Martha Stewart’s cottage cheese pancakes have no butter and no egg yolks, just cottage cheese stirred into a simple batter with egg whites, milk, and vanilla. The cottage cheese melts into the pancake as it cooks, so you can’t taste it, but it keeps everything moist and adds protein without making the pancakes heavy.
My husband doesn’t like cottage cheese and he ate four of these without asking what was in them, which is when I knew this cottage cheese pancake recipe was a keeper. It comes from Martha’s Everyday Food, serves 4, and the batter takes about 5 minutes.
More Pancake Recipes:
What Makes These Different
I was surprised when I read this recipe because most pancake recipes use whole eggs and butter. Martha skips both here: the batter uses only egg whites and vegetable oil, which makes the pancakes lighter and leaner without sacrificing texture.
The cottage cheese adds protein so these fill you up longer than regular pancakes, and it keeps the inside moist even though there’s no butter. The curds mostly melt as the pancake cooks, so the texture is smooth with just a few soft spots, not lumpy like you might expect.
Martha Stewart Cottage Cheese Pancake Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese (1% fat)
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
How To Make Martha Stewart Cottage Cheese Pancakes
- Mix the dry ingredients: Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the cottage cheese, milk, egg whites, and vanilla until just combined.
- Heat the pan: Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Cook: Drop 1/4 cup of batter per pancake into the pan, fitting 2 or 3 at a time. Cook until the bottoms are set and small bubbles appear on top, about 1 minute.
- Flip: Turn the pancakes and cook until just firm in the center, 1 to 3 minutes more.
- Repeat: Continue with the remaining batter, using the rest of the oil for each batch.
Which Cottage Cheese to Use
Martha calls for low-fat 1% cottage cheese, but reviewers say full-fat works fine too. The pancakes come out slightly richer with full-fat and slightly lighter with low-fat, but the difference is small.
I’d pick small curd cottage cheese if you’re feeding someone suspicious of the ingredient because it melts into the batter more completely. Large curd leaves more visible pieces, which I actually prefer because the texture is more interesting.
What Goes on Top
I’ve eaten these without syrup and they’re good enough on their own, which is unusual for pancakes. Fresh berries or sliced fruit on top lets the subtle flavor come through, and a spoonful of almond butter with sliced banana makes them more of a meal.
For a savory breakfast, skip the toppings and serve them alongside fried eggs, bacon, or sliced avocado. They hold up well next to heavier sides because they’re lighter than most pancakes, which means no one is falling asleep at the table by 10 am.
Storing Cottage Cheese Pancakes
They keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, which is longer than most pancakes because the cottage cheese keeps them moist. Stack with parchment between each one so they don’t stick.
They freeze well too: lay them flat on a baking sheet until solid, then move to a zip-top bag and reheat in the toaster or at 350°F for 8 minutes.
Cottage Cheese Pancakes Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 190 kcal
- Protein: 11g
- Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Sugar: 5g
Estimated per serving, based on 4 servings without toppings.
Not really. The curds melt into the batter as the pancakes cook, so the texture is mostly smooth. The flavor is mild and slightly tangy, not cheesy. Most people who don’t like cottage cheese on its own enjoy these without knowing what’s in them.
You can, but the pancakes will be denser and richer. Martha uses egg whites only to keep them light and lean. If you want a richer pancake, the buttermilk recipe is a better starting point.
Martha’s cloud pancakes are a name sometimes used for these cottage cheese pancakes because the egg whites and cottage cheese make the texture unusually light and airy. Same recipe, different name.
More Breakfast Recipes:
Martha Stewart Cottage Cheese Pancakes Recipe
Description
Martha Stewart’s cottage cheese pancakes have no butter and no egg yolks, just cottage cheese stirred into a simple batter with egg whites, milk, and vanilla. The cottage cheese melts into the pancake as it cooks, so you can’t taste it, but it keeps everything moist and adds protein without making the pancakes heavy.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients: Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the cottage cheese, milk, egg whites, and vanilla until just combined.
- Heat the pan: Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Cook: Drop 1/4 cup of batter per pancake into the pan, fitting 2 or 3 at a time. Cook until the bottoms are set and small bubbles appear on top, about 1 minute.
- Flip: Turn the pancakes and cook until just firm in the center, 1 to 3 minutes more.
- Repeat: Continue with the remaining batter, using the rest of the oil for each batch.