Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese versatile enough to be used both in savory and dessert recipes. It offers a high-fat, low-carb option for the ketogenic diet, thanks to being made from whole milk.
The lack of added sugar makes it useful when trying to lose weight too. Moreover, cottage cheese has long been known as a food that satisfies for longer.
However, not all brands are healthy, even though the fromage is normally keto and low carb. Some companies add maltodextrin and MSG so the product’s shelf life lasts longer. These ingredients cause inflammation and blood sugar irregularity.
Focus on organic ones instead — and don’t opt for low-fat varieties either; these usually have added sugar to enhance flavoring. Healthy brands include Kalona Super Natural, Westby Organic, Full Circle Organic and Wegmans amongst others.
Why Cottage Cheese is An Easy Keto and Low-carb Ingredient
Dairy itself contains fat that helps you remain in ketosis, but if you’re looking for fullness or satisfaction then yogurt or cottage cheese appears ideal.
This is why many weight loss diets use cottage cheese so extensively as an ingredient — because of its properties plus there are some great nutrients contained within which we’ll get into below.
But be cautious with your selections because calories vary depending on the type of cottage. For example, 4% full fat has 98 calories and 6g carbs net; while nonfat has 72 calories and 14g net carbs per cup.
Safe to say that besides high fat being the best (as ever), consuming once daily is a sufficient amount needed by most people to receive benefits from nutrient profile/variety.
Also Read: How to Stay Keto While Traveling
It’s Low in Carbs But Packed with Protein
You’d never think so considering how light/fresh the cheese is, but cottage cheese has a lot of nutrients – protein being the main.
In a cup, there are 24.4g of protein which — when you consider that ketogenic dieters require approx. 75g daily —is a fair proportion. Furthermore, it’s packed with healthy fats – the cornerstone to your low-carb and keto way of eating.
Also, you get nearly 50% of the daily value of Vitamin B2 if consumed. The nutrition facts make it an excellent way to boost energy and avoid migraines/fatigue/depression/liver issues all linked with not enough riboflavin (B2) in the diet.
It’s Versatile – Use Cottage Cheese in Sweet and Savory Recipes
Don’t let the fact that it is a cheese fool you – you can both do savory and sweet recipes with cottage cheese because of its mild flavor.
Its creamy texture opens up a world of possibilities, and its slightly sour taste means it pairs well with just about anything.
Whether you’re using it to add richness to a casserole or as the base for homemade ice cream, the creamy cottage cheese makes your dishes more interesting.
It’s Keto-Friendly and Budget-Friendly
Wondering why use cottage cheese in recipes? Here are two reasons: It’s keto and budget-friendly.
Keto dieters mostly love fat and low-net carb food. Cottage cheese is perfect considering it has only 7 grams of net carbs per cup but packs almost 13g of protein.
And wallet-wise? Cottage cheese is generally cheaper than other cheeses. That means you can buy bags and bags of the stuff with no harm to your bank account.
Savory Low-Carb Cottage Cheese Recipes for Keto
Given that cottage cheese has a delicate flavor profile and some people think it’s way too bland; we wanted to provide low-carb recipes inspired by keto living that show off our star ingredient’s range.
The key here was finding ways to bring complexity without adding too much extra carb for those counting their macros.
Keto Cottage Cheese Pancakes Made with Almond Flour
Keto cottage cheese pancakes are the perfect healthy breakfast option – they’re gluten-free (made with almond flour), so no bloating or weight gain here. Plus, very low in carbs (just 2g net carbs per pancake).
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp sweetener
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ⅓ cup cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs
- A pinch of salt
Blend all ingredients together until smooth; then either fry spoonfuls on a skillet or use a mini-pancake maker if you have one. Serve topped with berries/avocado/eggs/sugar-free syrup/nuts – whatever you fancy!
Crispy Cottage Cheese Lasagna Rolls
This keto-friendly lasagna recipe takes a traditional Italian favorite and makes it easy low carb. Instead of pasta, we’re using zucchini (or egg white wraps).
Ingredients:
- Zucchini (thinly sliced) or egg white wraps
- Ricotta cheese
- Spinach
- Homemade or low-carb marinara sauce
- Parmesan cheese
Stuff the zucchini with a spinach-ricotta mixture; roll up tightly, put in a baking dish, and cover with marinara sauce. Add parmesan on top gets crispy and bake it for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Cheesy Cottage Cheese Omelet or Breakfast Bowl
In a rush? Make an omelet! Fill with seasoned cottage cheese — salt, pepper, and olive oil are hard to beat.
But if you feel inspired, go all out for this perfectly healthy and delicious breakfast cottage cheese bowl: literally, just serve the cottage cheese in a bowl and top with everything else.
Ingredients:
- Cottage cheese
- Hard-boiled egg
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Walnuts (optional)
Each breakfast bowl has only 12g net carbs so you can customize by adding whatever keto ingredients you want: veggies, nuts if you like, another protein source (like boiled eggs) and some seasonings like sea salt or black pepper.
Sweet Keto Cottage Cheese Recipes Readers Will Love
Got a sweet tooth? Wondering if it’s possible to make cottage cheese taste good enough to eat as a dessert without tons of added sugar? Short answer: Yes! Here’s how to turn that salty stuff into something sweet!
Chocolate Cottage Cheese Pudding
If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth with minimum effort, this is the easiest recipe. For all recipes hereafter, use monk fruit sweetener if possible — it has no residual bitter taste and doesn’t interfere with flavor (but feel free to add any sweetener you like).
Ingredients:
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp sweetener
- A pinch of cinnamon
The easiest way is to blend all 4 ingredients to make a velvety consistency. Serve in little dessert cups if you want and refrigerate for at least two hours before eating. Sprinkle cinnamon or cocoa on top for the final touch and you’re ready to go.
Fresh Berries with Whipped Cottage Cheese
This recipe is highly customizable and so easy to make it can be your go-to sweet breakfast in no time! It takes a bit longer than the previous cottage cheese recipe, but it’s still not complicated.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup full-fat cottage cheese
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sweetener
Just add everything into a food processor and blend until smooth. You’ll want to put it in the fridge if you like a firmer texture.
When it’s ready to eat, top it with fresh berries or walnuts. If you prefer, add peanut butter, cocoa powder, or sugar-free jam for extra flavor when whipping.
Cottage Cheese Parfaits with Nuts and Seeds
For this refreshing parfait-style dish, all you need are some glass cups and pilling up skills – there’s no cooking involved at all!
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup cottage cheese
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 8 drops of liquid sweetener
- ½ blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- ½ tsp shredded coconut flakes
Blend cottage cheese with cinnamon and sweetener until smooth using a food processor.
Layer the ingredients – mid-term layers of cottage cream, berries, and coconut – then refrigerate overnight if desired. Enjoy!
Tips for Cooking and Baking with Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is packed full of nutrients and minerals, but many people don’t enjoy its taste or texture – or don’t even know what to do with it!
This cheese is versatile, which is why I love it so much. Whether you’re making something savory or sweet, there are lots of different ways to use this ingredient because of how flexible it is when cooked/baked.
Many people substitute cottage for ricotta cheese since they’re quite similar. However, if you’re doing keto dieting that won’t work as ricotta has way more calories than cottage (e.g. 100g/1 cup/250ml has 174 calories).
Cream cheese is another option for recipe substitution as an alternative for those who don’t mind that slightly different texture. Still, cream cheese is the best alternative to cottage, since 1 oz /28g contains approx.: 1g carbs /2g protein /8g fat.
That said if you love cottage cheese… Here are my tips for getting used to it and including it more naturally in your diet.
Drain Well for a Thicker Texture
For some people, the smooth texture of cottage cheese is a turn-off. But it’s possible to make it firmer.
The creaminess in cottage cheese comes from its moisture, so the solution to thickening it up is simple: remove some of that liquid.
To do this, you can drain the cheese through a clean dishrag or cheesecloth. Simply put the cheese in the cloth and squish until there are drier curds.
The milk whey that comes out during this process also contains protein – don’t waste it! You can use this leftover part of milk for recipes or nourish your plants and pets.
Start Slowly – Cottage Cheese Has a Distinct Flavor
Famous for its mild flavor, slightly acidic, and certainly quite salty; because of it, some people find this cheese sketchy/off-putting. If you feel like it, try to slowly incorporate it into your meals.
Whether struggling or not with texture issues, if you feel like adding cottage cheese daily because it’s nutritious, here are some ways to do so:
- Top your salads with cottage
- Mix it into evaporated milk to make pasta/lasagna sauce
- Use it as filling for your omelets alongside spinach
- Make scrambled eggs with cottage cheese instead of mozzarella/other cheese
- Turn it into a pudding/parfait/smoothie
Use in Savory Dishes Like Casseroles and Dips
There’s another way to get used to eating something iffy like a plain-flavored cottage: hide its presence within dishes very similar both texturally and flavor-wise.
Casserole? That’s nothing more than a crustless quiche and an easy keto dish that tastes delicious.
Its texture is pretty much like plain-flavored 100% fat-free cottage cheese, hence you won’t feel much of a difference. Plus, it’s heavy on ingredients and flavors anyway – so the presence of this specific cheese will be barely noticeable.
Another option is transforming your cottage into a dip. There are lots of savory types to choose from: Hungarian, with chives, ranch-style, high-protein, etc.
All the ingredients will get mixed together anyway – you’ll get a nice smooth texture in any case.
Best for the Last: The Best Keto Cottage Cheese Recipe
Given its adaptability and high nutritional content, cottage cheese works well in both sweet and savory keto recipes. Now it’s time to round up the best (and not-so-great) cottage cheese dishes and snacks. Let’s hear it for…
- Keto cottage cheese pancakes
Previously mentioned, but worth mentioning again. This pancake — which uses almond flour and eggs in its batter — makes an excellent breakfast or lunch option.
High in protein, low in carbs, and perfect if you’re pining for a traditional American breakfast. Top with fresh berries or even an egg if you like.
- Cottage cheese breakfast bowl
Also previously mentioned, is the cottage cheese bowl – a quick ‘n’ easy breakfast when you’re pushed for time. Just mix your choice of cheese with veggies/fruit/a source of protein etc.
Because it can be adapted according to taste – or to what’s available in your fridge –it’s highly improbable to get bored of these.
- Cheesecake
If we think about cheesecake recipes under normal circumstances, most have used cream cheese at some point. Don’t misunderstand me: still allowed to eat cream cheese under a keto diet.
But not our adapted version featuring our favorite type of curds.
With few changes and the same taste, you’ll have a high-protein dessert that just fits in your parties or family dinners.
- Smoothie
This low-carb cottage cheese smoothie — better called a shake — is keto-acceptable/lower-carb and delivers high levels of vitamins/protein/nutrients.
Pick any cottage cheese type you like – although full-fat might make more sense here, considering that other types are sourer-tasting than this one.
Blend the cottage plus half frozen banana/half cup frozen raspberries/3 tbsp almond milk.
Using less almond milk will give you a deliciously thick and creamy texture. But if you’d prefer something different, add more of the almond milk until you get it.
Also Read: Keto Electrolyte Drink Recipe
- Lasagna
Sometimes all we need is a good pasta dish, packed with cheese and marinara sauce. Unfortunately, the traditional thing isn’t an option on keto. Luckily, this low-carb version is just as satisfying.
All you have to do is use zucchini instead of pasta. You can still keep the mozzarella cheese – but cottage cheese works even better. You get bigger portions (and proteins) than with mozzarella.
- Cottage cheese chips
Of all of these healthy snacks that are low in fat, these are probably my favorite.
Making high-protein chips out of full-fat cottage cheese couldn’t be easier: Just season your cottage cheese however you like; dollop small portions onto a parchment-lined plate. Microwave for two minutes or until fully golden brown; then let them sit so they turn crispy and delicious.
- Casserole
A protein-packed cottage cheese egg baking perfect for breakfast: It’s essentially a quiche, and will keep you feeling satisfied – energized from its protein hit – ‘till lunchtime.
Like the other recipes here, it’s easy to make and delicious. Besides, it doesn’t require any unusual ingredients and tastes indulgent – just because something says “low carb” doesn’t mean it is flavorless.
- Extra: cottage cheese ice cream
If you’re wondering “is cottage cheese ice cream any good?” … Well, just as much as the traditional!
This simple viral cottage cheese ice cream recipe blew up social media because not only does it look like real ice cream but it’s also a high in protein proper cheat food!
Just blend full-fat (not low-fat!) cottage cheese plus some allulose or sugar-free keto syrup (to help with texture).
Try mixing in peanut butter or cocoa powder; maybe jamming your freezer-friendly dessert with a vessel of nuts or cacao nibs!
