Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

This high protein cottage cheese ice cream delivers 16 grams of protein per serving while tasting every bit like the real creamy, indulgent dessert. The entire base comes together in about 5 minutes of blending, then you just freeze it and wait. It is the post-workout treat that actually works in your favor. If you want another cottage cheese dessert to rotate with this, the Cottage Cheese Chocolate Mousse is a close second.

What Makes This Actually Good

• The cottage cheese completely disappears when you blend it long enough. You get the creaminess without any curdy texture or cheesy taste.
• 16 grams of protein per serving makes this one of the highest protein dessert options you can throw together on weeknight.
• Only 6 ingredients for the base and everything goes straight into a blender. There is no cooking or babysitting involved.
• The nut butter adds healthy fats that give it a rich, ice cream-like mouthfeel instead of freezing into a solid block.
• You can sweeten it however you prefer. Honey for natural sweetness, allulose if you want to keep the sugar lower.

Ingredients

• Cottage Cheese. Full fat (4%) gives you the creamiest result. Skim cottage cheese works but the texture will be thinner and less rich.
• Nut Butter. Cashew butter has the most neutral flavor. Almond butter adds a subtle sweetness that pairs well with chocolate.
• Honey. Start with 2 tablespoons and taste before adding more. It is easier to add more honey than to fix an overly sweet mixture.
• Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips. Fold them in after blending, not during. You want chunks, not melted chocolate everywhere.
• Vanilla Extract. A teaspoon of real vanilla extract makes a difference compared to the imitation stuff.
• Salt. A pinch goes a long way. It makes the sweetness and the vanilla actually taste like something instead of flat.

Reasons This Will Become a Regular

• 16 grams of protein per serving helps you recover after a workout while satisfying your sweet tooth at the same time.
• The base takes about 5 minutes to blend. The whole process takes less time than preheating an oven
• Cottage cheese is one of the cheapest high protein ingredients you can buy. This dessert costs pennies per serving compared to store bought.
• You can make it in individual mason jars and grab them from the freezer all week long. It is the kind of meal prep that actually tastes good
• The texture is close to real ice cream once it freezes. Most people have no idea cottage cheese is the main ingredient.
• Easy to customize with cocoa powder, peanut butter, fruit, or anything else you want to throw in. One base method, endless variations.

Pairing Ideas

• Sliced strawberries or banana (the classic ice cream combo that never gets old)
• Granola or protein crunch clusters (adds a nice contrast since the ice cream is so smooth)
• Graham cracker crumbs pressed into the bottom (turns it into a deconstructed cheesecake)
• A drizzle of warm brownie or mug cake (makes it a proper post-workout dessert spread)
• Overnight oats. The Banana Cream Protein Overnight Oats makes a great base to scoop this ice cream over for a fuller dessert.

Swaps and Substitutions

• Chocolate version. Add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cacao powder to the blender for a chocolate cottage cheese ice cream.
• Peanut butter cup. Use peanut butter instead of cashew butter and add a drizzle of chocolate on top after scooping.
• Berry swirl. Layer the frozen ice cream with a warm berry compote made from frozen berries and a touch of honey.
• Matcha green tea. Whisk 1-2 teaspoons of matcha powder into the blender along with the base ingredients for a unique flavor twist.
• Dairy-free. Swap cottage cheese for dairy-free cashew cream and use maple syrup instead of honey.
• If you want to try another high protein baked dessert, the Protein Banana Bread uses similar ingredients and freezes well too.

Things Worth Knowing

FAQs

Equipment Needed

• High Speed Blender or Food Processor
• Mason Jars
• Silicone Spatula

Recipe

Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

A creamy, high-protein ice cream made entirely in the blender. Cottage cheese replaces traditional ice cream bases for 16 grams of protein per serving with zero dairy taste.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 370

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

Base

• 2 cups 4% milk fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup neutral-tasting nut butter (cashew, almond etc)
• 2 to 4 tablespoons honey OR 1/2 cup natural sweetener (allulose and honey are preferred)

Optional Add-ins

• 2 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Optional Toppings

• Extra sugar-free chocolate chips

Directions

 

1. Add all of your ingredients except for your chocolate chips (if using) into a blender or food processor.
2. Blend until smooth. It depends on how powerful your blender is but it will take several minutes.
3. After it’s done blending, add in your chocolate chocolate chips and gently fold them in. Do not blend.
4. Take out a large bowl or a mason jar and pour your mixture into the mason jar. If your blender is not powerful enough and there are still chunks, pour your mixture through a fine sieve to get rid of some of the chunks.
5. Freeze it for at least 3-4 hours. You can optionally stir every hour to reduce iciness but that is not required.
6. After 3-4 hours, let it rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes before scooping.
7. Serve.

Video

Notes

Let it sit on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes before scooping – it firms up hard in the freezer.

Nutrition Facts