Outrageous Cottage Cheese Waffles (15g protein!)

Ingredients

• 180 gold-fashioned oats
• 1 tsp (5 ml)baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml)cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml)fine sea salt
• 450 gwhole milk 4% cottage cheese
• 6 largeeggs
• 45 ml (3 tbsp)pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml)vanilla extract
• 150 g (1 cup), optional but recommendedfresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the waffle iron

   Preheat the waffle iron over medium heat.

2. 2

   Grind the oats

   Blend the oats into a fine powder using a blender or Nutribullet, then tip them into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

3. 3

   Blend the wet ingredients

   Add the cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla to the blender and blend until smooth. If using a Nutribullet, do this in two batches.

4. 4

   Combine the batter

   Pour the wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined. Fold in the blueberries if using; for frozen berries, place them on top of the batter rather than mixing them in to avoid turning it blue.

5. 5

   Cook the waffles

   Coat the hot waffle iron well with cooking spray and pour in 120 ml (1/2 cup) batter. Cook for 6 minutes, until golden, spraying the iron well between each batch to prevent sticking. Transfer the waffles to a wire rack to cool and serve with fruit, butter, almond butter and maple syrup.

What are cottage cheese waffles?

Waffles are a familiar American breakfast, cooked in a patterned iron until crisp on the outside. This version blends cottage cheese and eggs into the batter, while ground oats take the place of a conventional flour base.

Oat flour: Blending the oats finely gives the batter a more even texture. The cottage cheese and eggs make it moist and filling, and the optional blueberries bring bursts of fruit.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 224 calories, 15g protein, 22g carbs, 7g fat.

The oats and maple syrup contribute most of the carbohydrates, while the eggs and cottage cheese provide much of the protein. Cottage cheese and eggs also contribute fat; serve with fruit and go lightly on added butter or syrup if you want to balance the plate.

Why blend the oats?

Fine oats: Blend them until they resemble powder before mixing them with the baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Larger oat pieces can make the finished waffles less uniform.

Dry mix: Whisking these ingredients together first helps distribute the raising agent and seasoning through the batter.

Getting a smooth batter

Wet ingredients: Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth. If the blender is small, make the wet mixture in two batches as suggested.

Gentle mixing: Stir the wet and dry mixtures only until combined. Overmixing is unnecessary; fold in fresh blueberries gently if you are using them.

How to cook them evenly

Preheating: Heat the waffle iron over medium before adding batter so the first waffle cooks in a ready-hot iron.

Cooking time: Use 120 ml (1/2 cup) batter per waffle and cook for 6 minutes, until golden. Waffle irons vary, so use the colour as the doneness cue alongside the stated time.

Preventing sticking

Cooking spray: Coat the hot iron thoroughly before the first waffle and spray it again between batches. This is especially important for a batter made with cottage cheese and eggs.

Cooling: Place cooked waffles on a wire rack rather than stacking them, which helps keep their surfaces from becoming soft as they cool.

Serving ideas

Fruit and syrup: Serve the waffles with fruit and maple syrup for a sweet breakfast. Butter or almond butter are also suggested toppings.

Make it a plate: Add a serving of fruit alongside the waffles, or choose a savoury topping if you want to balance their sweetness.

Using frozen blueberries

Add on top: Put frozen blueberries on top of the batter in the iron rather than folding them through the whole mixture. This helps prevent the batter from turning blue.

Fresh berries: Fresh blueberries can be folded into the batter, or used as a topping after cooking.

Recipe notes & tips

• Blend the oats until finely powdered for a more even batter.
• If your blender is small, blend the wet ingredients in two batches.
• Mix the wet and dry ingredients only until combined.
• For frozen blueberries, place them on top of the batter rather than folding them in.
• Spray the waffle iron well between batches to help prevent sticking.
• Cool cooked waffles on a wire rack.

Variations

• Blueberry batter: Fold fresh blueberries gently into the batter before cooking.
• Frozen blueberries: Add the berries on top of the batter in the waffle iron to avoid colouring the mixture.
• Fruit topping: Serve with fresh fruit for a fruity finish.
• Almond butter: Add almond butter at the table for a nutty topping.
• Maple finish: Serve with maple syrup for extra sweetness.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Coarse oats: Blend them into a fine powder before making the batter.
• Lumpy wet mixture: Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, syrup and vanilla until smooth.
• Overmixing: Stir only until the wet and dry mixtures are combined.
• Blue batter: Place frozen blueberries on top instead of mixing them through.
• Sticking waffles: Spray the iron thoroughly before cooking and between batches.
• Soft, stacked waffles: Set cooked waffles on a wire rack to cool.

How to store

Freeze cooled waffles for later; they can be reheated in a toaster. The recipe does not specify a refrigerator storage time.

Frequently asked questions