With the leaves changing color and the temperature dropping, I felt increasingly in need of a cozy morning pick-me-up, so the pancakes sounded too intriguing to pass on. Seasonally appropriate and nutritionally solid? Sold. Scanning the ingredients listed in the caption of Grasso’s TikTok—1/3 cup pumpkin, two eggs, 1 cup oats, 1/3 cup cottage cheese, 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice—I saw that the execution wouldn’t be tough, but I was skeptical about the final product. I’d only used pumpkin in pie, so I was hesitant about how the ingredient would translate to other recipes. Also, I’ve never been fond of cottage cheese (its chunky-yet-sludgy appearance and slightly sour smell has always been a turnoff), so its presence was extra cause for concern.

Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Back in my kitchen, I measured out the ingredients, added them to my food processor, and watched as the spinning blades puréed everything together to form a pale orange mixture flecked with individual oats and clumps of crushed pumpkin.

Then, filling up a measuring cup with the batter, I poured two big portions into a preheated saucepan and heard them begin to sizzle. One flip and a few minutes later, the newly formed pancakes were cooked through and ready to serve—a little more orange than was typical, to be sure, but otherwise pretty ordinary-looking. Before digging in, I dusted them with some more cinnamon and pumpkin spice and drizzled some syrup on top, figuring a little extra sweetness couldn’t hurt (and would maybe even help mask the flavor of the cottage cheese further).

Caroline Tien