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.
2cups (452g)4% cottage cheese, see note before starting
1/4cup (2fl oz/59ml)maple syrup
2 1/4cups (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.
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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.
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.