I don’t eat much dairy. However, last fall I ended up buying a container of cottage cheese at the store after hearing it was loaded with protein and health benefits. Problem was, I didn’t know what the heck to do with it! But I was determined not to waste it. So, I got creative and whipped up this seasonal pancake recipe. Oh man, when I tell you it was an instant hit, I mean it. These are the best homemade pumpkin cottage cheese pancakes I could’ve asked for. And a great way use up the cottage cheese sitting in your fridge! If you love pancakes, but want a healthy spin on them, you have to give this seasonal, high protein breakfast a try!
The Best Homemade Pumpkin Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Why make your own pumpkin pancakes?
You may be wondering why I’m sharing a pumpkin pancake recipe on a blog about sustainability. Well, here’s why: Did you know over 2 billion pumpkins are grown annually for our fall needs, but most head to a landfill?
I’m here to encourage you to EAT your pumpkins! Making your own homemade pumpkin puree is one of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to use up those pumpkins. You can also compost them, as long as you didn’t use anything synthetic to decorate them (like paint, glue, glitter, etc.).
Here are even more zero waste ways to use up your pumpkins, if you’re interested.
Additionally, I believe slowing down and taking the time to cook things ourselves is a huge part of sustainable living. Making things from scratch means we get to control what exactly is in our food, and it reduces packaging waste.
I suggest using up whatever is in your pantry to make these pumpkin cottage cheese pancakes. But if you’d like to make them and need to go out and grab the ingredients, consider hitting up a refillery! You can probably nab most of the ingredients for it package-free or low waste there.
No access to one? Try opting for paper, cardboard and glass packaging whenever possible – these tend to get recycled more. As for the cottage cheese – it’ll likely be packaged in a plastic container, which is hard to avoid. Try to upcycle it with fun DIYs or using it to grow seedlings!
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup of cottage cheese
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup (+ more for serving)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of whole wheat flour (or regular/gluten-free flour works here too)
- ½ tablespoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- Any desired mix-in’s (like chocolate chips)!
Servings: This makes enough batter to split between two people EASILY. You see how high my stack was – it made the same amount for Steve! So, I’d say the batter will yield ~4 servings altogether.
Directions:
- In a large bowl mix together the eggs, pumpkin, cottage cheese, maple syrup and vanilla until combined. Then add and mix in the flour, cinnamon and baking powder.
- Fold in any mix-in’s if using (chocolate chips are my absolute favorite!)
- Warm a large skillet with butter or oil. Using a small ladle, scoop the batter (about 1/4 cup) onto the skillet. Repeat as many times as you can until the skillet is full, but no pancakes are touching. Ideally, you’ll leave about an inch or two between the pancakes.
- Cook your pancakes for about 3-5 minutes on medium/low heat on each side.
- Remove from heat and enjoy! Drizzle on maple syrup and your favorite toppings! I love a dollop of butter on my stack.
So, would you give these easy pumpkin cottage cheese pancakes a try? Let me know in the comments!
For more from-scratch baking recipes, be sure to check out my apple cinnamon muffins and homemade biscuits.
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