Healthy Apple Pancakes
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These healthy apple pancakes are made in the blender with oats, cottage cheese, and egg whites for 18 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving. Topped with a warm cinnamon apple topping that makes them taste like fall in every bite.
These apple pancakes have become one of my go-to fall breakfasts, and the reason is simple: they’ve got 18 grams of protein per serving without a scoop of protein powder in sight. As a health coach I’m always on the hunt for high-protein breakfasts that actually taste good, and this one hits!
If you love these, my pumpkin protein pancakes and apple cinnamon overnight oats are two other easy fall breakfasts worth trying.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Apple Pancake Recipe
- Apple Pancake Ingredients
- Apple Pancake Substitutions
- How to Make Apple Pancakes
- Brittany’s Tips for the Best Apple Pancakes
- What to Serve With Apple Pancakes
- How to Store Apple Cottage Cheese Pancakes
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Pancake Recipes to Try
- Blender Apple Protein Pancakes with Cinnamon Apples Recipe
“The whole family enjoyed these this morning. It was so nice that everything just goes into the blender. My daughter said that these should be in a restaurant which I think means she liked them!”
Why You’ll Love This Apple Pancake Recipe
- Blender batter, minimal cleanup: Everything goes straight into the blender and you can pour the batter directly from the blender into the skillet. One less bowl to wash is always a win in my book.
- The cinnamon apple topping is everything: Two minutes in the microwave and you have a warm, syrupy apple topping that makes these taste like apple pie for breakfast. It is the step that takes this from good to really good.
- Seriously satisfying macros: One serving of 4 pancakes packs 18 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber thanks to the cottage cheese, egg whites, and oats working together. No protein powder needed and you will actually stay full until lunch.
- Perfect for meal prep: Make a double batch on Sunday and you have breakfast sorted for the whole week. They reheat beautifully in the toaster oven and honestly taste just as good on day four as they do fresh off the skillet.
Apple Pancake Ingredients
- old fashioned rolled oats – rolled oats are the base of this recipe. Once blended, the oats turn into oat flour! Oats are naturally gluten-free but are often cross-contaminated, so make sure you grab certified gluten-free if needed! I like using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Whole Grain Rolled Oats.
- egg whites – acts as a binding ingredient, keeps the pancakes light and fluffy and really amps up the protein! I usually use liquid egg whites (from a container) so I don’t have to crack eggs and waste the yolks.
- cottage cheese – another protein booster, cottage cheese also helps to keep these pancakes moist. I typically use full-fat cottage cheese, but 2% cottage cheese will also work.
- applesauce – make your own homemade applesauce or use store-bought. Just make sure it’s unsweetened if you go that route.
- apples – you’ll need about 1-2 apples for both the pancakes and the topping, peeled and finely chopped into pieces. I prefer to use Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Fuji apples, but any variety will work.
- maple syrup – this is my favorite natural sweetener. We’re using maple syrup to make the cinnamon apples and for an additional drizzle on top.
- cinnamon apple topping – this is legit the best part of this recipe (in my opinion). It’s an extra step but 100% worth it! For the cinnamon apples, I use the same quick microwave method that I use for my apple overnight oats and it works like a charm. It makes instant baked apples!
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Apple Pancake Substitutions
- Oats: If you don’t have old-fashioned rolled oats, quick oats can be used in a pinch. They’ll create a slightly different texture but still work well.
- Cottage cheese: I haven’t tried it, but Greek yogurt would probably be a good substitute for cottage cheese. Cottage cheese typically has plenty of sodium, which is why we don’t need any added salt in this recipe, so if you do use Greek yogurt you might want to add a pinch of salt!
- Eggs: The egg whites really help with keeping these pancakes light and fluffy. If you prefer, you can also use 2 full eggs in place of the egg whites.
- Make it dairy-free: I haven’t tried this, but you could try swapping the cottage cheese with a dairy-free yogurt instead.
- Make it vegan: You could try using two flaxseed eggs or chia eggs as a substitute for the egg whites as a vegan option.
How to Make Apple Pancakes
Step 1: Add all ingredients, except diced apples, into a blender and process until the mixture is relatively smooth.
Step 2: Gently fold in the diced apples to the pancake batter and begin heating a pan over medium heat.
Step 3: Place a quarter cup of batter in a hot pan and cook until little bubbles form, then flip and cook for another minute or two.
Step 4: While pancakes are cooking, prep the cinnamon apples in a bowl and microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until apples are soft.
Brittany’s Tips for the Best Apple Pancakes
- Do not over-mix the batter: Stir the ingredients just until combined, even if there are a few small lumps remaining. Over-mixing makes the batter dense and your pancakes will lose that light, fluffy texture. This is the number one mistake I see with blender pancake recipes.
- Cook low and slow: These pancakes are thicker and more protein-dense than traditional pancakes, which means they need a little more time on the heat to cook through. Keep your skillet at low to medium heat and wait until bubbles form across the entire surface before flipping.
- If your batter is too thick: This can happen depending on the brand of cottage cheese you use. Some are thicker than others. Just add a small splash of milk or water and give it a quick stir until you get a pourable consistency.
What to Serve With Apple Pancakes
These pancakes are filling enough to stand on their own, but if you are building out a full brunch spread here are my favorite things to pair them with:
- A savory egg side: The sweet and savory combo is my favorite way to do brunch. My cottage cheese scrambled eggs come together in about 10 minutes and balance the sweetness of the pancakes really well.
- Egg muffins for a crowd: If you are feeding more people, my baked egg muffins are the move. Make them ahead of time and just reheat while the pancakes are on the skillet.
- A simple fruit salad: I almost always put out a bowl of my easy fruit salad alongside pancakes. It keeps things fresh and light and Tucker and Olivia go straight for it every time.
- Apple cider mimosas: If it is a weekend brunch situation, apple cider mimosas are the perfect fall drink pairing. The apple flavor ties right into the pancakes and it feels festive without a lot of effort.
- Just maple syrup and nut butter: Honestly sometimes the best way to serve these is exactly as they are, stacked high with warm cinnamon apples, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a spoonful of almond butter on top.
How to Store Apple Cottage Cheese Pancakes
These pancakes store super well which also makes them great for meal prep! If I make these pancakes on a Sunday, I like doubling the recipe so we have leftovers for the week. Let your pancakes cool before putting them in an airtight container or ziplock bag (I like using my Stasher bags). Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
To reheat, I like to pop them in the toaster oven so they get a little crispy, but you can also reheat them in the microwave. If serving with the apples, I’ll make more cinnamon apples the morning of. I also like eating the pancakes cold, straight out of the fridge. I’m weird like that!
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! If you don’t want to microwave your apples you can cook them on the stovetop. Just add your apples, cinnamon and maple syrup to a small saucepan over low-medium heat and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the apples have softened. Make sure to stir the apples occasionally to avoid them sticking or burning to the bottom of the pan.
The most common culprit is skipping or leaving out the baking powder. Double check that it went into the blender before you blend. If your cottage cheese is very liquid-heavy, that can also affect the rise. A thicker brand of cottage cheese gives you the best results here.
I recommend making the batter fresh for the best texture since the baking powder starts activating as soon as it hits the other ingredients. That said, you can blend everything except the baking powder the night before, store it in the fridge, and stir in the baking powder right before cooking.
Greek yogurt is the closest substitute and will keep the pancakes moist and protein-rich. Just note that cottage cheese adds more sodium than Greek yogurt does, so if you make the swap, add a small pinch of salt to the batter to balance the flavor.
More Pancake Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Blender Apple Protein Pancakes with Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup egg whites
- ½ cup full-fat cottage cheese
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup diced apples
- maple syrup, for topping
Cinnamon Apples
- ½ cup diced apples
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Add oats, egg whites, cottage cheese, applesauce, baking powder and cinnamon into a blender and process until the batter is relatively smooth with a thick consistency. If the batter seems too thick, feel free to add a splash of milk or water to the batter.⅔ cup old fashioned rolled oats, ½ cup egg whites, ½ cup full-fat cottage cheese, ¼ cup applesauce, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Gently, fold in diced apples.½ cup diced apples
- Heat pan or griddle to low-medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. Once hot, scoop out about a quarter cup of batter at a time and pour onto pan. You should be able to make about 8 small pancakes. Cook until little bubbles form and the edges of the pancakes are solid enough to put a spatula underneath. Flip the pancakes and cook for one to two additional minutes.
- While pancakes are cooking, prep cinnamon apples by adding diced apples, maple syrup and cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl. Stir to combine and microwave for 30-60 seconds or until apples are soft and look similar to baked apples.½ cup diced apples, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- For serving, place four pancakes on each plate, top with warm cinnamon apples and drizzle with maple syrup and/or nut butter.maple syrup
Video
Notes
- Egg whites: You can use 2 whole eggs in place of the egg whites if needed.
- Cottage cheese: I haven’t tried it, but Greek yogurt would probably be a good substitute for the cottage cheese.
- For meal prep pancakes: Make pancakes as instructed in the recipe. You can also prep the cinnamon apples, but store those in a separate container. Let pancakes cool and place in a sealed storage container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to eat, eat cold with toppings of choice OR reheat the pancakes until warm in the microwave (should only take 30 seconds or so), in a toaster oven or on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Equipment
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
Well, we tried round one this morning. On the griddle forever, still undercooked and super flat. Come back and see if you want light and fluffy, stir ingredients until just combined. Ok. So next time, I’ll try blending the oats to make them flour, blending the cottage cheese so my husband can’t tell it’s there, and then stirring everything. No idea how you folks are just blending everything enough to break it down and still getting a pancake that looks like a pancake. I must not have the right pixie dust. lol We did like the flavor though, so we’ll try again.
Oh no! So sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t turn out for you. Did you add the baking powder? That’s strange the pancakes turned out flat. Also, what brand of cottage cheese did you use? I’m wondering if yours was super liquidy and that might have been the issue with them being undercooked.
Made these (and applesauce) to use up some apples from this fall and they were a total hit with all my kids and hubby. One batch only makes eight small pancakes so I did 4x which still easily fit in my Vitamix. They are absolutely delicious when hot and reheat beautifully, don’t taste so awesome cold so I won’t be sending them as a fun lunch for my kids. This is a blender recipe which makes it an instant win. I was keeping things easy so didn’t bother with the apple topping. Will definitely be making again.
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit with your family. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Really good. I will make this recipe again!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed these pancakes, Jodi. Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
The apple topping really raised these pancakes to 5 stars. I used two whole eggs so not sure how much that affected the nutritional values. Very moist and satisfying.
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed these pancakes. Thanks for making this recipe and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I followed the recipe exactly and my batter was very thick so thick that it was difficult to cook them all the way thru? I used egg white from a carton? Stove top at med low ? Any idea what I did wrong?
So sorry to hear that. It sounds like maybe your cottage cheese was super thick with not much added liquid. What brand did you use? Next time, you can always add a splash of milk to thin out the batter if it’s too thick! I’ll be sure to add that note to the recipe.
So delicious! Loved the apples and the great cinnamon flavor. My new favorite fall breakfast. Thank you!
Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, Mary. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I appreciate it!
Ooooh these are really good. I subbed a banana for the applesauce and used 2 whole eggs instead of egg whites but had to add a splash of oat milk to get the right consistency. The diced apples inside are a great way to use up apples that are past their prime.
Yay! So glad you liked the apple pancakes! Love the banana swap and great call adding a splash of oat milk to get the consistency right. Thanks so much for sharing your tweaks and for coming back to leave a review!