Cottage Cheese English Muffins

A breakfast classic turned healthy; these high-protein cottage cheese English muffins (6g per English muffin!) bring the nostalgia, the flavor, and (close to!) the convenience of a store-bought English muffin to your own kitchen. They’re airy, chewy, and just so dang delicious!

I used blended cottage cheese in the dough for an extra protein boost so you can enjoy these English muffins as a simple snack or base for an easy breakfast sandwich.

Star Ingredients

Cottage cheese: The protein powerhouse! I recommend 2% or 4% cottage cheese for blending because it contains less water content and will require less flour for the dough.

All-purpose flour: AP is my go-to for these English muffins because it’s not too dense and helps yield a more airy texture.

Active dry yeast: I’ve tested these English muffins both with and without yeast, and I much prefer the version with yeast! It helps create a more chewy and airy texture — as English muffins should be!

Corn meal: You’ll press the English muffins in corn meal on both sides before cooking them on the stovetop. This not only prevents them from sticking to the pan, it also gives them a classic English muffin look and feel. Don’t skip it!

Find the list of full ingredients in the recipe card below.

How to Make Cottage Cheese English Muffins

1. Bloom the yeast: Add the warm water, yeast, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, and let it bloom for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining wet ingredients: Mix in the blended cottage cheese, melted butter, and egg.
3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients: With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix for 3-4 minutes or until the dough bounces back when poked.
5. Let rise: Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
6. Roll out dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll to ¼ inch thickness.
7. Cut out English muffins: Using a 2-3-inch round cookie cutter, cut muffins until all the dough has been used. Place them in the cornmeal on the sheet pan. Flip and gently press into the cornmeal.
8. Let rest: Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
9. Cook English muffins on the stovetop: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place the muffins in the pan, making sure they do not touch. Cook for 6 minutes, flip, and cook for 4 minutes.
10. Serve, and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• If the cornmeal isn’t sticking to the muffins, brush them with a little bit of water.
• If the dough is too sticky add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
• If the dough is too dry add water or more blended cottage cheese 1 tablespoon at a time.

Don’t Have Yeast?

I tested these English muffins without yeast, and while it DOES work, it does impact the texture. The no-yeast English muffins have more of a bread texture, and less of a chewy and airy English muffin texture. The English muffins without yeast are a good substitute, but not as good as what the yeast recipe produced. So, proceed with caution here.

No-yeast English muffins recipe: Omit the yeast and sugar, and replace with 3 teaspoons of baking powder. Follow the rest of the recipe as-is.

I tested this recipe with Greek yogurt and they were delicious! Just swap out the blended cottage cheese 1:1 and make sure that you’re using a fuller fat Greek yogurt (at least 2%).

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