Follow these simple steps for perfectly blended and cooked cottage cheese pancakes:

1. Combine Ingredients: Place the cottage cheese, large eggs, rolled oats, optional maple syrup or honey, vanilla extract, baking powder, and pinch of salt into the jar of a high-speed blender. Accuracy isn’t paramount here, but try to get the measurements reasonably close. Starting with the wet ingredients (cottage cheese, eggs, vanilla, sweetener) at the bottom can help the blender process everything more smoothly.
2. Blend Until Smooth: Secure the lid on the blender and blend on high speed for about 30-60 seconds, or until the batter is completely smooth and uniform. You shouldn’t see any whole oats or large curds of cottage cheese remaining. Scrape down the sides of the blender jar once or twice if needed to ensure everything is fully incorporated. The consistency should be similar to a traditional pancake batter, perhaps slightly thicker depending on your cottage cheese and oats.
3. Let Batter Rest (Optional but Recommended): Allow the batter to sit in the blender jar or pour it into a bowl and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This brief resting period allows the oats to fully hydrate and absorb some liquid, and gives the baking powder time to activate, resulting in a slightly thicker batter and potentially fluffier pancakes.
4. Preheat Pan: Place a non-stick skillet, frying pan, or griddle over medium heat. Getting the temperature right is key. Too hot, and the pancakes will burn on the outside before cooking through. Too low, and they won’t brown properly or get fluffy. A good test is to flick a drop of water onto the pan – it should sizzle and evaporate quickly.
5. Grease the Pan: Once the pan is heated, add a small amount of butter or oil (about ½ teaspoon per batch). Swirl the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Butter adds flavor but can burn more quickly than oil, so keep an eye on the heat.
6. Pour the Batter: For each pancake, pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the preheated, greased skillet. You can make them smaller or slightly larger based on preference, but ¼ cup usually yields nicely sized pancakes (about 3-4 inches in diameter). Avoid overcrowding the pan; cook in batches of 2-3 pancakes at a time, leaving enough space between them for easy flipping.
7. Cook First Side: Cook for approximately 2-4 minutes on the first side. You’ll know it’s ready to flip when small bubbles start forming on the surface of the pancake, especially around the edges, and the edges themselves begin to look set and slightly dry. The underside should be a lovely golden-brown color. Gently lift an edge with a spatula to check.
8. Flip Carefully: Slide a thin spatula underneath the pancake and carefully, but confidently, flip it over. If the batter was the right consistency and the pan was properly greased, it should flip easily.
9. Cook Second Side: Cook the second side for another 1-3 minutes, or until it’s also golden brown and the pancake is cooked through. It usually cooks faster than the first side. The pancake should feel slightly firm to a gentle touch in the center.
10. Repeat: Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate (you can keep them warm in a low oven – around 200°F or 90°C – on an oven-safe plate if cooking multiple batches). Add a little more butter or oil to the pan as needed between batches, and repeat steps 6-9 until all the batter is used up. Adjust the heat slightly if you notice the pancakes are cooking too quickly or too slowly.
11. Serve Immediately: Serve the Quick Cottage Cheese Pancakes warm with your favorite toppings.