping. Be sure to use medium-low heat so the pancakes do not burn but still get a nice golden color.
Ingredient substitutions and variations
Wheat Flour: If you do not want to use wheat flour in this pancake recipe, you can use all-purpose flour for the entire recipe.
Honey: You can use maple syrup or granulated sugar in place of the honey.
Buttermilk: The buttermilk makes these pancakes extra fluffy and soft. If you do not have buttermilk, you can make your own by using 1 cup of regular milk and adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Mix the two together and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes before adding the blender with the rest of the ingredients.
Apples: Use your favorite apple variety in this recipe! Almost all kinds of apples will work so go with an apple you enjoy snacking on!
If you give this cottage cheese pancakes with cinnamon apple maple syrup a try, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! And please leave a recipe rating! I really appreciate your feedback!
You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!
From my kitchen to yours, happy cooking!
Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Cinnamon Apple Maple Syrup
Ingredients
Pancakes:
- 1 C. AP flour
- 1/2 C. Wheat flour
- 1 tsp. Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp. Butter melted
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 2 egg
- 3/4 C. Cottage cheese
- 1 C. Buttermilk
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. Ginger
- 1/4 tsp. Allspice
Cinnamon Apple maple syrup:
- 3-4 large apples peeled, cored and cut into bite size pieces
- 2 Tbsp. Coconut oil or butter/ghee
- 2/3 C. Maple syrup
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
Instructions
- To make the cinnamon apples, heat the butter or coconut oil a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples and cinnamon. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples stat to become tender. Add the maple syrup and reduce heat to low until ready to serve.
- While the apples are cooking, start making the batter by mixing the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Using a large blender, add the eggs, buttermilk, cottage cheese, vanilla extract, honey and melted butter into the blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended wet ingredients into the dry. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. There will be lumps.
- Heat a lightly greased skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Once hot, spoon the pancakes on to skillet, making either 4 large or 6 small pancakes. The batter is thick and might need to spread out with the back of a spoon to the round pancake shape.
- Cook until the edges are starting to cook and the bottom of the pancake is golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown.
- Remove from the skillet and top with butter if desired and drizzle apples and maple syrup over the top. Enjoy!
