By Made with just a few simple ingredients, these cinnamon sugar pancakes are high in protein and give cinnamon roll vibes without the effort. They freeze and reheat well so go ahead and whip up a double batch! Or enjoy right away with a Greek yogurt drizzle.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get fun new recipes from us every week!
We make pancakes at least twice a week for a high protein breakfast. It's one of the few meals we know our toddler will eat, so I've perfected healthier (and easier to make) pancakes.
I started with a base recipe for protein pancakes without protein powder and have since adapted it into various fun flavors such as this recipe and my pistachio pancakes! These cinnamon sugar ones are a crossover between cinnamon rolls and my favorite cinnamon toast bread from childhood. And with the sweet, crunchy topping, our kiddo doesn't even ask for syrup with them!
Jump to:
don't skip the sprinkle
The #1 key to that golden, caramelized crust is sprinkling the cinnamon sugar directly on the raw batter before flipping. This helps it sink in and caramelize in the hot pan. If you wait until after cooking, it won't stick the same way!
here's what you'll need
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- All-purpose flour: The structure of the pancake. Gluten-free 1:1 blends work too!
- Blended cottage cheese: Blend either with an immersion blender or in a countertop blender. For more uses, check out our list of other breakfasts that use cottage cheese!
- Baking powder: Gives the pancakes their rise and lift.
- Vanilla extract and salt: Every recipe's best hype folks!
- Maple syrup: Adds natural sweetness and helps blend the wet ingredients. Feel free to use agave. In testing, honey didn't work as well because it neutralized the baking powder, resulting in less fluffy pancakes.
- Cinnamon: The star of the show! Mixed into the batter and the topping.
- Eggs: Provide protein and help bind the batter.
- White sugar + cinnamon (topping): Creates that classic crunchy, sugary coating!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
high protein ingredient spotlight: eggs
Each large egg has about 6 grams of protein, which means this recipe has a whopping 30 grams of protein just from eggs alone! They also give the pancakes their custardy texture and golden brown finish. We love using eggs in sweet and savory recipes, from our shakshuka with beans to baked goods and more.
here's how to make cinnamon sugar protein pancakes
Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full pancake recipe!
- Heat a skillet over medium heat with a bit of butter.
- Blend cottage cheese, eggs, and maple syrup for 30 seconds until smooth.
- In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients with the blended cottage cheese mixture until combined.
- Mix the cinnamon and sugar for the topping in a separate bowl.
- Pour ⅓ cup of batter into the skillet, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar, and cook for 2 minutes per side, flipping when bubbles form.
- Repeat with the remaining batter to make about 8 pancakes. Serve with your favorite toppings!
quick recipe video
expert tips
- Sprinkle with care: Grab a handful of the cinnamon sugar and sprinkle it evenly over the pancake, as it tastes best when fully coated.
- The batter spreads out a couple more inches after you initially place it in the pan. Give it a minute to widen before thinking about adding more!
- When blending with a countertop blender, you have to add the other wet ingredients in order for the blades to catch. They won't work with just a ½ cup of cottage cheese.
troubleshooting & testing notes
Cook on medium heat
We found that if the pan is too hot, the sugar will burn before the pancake cooks. Stick to medium or medium-low heat.
Cinnamon sugar topping
We tried these with extra sugar and cinnamon in the batter instead of sprinkling it on top. However, they're much better with it sprinkled on top because the sugar caramelizes for great flavor and texture!
how to store & meal prep it
I love making a big batch of these pancakes to have leftovers because they're an easy snack to eat cold, or to heat up as one of our favorite high-protein meal-prep breakfasts. See how to store them below:
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: These freeze well! Let them cool, then store in a freezer bag with parchment between each pancake for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Toast in a skillet or toaster oven to bring back that crispy edge, or microwave for 30 seconds if you're in a rush. I also enjoy these cold!
my favorite cinnamon sugar pancake pairings
These pancakes are like an easy version of cinnamon rolls without the hours of prep and baking!
- With protein icing on top, made by mixing some milk, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup.
- Serve with eggs like a side of high-protein egg bites made with bacon and cottage cheese.
- Sip on a coffee like my protein egg coffee.
If these pancakes have you craving more cinnamon recipes, check out our easy cinnamon roll bites or protein cinnamon pancake cake, and cinnamon swirl sheet pan pancakes.
Recipe
Cinnamon Sugar Pancakes (high protein!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (1:1 gluten free works)
- ½ cup cottage cheese (plain greek yogurt works)
- 5 eggs
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup (or agave)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Topping
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over low to medium heat with a bit of butter.
- Blend ½ cup cottage cheese, 5 eggs, and 2 tablespoon maple syrup in a blender for 30 seconds.
- In a large bowl, mix the 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 pinch salt, and blended cottage cheese mixture until combined.
- In a separate bowl, prepare the cinnamon sugar topping by mixing ¼ cup white sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
- Pour about ⅓ cup of batter into the skillet. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar on top of the batter. Cook for roughly 2 minutes on each side. You'll know it's time to flip when a handful of bubbles start to appear in the batter.
- Repeat with all the batter. You should make about 8 pancakes that are 5" diameter. Enjoy with your favorite toppings!
Video
Notes
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: These freeze well! Let them cool, then store in a freezer bag with parchment between each pancake for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Toast in a skillet or toaster oven to bring back that crispy edge, or microwave for 30 seconds if you're in a rush. I also enjoy these cold!
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
I’ve made these twice now. They are absolutely amazing. I made them with dairy free Greek yogurt and gluten free flour and they were perfect. Fluffy and sweet. And I love that they have such protein.
That's fantastic to hear!!
Oh my goodness. I crave the pancakes every morning. SOOO GOOOD!! 🙂
Amazing!
Hi! What type of cottage cheese? Thxs!
I use low fat 2% but it really doesn't matter 🙂
These are a crowd pleaser! I couldn’t get them off the skillet fast enough, nobody even used syrup just the cinnamon sugar mix. I also, only added everything to the blender at once and it turned out great. I will be adding these to our repeat list.
It's the same way at our house! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
used fage lactose free greek yogurt and gluten free flour 1:1. a little thick so we added some oatmilk. made the whole thing in the blender (as another reviewer did) very good. served with berries. thank you!