Banana Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Give your breakfast a jumpstart with easy to make and delicious Banana Cottage Cheese Pancakes. Kids and adults love these pancakes! The fluffy flapjacks pack an extra boost of protein from the addition of creamy cottage cheese and eggs. Ripe bananas and a smidgen of pure maple syrup add just the right touch of sweetness to this perfect breakfast.

Besides loads of fun, a recent visit from my daughter and grandson resulted in a new high-protein breakfast option. We love regular pancakes in our house, and Protein Pancakes with Bananas are a new favorite.

I've made these fluffy cottage cheese pancakes on more than one occasion over the past month. They're that good!

My grandson gobbled them up. And so did my husband and I. These sectioned toddler and kid plates are perfect for serving the pancakes and any other meals to little ones.

We've always loved my Blueberry Bread Pudding Pancakes. And these fluffy Oat Flour Pancakes are a new fave. Now we have a new banana pancake recipe to make. Perfect for an easy breakfast on a weekday or a lazy weekend brunch.

Why you'll love this protein pancake recipe

• Easy to make ~ Like most pancake recipes, these healthy banana pancakes are easy to make. They have a few simple ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen. You only need one bowl to mix up the batter, and a griddle or nonstick pan to cook the pancakes.
• Protein-packed ~ Cottage cheese and eggs give these pancakes a punch of extra protein. In our house, they're one of our favorite filling breakfasts.
• Delicious ~ Traditional pancakes are tasty, but this version with mashed bananas, cottage cheese and maple syrup make them extra delicious. They're so good that my husband doesn't even drizzle them with extra syrup.

Ingredients & substitutions

Pantry ingredients along with a handful of fresh ingredients are included in this easy protein pancake recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for full quantities of the ingredients.

• Ripe bananas: The riper the better! You want the really speckled bananas for this recipe. If you don't have ripe bananas, scroll down to the FAQs for my tips on how to ripen them quickly.
• All purpose flour
• Cottage cheese
• Large eggs
• Salted butter
• Maple syrup
• Pure vanilla extract, baking powder, and kosher salt
• Fresh fruit ~ Top the pancakes with cut up fresh peaches, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries or plums.

Substitutions

• All purpose flour: Use a gluten free flour blend to make these pancakes gluten free. Also try white whole wheat flour or almond flour.
• Cottage cheese: I like the 4 percent milk fat cottage cheese for this recipe. But lower fat varieties can also be used in the recipe.
• Maple syrup: Granulated sugar, light brown sugar or agave nectar are also options.
• Pure vanilla extract ~ Almond extract is an alternative.

How to make banana cottage cheese pancakes

With just a few steps, these pancakes are so easy to make. This is a brief overview of the recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for full instructions.

Step 1: To a large bowl, add the peeled bananas and mash with a fork.

Step 2: To the same bowl, add all purpose flour, cottage cheese and beaten eggs.

Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients of melted butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking powder and a pinch of kosher salt.

Step 4: Stir to combine the pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Heat a griddle over medium low heat and add butter.

Step 6: Add the cottage cheese banana pancakes batter to the hot griddle. Cook pancakes for about 2-3 minutes.

Step 7: Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Step 8: Remove the pancakes from the griddle. Serve with more butter, syrup and cut up fruit.

Expert tips

• Don't overmix the batter. Gently stir the ingredients until they are just combined. They'll still be a few lumps in the batter. Overmixing develops gluten in the batter. The result is tough, heavy, and chewy pancakes.
• Preheat the griddle or pan. Preheating is essential. If this step is skipped, the pancakes soak up the butter and are greasy and heavy. Continually adjust the heat to ensure it's at the right temperature for perfectly cooked and golden brown pancakes.

Variations

Try some of these variations to make these easy banana protein pancakes extra special.

• Berries ~ Stir in some blueberries, raspberries, dried cranberries or cut up strawberries.
• Chips ~ Toss in dark, semi-sweet, milk or white chocolate chips.
• Protein ~ Mix in cooked crumbled bacon or breakfast sausage or finely diced ham.
• Toppings ~ Drizzle the pancakes with flavored syrup. Try blueberry or strawberry. Warm peanut butter or almond butter to spoon on top. Spread with a chocolate hazelnut spread such as Nutella. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Frequently asked questions

There are a couple ways to ripen bananas quickly. The fastest way is to microwave unpeeled bananas at 30 second intervals until softened. If you've got a little more time, roast the bananas in a 250 degree F oven. Place unpeeled bananas on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. The result will be softened fruit with a concentrated banana flavor.

A cast iron griddle pan, an electric griddle, a cast iron skillet or a non-stick pan are best for making perfect pancakes.

Pancakes are ready to flip when the edges look cooked and set. Also, there should be bubbles that form on the surface that pop and leave open holes. Use a thin large spatula to flip the pancakes.

Your oven can keep pancakes warm and delicious. Place cooked pancakes on a large baking sheet in a 200 degree F oven while you're cooking the rest of the batter.

You can, but you won't get great results. Reheated pancakes are usually tough and rubbery. It's best to make the batter the night before, refrigerate it, and cook the pancakes in the next day.

What to serve with pancakes

Crispy bacon, breakfast sausage links or patties and fruit salad are classic side dishes to serve with pancakes. Also try these more hearty side dish options.

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