Love high protein desserts? Try protein brownies, protein donuts, and protein muffins. You may love or hate cottage cheese, but it’s a fabulous addition to many delicious recipes. You may have seen it already on TikTok and social media, but cottage cheese ice cream is taking the internet by storm! This viral recipe uses cottage cheese blended with other ingredients to create a creamy frozen dessert.
Why I love this recipe
It’s low in calories. Cottage cheese is naturally a low-calorie food, with just 123 calories in one cup. This recipe uses two cups of cottage cheese and, with the added sweetener, comes to less than 300 calories. Quick and easy. All you do is blend everything up and freeze it- that is it! Just two ingredients. Maple syrup (or a liquid sweetener) and cottage cheese make up the base. Easy to customize. Like cottage cheese pudding, you can add crushed-up cookies, frozen fruit, or any mix-in of choice!
Ingredients needed
Cottage cheese. The signature ingredient for this frozen dessert! I prefer using whole milk cottage cheese (full-fat cottage cheese) as it yields a smoother and creamier texture, but low-fat varieties will also work. If you are lactose intolerant, you can use lactose-free cottage cheese or make my dairy-free cottage cheese. Maple syrup. Adds sweetness. You can substitute this for honey or agave nectar. Banana OR cashews. It is optional, but it helps keep the mixture extra rich and creamy and easier to scoop.
How to make cottage cheese ice cream
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 1- Blend. Add your cottage cheese and syrup to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If using bananas or cashews, add them in and blend them together. Fold through any mix-ins of choice. Step 2- Freeze. Transfer the ice cream mixture into a loaf pan or ice cream pan and cover completely. Freeze for an hour before scooping and serving.
Recipe tips and variations
Stir regularly. If you don’t add the banana or cashews, be sure to stir the mixture every 30 minutes for the first hour, to prevent it from icing up. Choose good quality cottage cheese. The taste and texture of your ice cream will largely depend on the quality of the cottage cheese you use. Look for cottage cheese that is smooth and creamy with a mild flavor. Blend very well. Blend the cottage cheese in a food processor or blender until it’s completely smooth to get a smooth consistency. We don’t want any clumps! Use an ice cream maker. If you own an ice cream maker, you can churn the mixture into a deliciously creamy dessert. Add a splash of vanilla extract. A little vanilla extract can add a subtle, sweet flavor to your ice cream. Change up the flavor. Cookies and cream, peanut butter, chocolate chip cookie dough, strawberry cheesecake, and chocolate are all fun options that need just a few tweaks.
Storage instructions
To freeze: Leftovers should always be kept in the freezer in a freezer-safe container. Do not freeze for more than a week. To thaw: Let the ice cream thaw for 5-10 minutes before scooping.
More high-protein recipes to try
Protein cookies Protein cheesecake Protein pudding Protein cookie dough Cottage cheese cheesecake
Originally published April 2023, updated March 2024
