Carrot Cake Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Somehow, these cottage cheese pancakes taste like a cross between carrot cake and the inside of a cinnamon roll, and I’m not mad about it. They’re soft, fluffy, and protein-packed from the cottage cheese—and you already know I topped them with a thick maple cream cheese glaze because breakfast should feel a little extra sometimes.
These are great if you’re in your meal prep era, your postpartum healing era, or your I just want pancakes without a sugar crash era. Bonus: the kids love them too, especially with extra glaze.
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Recipe Tips
Make the batter thick: This helps the pancakes cook evenly and hold shape. If yours looks runny, stir in 1–2 tbsp extra flour.
Grate your carrots finely: No one wants crunchy bits in their pancakes. Use a fine grater and squeeze out any extra moisture.
Use muffin rings: Totally optional, but helpful if you want perfectly round stacks. Spray them well!
Don’t skip the glaze: It takes the whole thing from cozy to café-level indulgent.
Reheat for crisp edges: A toaster oven or skillet is best for reviving leftovers. Microwave works in a pinch, but loses that fresh-off-the-pan magic.
Ingredient Swaps: No cottage cheese? You can use Greek yogurt instead, but the pancakes will be slightly less fluffy. No maple syrup? Honey or agave works too, or you can use monkfruit sweetener in the batter and glaze. No gluten-free flour? Use regular all-purpose flour or oat flour if you prefer. Just note that the texture may vary. Want it dairy-free? Use a dairy-free cream cheese and plant-based milk for the glaze. No oil? You can omit the oil entirely or substitute applesauce for added moisture.
Storage: Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet or toaster oven for the best texture.
More Pancake Recipes to try:
Carrot Cake Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Ingredients
Pancakes:
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 4 pasture-raised eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or coconut oil, optional — can reduce or omit
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup carrots finely shredded
- Optional: 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans or 1/4 cup raisins
Cream Cheese Maple Glaze:
- 2 oz cream cheese softened or use dairy-free
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp milk of choice add more if needed to thin
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
Enable step-by-step mode- In a large bowl, combine all pancake ingredients. If you don’t like the texture of cottage cheese, blend it smooth before adding.
- Stir together until fully combined. The batter will be thick.
- Heat a nonstick or greased skillet over medium heat.
- Scoop pancake batter into the pan. If using muffin rings for shape, spray them well before filling.
- Cook each pancake for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
- While pancakes are cooking, whisk glaze ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. Add more milk to reach a drizzle-worthy consistency.
- Stack pancakes, drizzle with glaze, and top with extra chopped nuts if you’d like.
- Enjoy warm!
