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!
Just made these for lunch and they were so good and filling! It actually made more than 8 small ones for me so I might have been off on my measurements. Love that they are full of protein and little added sugar especially when we add maple syrup on them. Definitely will be a keeper for us!
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear! I’m glad you loved these pancakes. Thanks for trying the recipe and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I must be doing something wrong. These just stick to the pan. Help!
Hi Courtenay. I am so sorry to hear they are sticking to the pan. Are you using a non-stick pan? Spraying it well with non-stick spray? and make sure you are not cooking them on high heat, medium-low should be perfect.
These are my family’s favorite pancakes! I make them on repeat – once I was out of apples and had to use bananas and they were still great!
YUM! I am so glad you and your family are loving these pancakes, Katie. Thanks so much for sharing your review & star rating, I appreciate it!
I just made these pancakes last night for todays breakfast and enjoyed it sooo much!! They’re moist and very filling, I didn’t have any apples to dice so I omitted that. The next time I make these I’ll add that
Thank you for sharing
YUM! So glad you’re loving these pancakes, Lynda. I love that you were able to make them the night before as well, perfect for meal prepping. Thank you for your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
I love these! I’m making them for the second time this weekend. Also perfect for my 9 month old baby who is learning how to feed himself. Great fall breakfast 🙂
My preference is to cook the topping down in a pot because I like a really soft texture. Otherwise I follow the recipe as is.
YAY! I am so happy that you and your little one are loving this recipe, Samantha! Great idea to cook the topping down. I appreciate you sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
These were fast and delicious! We’ve been getting lots of apples in our CSA each week and looking for new ways to use them. The quick “baked” apples turned out great! I swapped ricotta for the cottage cheese because that’s what I had. Thank you for the recipe.
So happy to hear these pancakes were a success even with the ricotta, Sophie. Thanks so much for the review. I really appreciate it!
Delicious! I added 2 tsp of coconut sugar so they’re sweet enough for my 3 year old to take on the go without having to worry about any sticky toppings.
Yay! Happy to hear these apple pancakes were a hit, Janine. Thanks so much for the review and trying them out. I really appreciate it!
Hi. Would this recipe work for making waffles? Would I need to make any modifications? Thanks
I’ve never tried using it to make waffles but I love the idea and I think it would work just fine. Let me know if you try it!
Looks so yummy!! I’m a huge fan of oatmeal. Can I ask what you use for applesauce?
Hey Nicola – Do you mean what brand I use?
What kind of apples do you suggest?
Any types of apples will work, but I prefer Honeycrisp, Fuji or Pink Lady.
our whole family loved them, including my toddler! thank you 🙂 can’t wait to try the rest of your recipes!
YUM! I am happy to hear that you and the family are loving these pancakes, Carla. Thank you SO much for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!