By These cottage cheese waffles come out of the waffle iron golden, crispy, fluffy, and just begging to be eaten! Trust me, little hands can't stay away from them! They pack in 30g of protein per serving and are made with just 3 ingredients. Talk about easy!
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I've made my fair share of waffles, even sharing how to make sweet potato waffles on local TV! But we always do pancakes at home, so I decided it was high time to make a basic protein waffle version.
The edges needed to be crisp, and the method, stupid simple. What I came up with is an adaptation of my viral Kodiak pancakes, but by using a higher-fat yogurt or a bit of butter or coconut oil, you get those crispy edges and soft, fluffy interior. They say waffles are an engineer's favorite breakfast, and I'm inclined to agree (high protein breakfast that is 😏).
Jump to:
the importance of fat in waffles
After much testing, I finally realized the key to a great, bakery-style waffle is fat. This is what gets crispy on the surface of a waffle and therefore creates all those solid hollows to hold butter and syrup. You can either use a full-fat yogurt or add some butter or coconut oil to achieve this. The fat you add just needs to be solid at room temperature to work.
key ingredients & swaps
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Kodaik Power Cakes Mix: Great protein pancake mix that tastes nothing like a protein pancake when paired with cottage cheese and eggs! Of course, you can use regular pancake mix (protein will be about 20g instead of 30g).
- Cottage Cheese: Really important to use a higher-fat option here, like 4% +. If you use a lower-fat option, just add 1-2 tbsps of melted butter or coconut oil.
- Eggs: This recipe uses a lot of eggs, so some people find it too eggy - I prefer this taste and texture, and so does my toddler. If you don't reduce by 1 egg, add 3 tablespoon more cottage cheese.
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!
optional: vanilla bean paste
If you have some vanilla bean paste or almond extract, these make great additions for elevating pancake mix flavor! You can also do other mix-ins like blueberries, strawberries, bananas, nuts, or chocolate chips.
step by step: tips to nail this recipe every time
- Blend everything together for up to an entire minute or until all curds are gone.
- Let the batter rest: This allows all the flour to rehydrate fully. 2-3 minutes is fine.
- Preheat your waffle iron: This ensures your first waffles are duds. And as soon as that batter hits the iron, it starts to sizzle and cheer and get crispy! Also helps it not overflow.
- Put the batter in the middle: I do about ⅓rd cup per waffle spot and pour it right in the middle, then close the waffle lid. The lid will spread out the batter on its own - no need to do it before closing the lid.
quick recipe video
keep that lid closed!
Wait for the light to turn off before opening it. Otherwise, the batter can stick to the waffle iron and split the waffle if not cooked all the way.
what if my waffle is sticking?
This happens usually because the iron was too cold when the batter was added, the waffle wasn't completely baked through before opening the lid, or you needed to spray the iron. I like to gently lift the lid and peek to see if it looks like it's going to stick. If it is, I leave it for another minute, then use a fork to gently pry up the edges. Usually, once the edges are loose, the rest pops right out.
testing notes
I tested this with 2% and 4% cottage cheese side by side, and the difference in exterior color was noticeable - the 4% waffles browned more evenly and had better flavor. I also tested the batter with and without resting time, and the 2-minute rest produced a noticeably thicker, more waffle-appropriate batter. The version without resting was fine, but spread more on the iron.
Recipe
cottage cheese waffles (30g of protein, 3 ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Kodiak Power Cakes mix (Buttermilk or Flapjack & Waffle) (or any pancake mix, see notes for nutrition)
- ½ cup full-fat cottage cheese (4%+) (if not using full fat, add 1 tablespoon melted butter or coconut oil)
- 4 large eggs
- optional: vanilla bean paste
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 45-60 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend again briefly if any cottage cheese remains visible.
- Let the batter rest for 2-3 minutes while your waffle iron preheats to medium-high.
- Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour approximately ⅓-1/2 cup batter per waffle (amount will vary by iron size). Close and cook for 3-4 minutes, until steam from the sides slows significantly or the light turns off.
- Open the iron gently. If the waffle doesn't release easily, close and cook another 60 seconds. Remove to a wire rack and repeat with remaining batter, re-spraying the iron before each pour. A fork is helpful for prying it off the waffle iron.
- Serve immediately, or cool completely on a rack before storing.
Video
Notes
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.
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