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Fluffy and healthy Pumpkin Protein Pancakes made with cottage cheese and fall inspired flavors, make a high protein breakfast. A healthy way to start your day!
Monday is already here driving me crazy and that means tomorrow my parents will be arriving for surgery and driving me crazy too. I kid, I kid. It’s always a bit maddening when my parents come and of course, everything goes crazy.
Like their car not starting and having to call AAA twice in one week. The vacuum cleaner dying. MailChimp delivering all my email subscribers to spam. Seriously?
Having gut wrenching hip pain for two days last week for no apparent reason didn’t help either. That put me behind on everything. Thankfully, I’m feeling a lot better, but sleep has been an issue worrying about the surgery. Oh yeah, and I’m getting Invisalign tomorrow. Sometimes life has unbelievable timing!
Guarantee when my parents arrive the first thing they will ask me to do is to go out to breakfast with them every day which we know I hate. Speaking of which what is it with old people going out to breakfast every day? My Grandma did that and I am so not ready for that phase of life. P.S. My parents aren’t that old should I be worried?
In case you couldn’t tell from my ramblings, I’m kind of stressed here. Trying to finish a bazillion things before surgery – work, school, blog, weight loss coaching. I’m glad I took time off from swim instructing this month to work ahead. I’m worried about how the recovery will go especially after talking with the therapist on Friday who indicated the first three days are going to be very painful.
I start physical therapy the day after surgery. They told me I’ll bounce back quickly with my fitness level. Still I worry. It’s a major surgery and I can’t stop thinking how they’re going to saw off my leg. I know I shouldn’t be thinking that, but it’s hard not to. There’s no going back after that.
Mostly, I’m dreading the being “broken” again and having to rebuild my strength and endurance. It requires so much mental strength and focus. So…this better be the last big thing for me in a really long time otherwise I’m running away and taking my pancakes with me! Well, maybe my computer and kitchen too. 🙂
If there’s one thing I can’t live without, it’s my cottage cheese pancakes. At any given time, there are two types of pancakes in my refrigerator – protein pancakes and whatever my latest obsession is from the long list of pancake recipes I’ve made. I have so many favorites sometimes it’s hard to choose!
But protein pancakes? They’re always a no question, must make and these cottage cheese pumpkin pancakes are definitely going to be made all winter long!
Fluffy and veggie packed, they’re incredibly tasty and secretly healthy. I upgraded the original protein pancake recipe by adding pumpkin and a few fall spices but you can’t even taste the pumpkin or cottage cheese in them. On a side note, for those who are lactose intolerant, I buy lactose free cottage cheese and it makes my belly happy.
You know what else makes my belly happy? These healthier pumpkin pancakes and I’m positive you’re gonna love them. Thick, chewy and packed with nutrition, they’re a healthy way to start the day with a treat-like feel. But shh…don’t tell my parents I have them or they’ll want me to share and these babies are all mine!
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
- 12 egg whites
- 2 cups cottage cheese, nonfat
- 2 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats, or regular rolled oats
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
Instructions
- Heat a nonstick electric skillet to medium high heat.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until mixed thoroughly.
- Scoop ¼ cup of the batter onto the skillet to form a pancake.
- Cook until small bubbles begin to appear then using a spatula flip and cook another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove promptly from the skillet and place on a cooling rack while you repeat the process for remaining batter.
- Store in the refrigerator up to a week or freeze up to a month.
Notes
- My Amazon shop has more products similar to those used for this recipe and that I recommend to my nutrition clients.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hope your recovery goes smoothly. I’ll be thinking about you 😉 Put your parents to work and get them to make you a big batch of these beautiful pancakes!
I like that idea, and thank you Megan! I appreciate that!
Definitely will be thinking about you on Friday. I just saw your IG story about your medications. Hopefully it’s not that bad!
I hope you’re right. I could believe he said that to me!
Good luck with the surgery. Everything is going to be just fine!
I never thought of using pumpkin puree to make pancakes. Must try! 🙂
Oh, you will love! Pumpkin in pancakes is one of my favs!
Hi Megan! I don’t like to go out to breakfast either. I’d rather stay home and eat these delicious pancakes. Wishing good things for your surgery and a quick recovery, my friend!
Thanks Ashley, I appreciate that friend! xoxo
Pancakes are always a good idea! Love this pumpkin version! pinned 🙂
Every day all day!
Hoping and praying that the surgery goes smoothly, and that you can eat breakfast at home this week. 🙂 Protein pancakes are one of my favorites — even for snacks — and the pumpkin version sounds perfect for the season!
HAHA! I have a feeling since I’m the patient I’m allowed to get away with that.
Good luck with surgery!! I’m sure you’ll bounce back quickly 🙂 I’ll be thinking about you, Megan! These protein pancakes look the perfect delicious recovery food.
Thank you Rachel! I really appreciate that.
You are going to do great, it’s going to be over before you know it and I’ll be making the one hour drive to go on walks with you! Is it weird to say I don’t think I have a food that I couldn’t live without anymore? Once upon a time when I was heavily dieting and obsessed with all decisions about food I would have immediately answered bananas, peanut butter, chocolate, eggs, wine, chocolate, caramel or chocolate. Now that I’ve taken some of the stress out about eating, I am really less attached to it.
I am holding you to that!
Agreed with Susie! <3 Praying for you Megan, for healing, and peace, and assurance that everything will go well. Pumpkin pancakes sound like an amazing post surgery breakfast; you should make a list of breakfasts for people to make that come over.
Oh yes, and one food I can't live without: any nut butter. I'm kind of crazy about nut butter.
Thank you Emily and nut butter is pretty high on my list too. Sometimes I can’t even keep it in the house because I love it a little too much. LOL!
I so understand your anxiety! But just focus on the fact that you are going to be MOVING again the day after–I think I would be more anxious if they were telling me not to move.
And I think that people go out to breakfast because they don’t trust themselves to have the ingredients in the own pantry… like croissants 😀
Haha. I like you’re thinking on people not trusting themselves! And, yes it is good that I’ll be moving right away. My biggest challenge will be holding myself back. I hate having people telling me what I can and cannot do. The PT I talked to on Friday was already giving me so many do’s and don’ts. I was like, how the heck am I supposed to remember this?