These Sourdough Protein Pancakes are made with cottage cheese (no protein powder needed), and packed with flavor and 19 grams of protein per serving! They're delicious and have a bit of tang from the sourdough discard as well as the cottage cheese. Perfect for adding your favorite toppings!
If you love these protein pancakes, try my Sourdough Protein Waffles made with cottage cheese, too!
Why you'll love this recipe
- These Sourdough Protein Pancakes are packed with 19 grams of protein per serving (2 pancakes per serving).
- The extra protein in this recipe comes from cottage cheese. There is no protein powder needed!
- You could also easily modify this recipe to use Greek yogurt or sour cream if you prefer. Keep in mind the nutrition information will be different.
- This recipe uses sourdough discard, but you could also use active sourdough starter.
- Looking for other protein-packed recipes? Try these Sourdough Discard Protein Bagels made with Greek yogurt, and these Sourdough Protein Waffles made with cottage cheese.
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Ingredients
There are only a few key ingredients you'll need to bring these protein-packed pancakes together.
- Cottage cheese: Use your favorite kind of cottage cheese for this recipe (I used Lactaid Cottage Cheese for a lactose-free version).
- Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed, and can be cold, straight from the fridge, or room temperature (both work well). This recipe is designed for a sourdough starter that uses a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.
- Learn more about how to make a sourdough starter.
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream - You can easily substitute Greek yogurt or sour cream for the cottage cheese for a different flavor profile. Keep in mind that this will also alter the nutrition information for these pancakes.
- Add mix-ins - Add up to ⅓ cup of your favorite mix-ins, such as chopped nuts, chocolate chips, blueberries, and more!
- Looking for other healthy breakfast recipes? Try these Sourdough Sweet Potato Waffles and Sourdough Zucchini Waffles.
How to Make Sourdough Protein Pancakes
There are a few easy steps to bring these pancakes together. The full recipe with detailed directions is at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Mix together the wet ingredients plus the sugars.
- Step 2: Mix together the dry ingredients.
- Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until no dry spots remain. Remember, the batter will be lumpy from the cottage cheese.
- Step 4: Cook the pancakes in a skillet over medium-low heat until lightly browned on both sides. Serve immediately while warm.
Expert Baking Tips
- Consider using metric measurements! I always use metric measurements at least for the sourdough discard, flour, and cottage cheese in this recipe. This will give you much more precise measurements.
- You can toggle between "US Customary" and metric measurements in the recipe card below.
- This batter is going to be lumpy (cottage cheese!) so don't overmix trying to achieve a smooth batter.
- You will taste the tang of the cottage cheese as well as the sourdough discard in the final pancakes!
- The lumps of the cottage cheese may brown a bit more on your skillet, so don't be surprised if you see some darker spots.
- I recommend using about ⅓ cup of batter per pancake.
Storage
Refrigerator Storage: If you're planning to eat the pancakes within 1-2 days, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat the pancakes in the microwave for about 30 seconds until warmed.
Freezer Storage: Let the pancakes cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer-safe plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The pancakes will stick together, so you may want to freeze individual servings (2 pancakes per serving) in smaller ziplock bags.
To reheat, let the pancakes thaw to room temperature, then heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds until warmed.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can! Keep in mind that this will change the nutrition information for the recipe.
Yes! Check out these Sourdough Protein Waffles (made with cottage cheese) and these Sourdough Discard Protein Bagels (made with Greek yogurt).
More Healthy Sourdough Discard Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Protein Pancakes or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Protein Pancakes (with Cottage Cheese)
Equipment
- Cooling rack optional
Ingredients
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup milk non-dairy or regular dairy
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ cups cottage cheese
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until beaten. Add milk and whisk to combine. Add sugars, cottage cheese, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract, and whisk until fully incorporated. Pour in the melted butter and stir until combined.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until no dry spots remain (the batter will be lumpy from the cottage cheese).
- Grease a skillet with butter or cooking spray and heat over medium-low heat*. Pour approximately ⅓ cup of batter into the center of the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the pancake is bubbling, the edges are starting to set, and the bottom is lightly browned. Carefully flip the pancake and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate and serve (or cooling rack, for cooling).
Jessica Vogl says
These pancakes are so delicious, and I love that they pack in so much protein without using any protein powder!