Low Calorie Pancakes Recipe 🥞 {High Protein and only 3 Ingredients}
Just three essential ingredients for these low calorie pancakes! Oats, cottage cheese and egg whites, making these pancakes high in protein, low in fat, zero ww personal points, and the perfect diet food!
Jump to RecipeThis low calorie pancakes recipe is another Body For Life diet classic. Some people call them cottage cheese pancakes. There are really only three ingredients. Oats, egg whites, and cottage cheese.
The egg whites and cottage cheese keep the calories low, but the protein high! Then, to make them like pancakes, we add oats!
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Weight loss happens when you practice portion control and limit calories. (read here how portion control is correlated to weight loss).
There are a few ways to be happy and satisfied on a low calorie diet.
- First is to eat DELICIOUS and filling food.
- The second is to eat high volume, low calorie foods.
These pancakes tackle both of those. First, they are low in calories, so you can eat MANY. But also, they are a great source of protein and carbs, making them filling and satisfying as well.
How many calories per low calorie pancake?
Each pancake in this recipe for low calorie pancakes is only 45 calories. They have equal amounts of protein and carbs, at 5 grams each. You seriously, can’t go wrong with those kind of macros! Am I right?? Plus, if you are on the new Weight Watches Personal Points plan, these pancakes have ZERO points!
Sweet but still sugar free pancakes!
If you like your pancakes a little sweeter, one trick to keeping these still low in calories is the sweetener you decide to use.
Honestly, I normally would just use small amounts of regular sugar, but this Monk Fruit Sweetener happened to be out for sampling at Costco yesterday. It’s zero calories and the sample was just a simple strawberry dipped in the sugar.
It tasted great, and normally I HATE sugar substitutes. But, this tasted like regular sugar, so I went ahead and bought it.
Ingredients in these low calorie pancakes
There’s only three essential ingredients for these pancakes. They are equal parts:
- Cottage cheese
- Oats
- and egg whites
Everything else gives it either variety or more sweetness. But, I’ve made them PLENTY of times, with just the cottage cheese, oats and egg whites.
The recipe is simple after that. Blend all ingredients in a blender and pour 1/4 cup portions onto a skillet. I was able to get 10-12 pancakes out of this recipe using a 1/4 cup measuring cup.
If you get fewer pancakes due to different ingredients, not using all the batter, or overfilling the 1/4 cup, readjust the calories for each pancake accordingly. Many people only get 10 pancakes, and then your calories would be 56 per pancake.
Finally, one more low calorie product- the Walden farms pancake syrup is also zero calories!
Low Calorie Pancakes – High Protein and Only 3 Ingredients
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats dry, rolled oats
- 1 cup egg whites Or 6 egg whites
- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese
Optional
- 1/4 tsp vanilla optional
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon optional
- 2 tsp Monkfruit Sweetener optional
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a blender.
- Pour batter by 1/4 cup at a time onto a skillet and cook pancakes both sides until done.
- Add berries and low calorie syrup like Walden farms to the top.
Video
Notes
- 45 calories, 5 grams protein, 5 grams carbs, 0 Personal Points
- Get your Personal WW Points for this recipe here
- Interested in trying weight watchers, click here.
I love these pancakes but struggling with the calorie calculation. . . 1 cup of oats is 307c, 1 cup egg whites is 134c, 1 cup lowfat cottage cheese is 161c (non fat is only 20c difference). This equals 602c for the batch instead of 450 which is significant, just wondering if I’m calculating wrong? They are delicious though! I made them into small “cookies” for portability and an easy treat.
so, while my liquid egg whites are 100 calories for a cup, the difference is in the number of pancakes I got! I’m pretty sure when I wrote this recipe, I actually got 15-18 pancakes. Then, I had enough people complain that they could only get 10. And when I changed the yield to 10, I didn’t update the “45 calories” because I had pins out there on pinterest saying it was 45 calories.. I just need to make again to see if I can get 15 pancakes out of it!
Hey Amy!
I made a triple batch of these to use up the whole container of cottage cheese, and now I’m not sure how much is one serving is. Could you please help me out? These are so good. Thanks for the recipe! 😊
Did you count how many pancakes you got total, or do you just want to know how many total calories are in three batches?
Glad you like them!
Hey Amy! I am a fan of this recipe but the last few times I made them I could not get them to hold together. Any ideas on what I may be doing wrong? They are even impossible to flip. Thanks! Love your blog!
I had the same problem.
Thanks for another great recipe! I have made these several times and everyone in my family loves them!! After you got me thinking about healthy pancakes, I also tried making them with plain Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese (with a little more oats, a little less egg white, and 1/2 tsp of baking powder) and they turned out awesome that way too! Definitely worth trying – thanks again!
Thanks for sharing Holly!! I keep thinking of variations on this too, and going to try some this week!
Honestly, I was super scared of the pancakes tasting terrible so I added the optional Vanilla, Cinnamon, and my Sweet’n Low 0 Calorie Liquid Sweetener.
And OH MY LORD.
These pancakes are so darn delicious!
When I had my husband try them, he said he preferred them MORE than Original Pancakes!
I will be making these every chance I get now!
Thank you so much for sharing such wisdom lol.
That’s amazing!! So glad you shared this with me Janna!
Can i use greek yoghurt instead of cottage cheese? recipe looks amazing btw thnks!
Yes! I’ve done it and it works great!
OMG!!! Sooooo good…
Hmmm when entering in my fitness pal for 10, I got 59 calories, 6.6 protein and 6.8 carbs….higher that it should be…
can you share a MFP screenshot of the ingredients you chose?I can usually tell where I have different numbers, as I still have the record.
I too got 59 calories
I use Nancy’s low fat cottage cheese which is 160 cal per cup
thanks for sharing!
OMG!!! Sooooo good… thank you so much for sharing. I couldn’t believe how good it turned out. Awesome recipe!!
Thank you so much!! So glad you liked the pancakes!
Delish, so simple, and a wonderful neutral background for a sweet or savory supper.
Glad you like the pancakes Barbara!
I was skeptical. These are outstanding. I made these today for the second time, halving the recipe. I added a bit of baking powder which gave them a bit more fluffiness than the first batch I made. Ate them with maple syrup and butter. Truly excellent.
So glad Susan!! They are definitely a family favorite here!
These are THE BEST! I also add berries, banana, sugar free maple syrup and drizzle “healthy” chocolate over the top.
AMAZING! Thank you for the recipe
I love it!! Thanks for sharing Kate!
These pancakes are amazing! Not only do they taste great, have great texture, but you can tell you are eating something with nutritional value, which I always find lacking when I eat ‘normal’ pancakes.
Last but not least- they are so easy to make. I heated up the pan while I was mixing up the pancakes.
Thank you for these!!!
Thank you Gina! So glad you tried them!
These pancakes look delicious! Just wondering if you have ever added any of the sugar free pistachio pudding powder to these cakes (like in your pistachio pancake recipe)? If so how much do you recommend adding? I’m going to try the recipe as written tomorrow for breakfast!
Oh my gosh!! That is brilliant. I have no idea why I haven’t thought about trying that. I will definitely be trying it. I can only imagine it will turn out great!
made it wrong but it was good I lost weight
So delicious and easy to make. They turned out wonderful. I will make them again.
These are so delicious!
So glad to find this recipe. I pretty much avoid pancakes if they are just flour, eggs and milk, that’s why this recipe caught my eye with the rolled oats and cottage cheese, that’s a game-changer for me.
Those cottage cheese pancakes are looking so delicious! Have to make them soon! Thanks for sharing!
I never thought of using cottage cheese in pancakes! So delicious & great way to keep pancakes low calorie!
These look just delicious! I can’t wait to top them with some berries.
Always looking to cut calories! These are perfect!
These were great! The oats made them so hearty, and I love the dash of cinnamon with vanilla. Delicious!
I love pancakes but they are usually a diet killer. Need to give these a try!
So light and fluffy. I absolutely loved these pancakes.
So simple and healthy! My husband loved them!
These pancakes are such a delicious way to start the day!
I love this recipe as a base! Next time I’ll try using some baking powder to make them fluffier. I used my 0 sugar vanilla syrup to sweeten them and apple pie spice and extra cinnamon for flavor. So good a made enough to share and freeze.
Oh my gosh!! That’s brilliant!!
I have so many flavors of sugar free syrup!
The possibilities are endless!
I’m trying this tomorrow!
How many pancakes are allowed per serving? I know it makes 8-10 per recipie.
Hi Shannon – Sorry I’m late to responding!! If you just want 45 calories, only eat one.I’ve eaten the whole batch before, and it’s 450 calories! Which really isn’t too bad for a breakfast.
Love the calories of this pancake!!
Can I use greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese?
That’s a great question Krystal! I haven’t done it, but I could totally try it next time I make pancakes!
If you try it first, let me know!
These are remarkable pancakes. I’ve tried low cal pancake recipes before, but mostly with banana substitute, that just don’t quite make the cut. These, on the other hand, are so simply surprising that they are damn near a perfect alternative to traditional pancakes. Add some fresh fruit and low cal syrup and “BANG”!
Thanks for sharing! Glad you like them!
Hi. Can you please help me the calorie count for these? From what I know: an egg white has 17 calories, a 1/2 cup of dry oats is 150 calories, and 1/2 cup of FF cottage cheese is 80 calories. So… 6 egg whites = 102 calories (17*6), 1 cup of oats = 300 calories, 1 cup FF cottage cheese = 160 calories. So… 102 + 300 + 160 = 562. If the recipe makes 10 pancakes, 562 / 10 = 56.2 calories per pancake. The recipe states 45 each. Please help me where I’m not calculating properly. Thanks.
You are right! It’s because when I made the graphics for this recipe, I had 12 pancakes, not 10. And I actually still get 12, but changed it to 10 after so many people only got 10. I must under fill my measuring cup!
Or, I could change it to 1/8 cup batter. The batter is SO runny, that you don’t need much.
Is there a substitute for the cottage cheese I can use instead? 🙂
You could use ricotta cheese.
Do you think I use mashed banana instead of cheese to make this dairy free?
Absolutely! That’s these pancakes here
https://healthbeet.org/banana-oat-protein-pancakes/
Been struggling with my cravings for pancakes in a calorie deficit and discovering this was just HEAVENLY for me. Thanks!
Yeah!! I’m so glad. These pancakes really are terrific!
I made them – tasty, nice and great substitute for craving a sweeter breakfast. Topped with Greek yogurt and cookies and cream protein powder👍 . Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Thanks for letting me know you like them Galina!!
Topping it with the cookies and cream + yogurt would be AMAZING!
These pancakes were outstanding I didn’t even think they can possibly be so amazing!!!! I added 1 TBSP of honey and some cinnamon and vanilla! it was amazing
So glad you liked them Bella~!
Thank you so much Bella!!!
These look great! I’m always looking for healthy protein filled breakfasts for my daycare kids! Can you tell me what kind of countertop hot plate you are using to make the pancakes? I do my daycare in the basement where there isn’t a stove and it would be great to make them fresh rather than before kids arrive.
Hi KIm!It’s actually just this one fromWalmart. Super cheap! https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Single-Burner-with-Adjustable-Temperature-Control/812501747?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=2307&adid=22222222227900583474&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=463488201073&wl4=pla-653175837017&wl5=9029705&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=812501747&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjZj8qraR7AIViYbACh118wwpEAQYBSABEgKew_D_BwE
Also, check out this post where I made them into mini-s for a group of kidshttps://healthbeet.org/lds-yw-activity-idea-for-nutrition/
I made a recipe and a half as other reviews stated you don’t quite get the stated amount (true). I also used whole eggs.Pancakes were a little dense so I added a teaspoon of baking powder and after I blended them I added blueberries (at my sons request). Wonderful! Will be making again.
How may pancakes did it make for you?
Hi,
I’m hoping to make these later as a dessert, but just wanted to make 2 pancakes – do you have any recommendations on how to adjust the recipe?
Thanks
Yes! All three main ingredients: Cottage cheese, oats, and egg whites are in equal amounts. So, you could do 1/3 cup of each, or 1/2 cup of each. Any amount. The cinnamon, sweetener and vanilla are extra and not necessary. I make them ALL the time with only the first three ingredients.
Hii! I have one question. The cup measure you use is 1/4??
These pancakes look delicious and I need to make them!! Thank you.
Yes, just under 1/4 cup actually. The last time I measured it, to get 12 pancakes from this recipe (and for the calories to be 45 per pancake), I had to use just under 1/4 measuring cup. Realistically, if the measuring cup is full to the 1/4 cup mark, you’ll probably only get 10 pancakes and the calories will be slightly higher.
Let me know how many pancakes this recipe makes for you Ines!
Hi! I have one question. The cup measure you use is 1/4??
These pancakes look delicious and I need to make them!! Thank you.
Wow delicious!!
These pancakes are so yummy! I couldn’t make them fast enough. My two and four year old loved them. These pancakes taste like cake ?? they were a hit! I also had enough left for the kids lunch tomorrow. ????????
These were fast & easy to make. Delicious, even my 8 year old loved them. Not a big deal but I only got 6 pancakes out of the batter & I followed the instructions to a T.
Thanks Monica! I’ve been meaning to go back and measure. You used 1/4 measuring cup?
Thanks for the feedback Monica! Did you use 1/4 cup for each pancake?
I got 6 pancakes and I followed the Instructions too. How many calories would it be for 3 panckakes since I only got 6 panckakes total?
If you get 6 pancakes out of this recipe, each pancake would be 75 calories!
I haven’tried that Lizbeth. It probably would work, but it might take awhile to get thick.
Can I use 3 whole eggs instead of 6 egg whites?Do I still get 12-13 pancakes??
I think you would, but the calories would be higher of course.
I am glad that I found this article well documented and very informative.
Thank you and keep going, you do a great job!!
Would this recipie work with buckwheat flour? 🙂
Yes! As long as it’s blended well, it should act a lot like oat flour! Let me know how it turns out !!
Loved the pancakes! Such a healthy way to eat something delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Question! I followed this recipe to the T and only got 6 pancakes out of it?
Agh!! Sorry if you are getting notified with all my replies and deletes. I’ll make it today and measure. I’m pretty sure now I did get 12-13 pancakes with a full cup of cottage cheese, a full cup of egg whites, an a full cup of oats.
I don’t know why! I think I had more calories than I expected though….came out to like 208 instead of 45 each…..:(
Hey Kerry! I’d love more details. Did you blend till the pancake batter was runny? Did you measure by 1/4 cup each, and did you use fat free or low fat cottage cheese and liquid egg whites?
Great low cal/healthy recipe; thank you. I halved the recipe and my calorie app gave me a total of 226 (4 pancakes). I buzzed the oats, first, and then added the other ingredients. I used vanilla liquid stevia and added a pinch of salt (need for salt likely depends on the cottage cheese). Thanks to you I was able to indulge in this healthy, calorie compliant breakfast!
Thank you for the feedback Roberta! Glad you like it!!
I have never used cottage cheese in pancakes. These look so great for a new healthier version!
I’ve never made pancakes with cottage cheese in them. I bet they are really good! I’ll have to try it!!
This is a great recipe! I have been craving pancakes, but need a low carb version for sure!
YUM! These look so light and fluffy! I can’t wait to give your recipe a try this weekend!
LOVE these pancakes! My kids asked for them the next day too, so you know they were good!!
They were delicious!!
These are my favorite pancakes. I don’t usually add sweetener, but I love to spread yogurt and berries on top!
I’m making these as I type. I was hoping to eat a stack of pancakes when I was done cooking but I keep eating them right after I take them off the pan. So good!
hahaha!! I do that too!!