Savory Oat Cottage Cheese Pancakes

These delicious Savory Cottage Cheese Oatmeal Pancakes (fritters, patties, or latkes) are both creamy and fluffy. Choose between an oniony or neutral flavor! These savory pancakes are incredibly easy to make, packed with protein, and gluten-free. A simple yet satisfying main dish for breakfast or lunch, or an inspiring side for a light dinner.

If you love cottage cheese, always have oatmeal in your pantry, and are looking for a dish that’s easy to whip up, then this dish is perfect for you!

Serve alongside a (can-be-made-mild) chopped spicy tomato-cilantro-chili salad, regular milk, or soy/oat/almond milk.

Top with melon and sunflower seeds, and sprinkle on freshly chopped dill.

Ingredients For These savory cottage cheese oatmeal patties

This recipe yields creamy patties with a perfect balance of texture!

Here are the ingredients:

• Cottage Cheese: Adds creaminess and stretch.
• Rolled Oats (Old-Fashioned): Provide structure, absorbs excess moisture
• Onion Powder: For a mild oniony flavor.
• Eggs: Bind ingredients and add richness
• Neutral Oil (for cooking): To pan fry the patties until golden in place of neutral/vegetable oil.
• Baking Powder:
  • For fluff. Too much can cause deflation.
  • Blend into the batter in the blender (or hand-mix) right before frying.
  • I used to set the batter aside for 10 minutes, but CO2 bubbles develop and get wasted and less help fluffen them.
• Salt and pepper to taste

Substitutions & Variations for these savory cottage cheese oatmeal pancakes

Here you’ll find substitutions and variations for the ingredients in the list above:

• Dairy Cottage cheese substitutes: Swap with Ricotta or Greek yogurt. For extra creaminess, add 1 tablespoon of sour cream.
• Rolled oats: Replace with almond flour, or coconut flour, or ground flaxseeds. Adjust ingredients.
• Egg: Use a flax egg or chia egg. I don’t have recommendations for this. This is only advised if you are used to swapping eggs with flax or chia.
• Onion powder: No onion (or shallot) powder in your pantry? Swap it with onion soup mix, you can pan-fry a chopped onion in a tablespoon of neutral oil for 5 to 6 minutes, until it’s brown (adjust the dry binder).
• Seasonings: You can add garlic powder, thyme, oregano, or chopped green onions for extra flavor.
• Milk: Replace with soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk (liquid), or almond milk.

Instructions For These Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Patties

1. Blend the eggs and cottage cheese, then add the rolled oats and some milk to the blender. The texture ends up thick and not liquidy,
2. Pan-fry (griddle) 2 spoonfuls of batter in a a small amount of hot oil, in a non-stick skillet on a medium heat. Adjust heat to prevent burning, or cooking too slowly.

Ideas to Pair with These Savory Cottage Cheese Fritters

Cottage cheese fritters are versatile and can be paired with a variety of sides and dips. Here are a few ideas:

1. Fresh salads as Cabbage Bell Peppers Salad, vibrant Fresh-Herb Dried Cranberry Salad.
2. Easy cooked vegetable side dishes: Easy Zucchini Squares Cooked With Bell Pepper Squares, Eggplant pan-fried in egg and then cooked in tomato-bell pepper sauce, or in a Eggplant in mayo-parsley/dill/green-onion thin dip.
3. Honey or Date molasses – Drizzle over the pancakes, or serve in a tiny serving bowl.
4. Natural maple syrup, carob syrup, or regular chocolate syrup.

How to serve these Cottage Cheese Oatmeal Fritters

Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Patties make a versatile, nutrient-dense dish that can serve several purposes in your diet. So, whenever you’re craving a savory, protein-packed and gluten-free option, these fritters are the perfect go-to! Customize the toppings according to your cravings or the occasion.

Why these fritters are great:

• They are a hearty breakfast option that balances protein, fiber, and healthy fats, and pairs well with fruits and seeds.
• A quick, healthy finger-food snack that helps keep you full between meals.

How To Make Dairy-free Oatmeal Patties

While it’s tricky to find a perfect match for the unique texture of cottage cheese, there are a few thoughtful options that can work in these blended eggs, and rolled oats patties without compromising too much of the result. These are trial and error options.

Here are some reliable substitutes that you can try, based on their texture and moisture content:

1. Silken Tofu

Silken tofu can mimic the creamy, slightly tangy texture of cottage cheese when blended. It also has a similar moisture content, which is key for binding the patties.

• How it’s done:
  • Blend the tofu with the eggs until smooth.
  • Use about the same amount of Silken tofu as the cottage cheese (1:1 ratio).
    • For this cottage cheese recipe, you only use the curds, and drain the liquid in the container. After draining, you end up with around 3/4 cup solid cottage cheese.
    • So, start with 3/4 cup Silken tofu, and gradually adjust ingredients. Don’t forget that Tofu has a neutral flavor, so, you need to adjust the seasoning too.

2. Cashew Cream

Cashew cream, made by blending soaked cashews with water, can replicate the creamy texture of cottage cheese while being dairy-free. It’s rich and smooth. Here’s how it’s done:

• Blend soaked raw cashews (about 1/4 cup cashews to 1/2 cup water) until smooth.
• But I recommend blending the eggs first. Then, remove the eggs from the blender, and blend the cashews and water. After that, combine the cashew with the eggs, the baking powder and seasoning in a bowl and continue with the recipe instructions. Adjust seasoning and flavors.

• Soaking the cashews:
  • Soak for at least 4 hours until slightly soft.
  • If you’re short on time, you can use the quick soak method:
    • Boil water and pour it over the raw cashews in a bowl.
    • Let them soak for 30 minutes to an hour.
    • Drain and rinse the cashews before blending.
  • If you prefer, you can also soak cashews overnight (about 8 hours) for a more thorough soak, resulting in an even smoother cream.

3. Almond or Soy Yogurt (Unsweetened)

Why it works: A thick, unsweetened almond or soy yogurt can mimic the creamy consistency of cottage cheese and add some tanginess. Be sure to choose one without added sugars to keep the flavor balance right. This is how it’s done:

• Replace the cottage cheese with the yogurt in a 1:1 volume ratio (measured in cups, not ounces or grams). Adjust other liquid ingredients according to the thickness of your yogurt.

Notes for using cottage cheese substitutes:

• Binding Agents: Since cottage cheese helps bind the patties together, be mindful that some substitutes, like tofu or cashew cream, may need a little more help in this area.
  • You might need to increase the oats slightly, or add some cornstarch if the mixture seems too wet.
• Flavor Adjustment: Because cottage cheese has a distinct tanginess, you may want to add a bit of lemon juice or vinegar to your substitute to replicate that flavor.

Enjoy!