These healthier cottage cheese fritters are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. They only need 3 ingredients for the batter and don’t require any eggs, refined sugar, butter or oil. The fritters are ready in about 30 minutes and don’t require any frying.
A stack of four glazed fritters

These cottage cheese fritters are baked instead of fried for a healthier treat. The batter comes together in just minutes. The fritters are lightly sweet and soft.

Ingredients

  • Cottage cheese
  • Self-rising flour
  • Maple syrup

Cottage cheese: The cottage cheese is blended until smooth before being used for this recipe. I used 4% cottage cheese.

Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is a flour blend that already contains a leavening agent and sodium. I like using self-rising flour because it saves some time and steps. You can also make a homemade self-rising flour blend.

Maple syrup: A little maple syrup is added to sweeten the batter.

How to Make Healthier Cottage Cheese Fritters

  • The cottage cheese and maple syrup are added to a blender and blended until smooth.
  • The blended cottage cheese and flour are added to a mixing bowl and mixed together until all of the flour is incorporated.
  • Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter and release onto your prepared baking sheet.
  • Lightly brush the surface of the fritters with avocado oil. This is optional but it does help the fritters have a more golden brown surface and crispier texture. Bake the fritters for about 20 minutes or until done.
  • If desired, you can add a glaze over the fritters before serving.

Fritters on a cooling rack with a glaze on top

Texture

The fritters are best eaten soon after they are baked. They will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. If you let them cool, they will lose their crispy exterior and the inside will become more dense and bread-like.
A fritter cut in half

Expert Tips

  • The fritters are lightly sweet on their own. If you prefer sweeter, you can add a sweet glaze or add a little more maple syrup to the fritter batter.
  • I don’t recommend cooking these in an air fryer. They don’t rise as much and are more dense.

Four Cottage Cheese Fritters in a stack

More Fritter Recipes

5 from 2 votes

3 Ingredient Healthier Cottage Cheese Fritters

These healthier cottage cheese fritters are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You only need 3 ingredients for the batter. The fritters don't require any eggs, refined sugar, butter or oil.
Servings: 12 fritters
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups (452g) 4% cottage cheese, see note before starting
  • 1/4 cup (2fl oz/59ml) maple syrup
  • 2 1/4 cups (304g) self-rising flour, see note before starting

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Fill a large cast iron skillet or metal baking dish halfway up with water and add it to the bottom rack of the oven as it preheats. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add cottage cheese and maple syrup to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
  • Add blended cottage mixture and flour to a large mixing bowl. Stir with a spatula until you have a thick batter/wet dough.
  • Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter and release onto your parchment lined baking sheet, spacing the fritters 2 inches apart. Gently press each mound into a 2½ to 3-inch wide circle with your spatula or slightly damp hands. Optional step: Lightly brush the surface of the fritters with avocado oil. While they will still crisp up without it, they will be more golden and crispy with the avocado oil.
  • Add the fritters to the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until they are puffed, cooked through and golden brown on the surface.
  • Allow the fritters to cool slightly before serving. Fritters are best enjoyed soon after they are done cooking and while still a little warm. If you eat them soon after they are done, they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Once fully cooled, the fritters will be more dense and bread-like. The fritters are very lightly sweet on their own. If desired, you can dust the fritters with powdered sweetener or add a glaze. Store uneaten fritters in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Reheat leftovers before eating.

Notes

  • Cottage cheese note: This recipe works best with cottage cheese that is a little more watery and around 12-13 grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving. Avoid using Good Culture cottage cheese other other similar cottage cheese that is very thick and around 14 grams of protein because your cottage cheese mixture will be too thick for the recipe as written and you will need to increase the cottage cheese amount to get it to work. I used Amazon Grocery cottage cheese.*
  • Self-rising flour amount. There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour* (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup), or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Homemade self-rising flour: To make your own self-rising flour, combine 3 cups all purpose flour, 4.5 tsp baking powder and 1.5 tsp salt. Whisk together until evenly combined. Measure out 2 1/4 cups for the recipe. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill. You do not want a high protein flour for these fritters.
  • Optional glaze. I made a simple glaze for the fritters. You can skip the glaze or use powdered sweetener instead of powdered sugar.
    • 1¼ cups powdered sugar
    • 3 tablespoons water
    • Whisk together the powdered sugar and water until smooth. Drizzle over the fritters.
  • Estimated nutrition does not include optional glaze.
Serving: 1fritter, Calories: 130kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 393mg, Sugar: 5g, NET CARBS: 23
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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