Cinnamon Sugar Pancakes (High Protein!)

Ingredients

• Butter (For greasing the skillet; use just enough to lightly coat the pan.)
• 1 cup All-purpose flour (A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend can be substituted.)
• 0.5 cup Cottage cheese (Plain Greek yogurt can be substituted; the source notes that low-fat 2% cottage cheese works well.)
• 5 Eggs
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 0.5 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Maple syrup (Agave syrup can be substituted.)
• 0.5 tsp Ground cinnamon (For the pancake batter.)
• Salt (1 pinch, or to taste.)
• 0.25 cup White sugar (For the cinnamon-sugar topping.)
• 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon (For the cinnamon-sugar topping.)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add a small amount of butter and allow it to melt, spreading it across the cooking surface. Keep the heat moderate because the sugar topping can burn if the pan is too hot.

2. 2

   Add the cottage cheese, eggs, and maple syrup to a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds, until the mixture is mostly smooth and uniform.

3. 3

   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.

4. 4

   Pour the blended cottage-cheese mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until combined and no obvious dry pockets remain; avoid overmixing.

5. 5

   In a separate small bowl, mix the white sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon until evenly combined.

6. 6

   Pour approximately 1/3 cup of pancake batter into the buttered skillet for each pancake, leaving space between pancakes if cooking more than one at a time.

7. 7

   Immediately sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the surface of each pancake. Cook for roughly 2 minutes, until bubbles begin appearing across the batter and the underside is set and lightly browned.

8. 8

   Flip each pancake carefully and cook the second side for about 2 minutes, until cooked through and golden. Lower the heat if the cinnamon sugar begins to darken too quickly.

9. 9

   Repeat with the remaining batter and cinnamon sugar, lightly buttering the skillet as needed. The batch should yield about eight pancakes approximately 5 inches in diameter. Serve immediately with desired toppings, such as a Greek yogurt drizzle.

Notes

The pancakes freeze and reheat well, so the recipe can be doubled. The author recommends medium or medium-low heat to prevent the cinnamon sugar from burning before the pancake cooks. A reader reported success mixing the batter by hand without blending, though the cottage cheese remains less smooth.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• pancakes
• high-protein
• family-friendly
• vegetarian
• stovetop
• quick
• freezer-friendly