Photo by Tom McCorkle and food styling by Lisa Cherkasky; for The Washington Post
These cottage cheese pancakes are lightly crisped outside and tender inside, with noticeable nubs of cottage cheese curds and bits of fresh fruit throughout and on top. Held together with egg and a little whole grain flour, and lightly sweetened with honey or maple syrup, they are a filling, protein-packed treat that are as healthful as they are satisfying. Vary the fruit according to what’s in season—any tender fruit will work, such as pineapple, mango, peaches, and berries.
Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Fresh Fruit
Ingredients
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour), plus more as needed
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, plus more for serving (optional)
1 cup cottage cheese, low-fat or full-fat
1 cup finely chopped fresh fruit such as pineapple or peaches, or whole blueberries
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
Directions
In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In a medium bowl whisk the eggs and honey until combined. Stir in the cottage cheese. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine. (There will be lumps from the cottage cheese.) Stir in ½ cup of the fruit. (Since some brands of cottage cheese are wetter than others, you may need to add an additional tablespoon or two of flour if the batter seems too loose.)
Heat a large non-stick griddle over a medium-high heat. Use 1 teaspoon of the butter to coat the griddle. Place a small drop of the batter onto the griddle to test it for readiness. When the drop of batter sizzles and begins to brown on the bottom, the pan is hot enough.
Use a ¼ cup measure to scoop 3 or 4 mounds of the batter onto the griddle, depending on how many your pan accommodates. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the pancake is browned on the bottom and beginning to dry on the edges, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is browned and the pancake is cooked through, 2 minutes more. Reduce the heat as needed if the pancakes are browning too quickly.
Repeat with the remaining butter and pancake batter. Serve topped with the remaining fruit and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, if desired.
Makes 4 servings
Serving size: 2 pancakes
Per serving (made with low-fat cottage cheese) Calories 214; Carbohydrates 24 g; Cholesterol 152 mg; Total Fat 7 g (Sat Fat 3 g); Fiber 3 g; Protein 14 g; Sodium 427 mg; Sugar 11 g (including 4 g added sugar)
