5 Cottage Cheese Dessert Recipes

5 Dessert Recipes That Will Make You a Fan of Cottage Cheese

Brownies, ice cream, even edible cookie dough — they’ve all got the same secret dairy ingredient.
5 Dessert Recipes That Will Make You a Fan of Cottage Cheese
Canva; Adobe Stock; Svetlana Cherruty/iStock

Until recently, cottage cheese has mostly been known as a diet food — and not a particularly popular one, either. It’s made by curdling milk (without spoiling it) and separating out the solid parts, or curds, which accounts for a characteristically lumpy texture that many people find off-putting. It seems an unlikely choice for social media fame, but that’s exactly what has happened: Thanks to a handful of viral videos, cottage cheese has reached a new zenith since its peak popularity in the 1970s, according to the New York Post. The hashtag #cottagecheese has racked up more 200 million searches on TikTok alone.

One group who are undoubtedly delighting in this dairy revolution? Registered dietitians. Cottage cheese is incredibly nutritious, and lower in calories than most other cheese or dairy. One cup of lowfat cottage cheese has just 163 calories, for instance, but also packs in 28 grams (g) of protein, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It contains nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B12, and selenium.

You can find varieties of cottage cheese to suit a range of dietary needs or preferences, including lactose-free, no sodium added, low-fat, and fat-free, as well as flavored and unflavored cottage cheese in various curd sizes. And if you’re not a fan of eating it straight out of the container, there is no shortage of cottage cheese recipes. Many people find that pureeing it to a smooth texture or mixing it into baked goods and other recipes can be a great way to consume this low-calorie, high-protein dairy product. Still not convinced? Try one of these five sweet cottage cheese–based desserts!

1
brownies
Adobe Stock

Cottage Cheese Brownies

Who doesn’t love the rich, chocolaty goodness that brownies bring to the table? Unfortunately, regular brownies pack loads of calories and added sugar without any nutritional benefits, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These delicious cottage cheese brownies are moist and delicious, and the 5 g of protein per brownie ensure they’re more satisfying, too.

contains  Dairy, Eggs, Wheat
4.3 out of 25 reviews

SERVES

16

CALORIES PER SERVING

160

PREP TIME

15 min

COOK TIME

28 min

TOTAL TIME

43 min

Ingredients

6 oz semisweet baking chocolate
¾ cup low-fat (1 percent) cottage cheese
3 large eggs
1 small ripe banana
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp kosher salt

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x9-inch baking dish and set aside.

2

Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave, stirring every 15 seconds, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth, about 60 to 90 seconds. Set aside to cool.

3

To a blender or food processor add cottage cheese, eggs, banana, vanilla, and maple syrup. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

4

Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt to the blender and pulse just until moistened. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until the brownies are cooked through, about 28 to 32 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting into 16 even squares.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving

Serving size1 brownie

calories

160

total fat

5g

saturated fat

2.8g

protein

5g

carbohydrates

25g

fiber

1.8g

sugar

9.9g

added sugar

8.7g

sodium

104mg

TAGS:

Dairy, Eggs, Wheat, Heart-Healthy, Vegetarian, Low-Sodium, Family-Friendly, Dessert
2
strawberry ice cream
Svetlana Cherruty/iStock

3-Ingredient Strawberry Ice Cream

Ice cream’s notoriously high calorie count and unhealthy saturated fat content make it an occasional treat, but this simple, three-ingredient version uses low-fat cottage cheese in place of cream for a protein-rich, heart-healthy treat you can enjoy on the regular (and will want to, too)! As a bonus, this cottage-cheese ice cream boasts 15 g of protein and more than 3 g of fiber per serving.

contains  Dairy
4.8 out of 27 reviews

SERVES

4

CALORIES PER SERVING

165

PREP TIME

5 min

TOTAL TIME

5 min

Ingredients

2 cups low-fat (1 percent) no-salt-added cottage cheese
4 cups frozen strawberries
2 tbsp honey

Directions

1

Place cottage cheese in a blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.

2

Add strawberries and honey and blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately for soft-serve “ice cream” or pour into a loaf pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze until serving. If using this method, remove from freezer about 20 minutes before serving to allow the mixture to soften enough for scooping.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving

Serving size1⅓ cups

calories

165

total fat

1g

saturated fat

0.7g

protein

15g

carbohydrates

25g

fiber

3.2g

sugar

18.5g

added sugar

8.6g

sodium

18mg

TAGS:

Dairy, Heart-Healthy, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Low-Sodium, Low-Fat, Family-Friendly, Quick & Easy, Dessert
3
chocolate cookie dough
Adobe Stock

Protein-Packed Double Chocolate Chip Edible Cookie Dough

The dangers of eating uncooked eggs and raw wheat flour outweigh the nostalgia of licking the bowl, according to FoodSafety.gov. But with this recipe, you can enjoy all that you love about sneaking a taste of cookie dough — with less risk. Cottage cheese dough with rich chocolate flavor will satisfy any sweet tooth, and provides 9 g of filling protein per serving. Just mix and enjoy!

contains  Dairy, Tree Nuts
4.2 out of 23 reviews

SERVES

6

CALORIES PER SERVING

170

PREP TIME

5 min

TOTAL TIME

5 min

Ingredients

1 cup low-fat (1 percent) cottage cheese
⅔ cup almond flour
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1

Place cottage cheese in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute.

2

Transfer cottage cheese to a mixing bowl and add almond flour, cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and protein powder, if using. Stir until well combined. Top with chocolate chips before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving

Serving size⅓ cup

calories

170

total fat

8g

saturated fat

2.1g

protein

9g

carbohydrates

18g

fiber

2.6g

sugar

11.4g

added sugar

9.5g

sodium

154mg

TAGS:

Dairy, Tree Nuts, Heart-Healthy, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Family-Friendly, Quick & Easy, Dessert
4
fruit bars
Olga Ivahnenko/iStock

Raspberry Cottage Cheese Cake Bars

This under-100-calorie treat combines the creamy goodness of cottage cheese with the natural sweetness of fresh raspberries for a flavor that’s not only delicious but nutritious. Protein from the cottage cheese and fiber and vitamin C in the raspberries make this low-fat and diabetes-friendly dessert one you can enjoy while meeting your health goals.

contains  Dairy, Eggs, Wheat, Tree Nuts
4.7 out of 24 reviews

SERVES

20

CALORIES PER SERVING

76

PREP TIME

10 min

COOK TIME

15 min

TOTAL TIME

25 min

Ingredients

1 cup low-fat (1 percent) cottage cheese
3 large eggs
⅓ cup honey
2 tsp almond extract
1½ cups white whole-wheat flour
¾ tsp baking soda
2 cups fresh raspberries or berries of your choice

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place cottage cheese, eggs, honey, and almond extract in a blender and blend on high until smooth, about 1 minute.

2

In a separate mixing bowl, stir together flour and baking soda. Add cottage cheese mixture and stir until just moistened. Gently fold in raspberries, stirring as little as possible.

3

Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until the edges just start to turn golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Slice into 20 even squares.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving

Serving size1 bar

calories

76

total fat

1g

saturated fat

0.3g

protein

3g

carbohydrates

13g

fiber

2g

sugar

5.6g

added sugar

4.6g

sodium

103mg

TAGS:

Dairy, Eggs, Wheat, Tree Nuts, Diabetes-Friendly, Heart-Healthy, Vegetarian, Low-Sodium, Low-Fat, Family-Friendly, Dessert
5
blueberry cottage cheese cheesecake
Adobe Stock

Blueberry Cottage Cheese Cheesecake

A slice of strawberry cheesecake from a restaurant like the Cheesecake Factory will set you back a cool 1,000 calories (yes, you read that right) or about half of your daily calories and 43 g of saturated fat (about 3½ times the recommended limit) in a single dessert! Instead of this calorie- and fat-rich traditional version, opt for a cottage cheese cheesecake for all the flavor and just over 200 calories and 1.5 g of saturated fat per slice.

contains  Tree Nuts, Dairy, Eggs
4.5 out of 10 reviews

SERVES

12

CALORIES PER SERVING

221

PREP TIME

15 min

COOK TIME

35 min

TOTAL TIME

50 min

Ingredients

1½ cups almond flour
2 tbsp avocado oil
6 tbsp pure maple syrup, divided
1 24-oz container 2 percent cottage cheese, drained
1 5.3-oz container whole-milk Greek yogurt
3 large eggs
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, avocado oil, and 2 tbsp maple syrup. Mix together until evenly combined and gently press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan, wetting your fingertips as you go to prevent sticking. Bake until fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes.

2

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine the cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, cornstarch, blueberries, vanilla extract, and remaining ¼ cup maple syrup. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

3

Lower the oven to 325 degrees F. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the still hot crust and bake in the preheated oven until the cheesecake is set, about 35 to 45 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing into 12 even slices.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving

Serving size1 slice

calories

221

total fat

11g

saturated fat

1.7g

protein

13g

carbohydrates

19g

fiber

1.4g

sugar

11.7g

added sugar

6.9g

sodium

195mg

TAGS:

Tree Nuts, Dairy, Eggs, Heart-Healthy, Mediterranean, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Family-Friendly, Dessert
Lynn Griger photo

Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES

Medical Reviewer

Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988. 

Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.

Kelly Kennedy, RDN, LDN

Author

Kelly Kennedy is a licensed dietitian-nutritionist with over 14 years of experience in digital media. She previously managed and oversaw nutrition content, recipe development, meal planning, and diet and nutrition coaching at Everyday Health. She developed and reviewed various meal plans, books, slideshows, and online tools, and oversaw the creation of more than 500 unique recipes. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a master's degree from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.

Kennedy enjoys anything that takes her outside, from gardening and playing in the yard with her kids to hiking and even feeding her pet chickens.