A High Protein Pancake For Toddlers To Win Breakfast
Hey, I get it: banana pancakes are not going to be your kiddo’s forever -cake, well, forever. When that morning comes, here’s your go-to: a flapjack that takes the fluffy and bright textures and flavors of the lemon ricotta pancakes from your favorite brunch place--we've got a recipe for that, too!--with the smooth and crackly genius of syrniki, Ukrainian cottage cheese pancakes. You’ll never need another pancake recipe again.
- 1/2 cup Cottage Cheese
- 2 large Eggs
- 1/3 cup Flour (+ more as needed: see directions)
- 1/2 TSP Baking soda
- 1/2 TSP White Vinegar
- 1/2 Lemon (and zest)
- Honey (optional; can also use maple syrup and/or jam)
- Add the cottage cheese, eggs, flour, and the zest of the lemon to a large bowl and stir until mixed together.
- In a small bowl or cup, mix baking soda and vinegar, shaking it as it fizzles; pour into large bowl.
- Blend all ingredients until fully combined; if batter appears liquidy, add more flour until slightly thickened. (Note: totally okay if cottage cheese is still clumpy!)
- Heat a nonstick pan to Medium, adding a healthy pour of oil to the pan once hot.
- Pour batter in small amounts all around your pan to create small cakes; cook, untouched, for roughly 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other sound, or until golden brown and with craggy edges. Remove from heat.
Squeeze lemon across the top of the pancakes.
The cakes are quite good on their own, especially with a light spritzing of lemon; syrup or honey are more a concession to those kids who are accustomed to having something sticky and sweet to dip the cakes into. Serve with fruit; yogurt, too, if your kiddo is especially hungry. But expect him/her to inhale at least two cakes before you do!
Pancakes are nothing if not flexible and resilient: you can swap out the flour for cornmeal, use ricotta or cream cheese instead of cottage, add chocolate chips or nuts–so far as you keep the batter thin, pretty much anything will work here.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
