Cottage Cheese Cookies
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Published Jun 08, 2023, Updated Feb 20, 2024
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These high protein cottage cheese cookies are soft, chewy and made with only 7 ingredients. They’re gluten-free, egg-free, low sugar and have 8 grams of protein per cookie.
Get ready for your new cookie obsession… cottage cheese cookies!
Yes, you heard right… we’re making chocolate chip cookies with cottage cheese. And guess what? You can’t even taste the cottage cheese. Even Isaac (who isn’t a cottage cheese fan) loves them!
This recipe came together after I tried Jake Cohen’s amazing edible cottage cheese cookie dough. I wanted to create a recipe that could not only be enjoyed straight up as cookie dough but also as cookies. After some recipe tweaking and about 10 batches, I’m excited to be sharing this recipe with you today!
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- There are 8 grams of protein per cookie thanks to the cottage cheese and protein powder.
- They’re low in sugar and naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
- Kid-friendly and adult-approved. We all gobbled these cookies up, including Olivia.
- Super easy to make – no complicated steps involved! Simply blend, mix and bake.
- You only need 7 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
- They’re gluten-free, grain-free and egg-free.
Ingredients Needed
- cottage cheese – the star ingredient in these cookies! Cottage cheese makes the cookies nice and moist and adds a boost of protein. I used whole milk Good Culture cottage cheese, which is 4% milkfat and small curd. I recommend using 4% milkfat cottage cheese for the best results. And because cottage cheese has a higher sodium content there’s so need for added salt in this recipe.
- maple syrup – my favorite natural sweetener, giving the cookies a nice, subtle maple flavor.
- vanilla extract – a nice flavor enhancer.
- almond flour – a nutrient-dense flour that’s grain-free and gluten-free. It’s also what makes these cookies soft and chewy. One thing to note is that you can’t simply swap almond flour for all-purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio. Almond flour is just ground almond, which has totally different consistency (and fat/protein level) than traditional flour. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill super fine almond flour.
- coconut oil – helps keep the cookies moist.
- vanilla protein powder – adds more protein and vanilla flavor to these cookies. I tested these cookies with both Nuzest protein powder (use code eatingbirdfood for 15% off your order) and Sun Warrior Vanilla Warrior Blend and both batches turned out great.
- chocolate chips – I used Lily’s dark chocolate chips because they are sweetened with stevia and low in sugar, but you can use any brand you prefer.
How to Make
This cottage cheese cookie recipe is pretty straight-forward and easy to make!
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a blender, add the cottage cheese, maple syrup and vanilla and blend on high until smooth.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the almond flour and protein powder. Then add the coconut oil and cottage cheese mixture and stir until combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet using a medium cookie scoop and use your hands to flatten the cookies just a bit so they’re in a cookie shape. You can also roll the cookie dough into a ball and then use your hand to flatten for a more uniform shape.
Top the cookies with a few more chocolate chips and bake for about 15-16 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!
Why Was my Batter Runny/Why Did my Cookies Turn Out Flat?
There could be a few reasons why your cookies turned out flat or why your batter seemed to be super runny. First, it could have been the type of protein powder you used. Not all protein powders are created equally and some are more absorbent than others. Second, it could have been the type of cottage cheese you used. Some brands are more liquidy than others. I used both Good Culture and Trader Joe’s small curd 4% milkfat cottage cheese and didn’t have any issues with either of them.
If you notice that your dough seems pretty liquidy after mixing everything together, you could try adding 1/4-1/2 cup more almond flour to the dough to see if that helps. I did test this recipe with 2 cups almond flour and 1/4 cup protein powder and it turned out just fine for me.
Substitutions & Notes
- Sweetener: I haven’t tried it, but you should be able to swap the maple syrup with another liquid sweetener of choice like honey or agave.
- Flour: I’ve only tested this recipe with oat flour and it didn’t turn out that great as oat flour is much drier than almond flour, so I wouldn’t recommend using oat flour. I haven’t tried it, but coconut flour might work as a substitute, you probably just wouldn’t need as much flour because coconut flour is super absorbent and can’t be subbed 1:1 with other flours.
- Protein powder: If you don’t have protein powder on hand or just aren’t a fan you could try replacing some of the protein powder with more almond flour. I haven’t tried it, but I would start with 2 cups of almond flour if you are skipping the protein powder.
- Oil: If you don’t have coconut oil, melted butter or another neutral oil like olive oil or avocado oil can be used instead.
How to Store
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, place them in the refrigerator for about a week.
You could also freeze them for up to 3 months. Just thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before enjoying!
FAQ’s
Totally! They’re low in sugar, have no artificial ingredients and one cookie is packed with 8 grams of protein each, so they’re definitely healthy in my book!
The type of cottage cheese you use is up to personal preference or what you have available in your grocery stores. I personally like to use organic dairy products free from antibiotics and hormones (like rbST). If you’re looking for good organic cottage cheese brands I recommend Good Culture, Organic Valley and Kalona SuperNatural. I also tested this recipe with Trader Joe’s full-fat cottage cheese.
I recommend using a plant-based protein powder with minimal ingredients. I tested both Sun Warrior and Nuzest protein powder and both worked great. Neither of them have a chalky taste and the ingredient list is minimal. You really can’t taste the protein powder in these cookies at all and they have a great texture! I haven’t tested these cookies with a whey protein or hemp protein blend so I’m not sure if the consistency would change at all. Let me know if you try any of these options in the comments below!
Unfortunately, I don’t recommend swapping the almond flour for another flour as it’ll likely change the consistency and texture of these cookies. I tested these cookies with oat flour and they turned out dry and didn’t have the best texture. I am curious to see how coconut flour works, but I haven’t tested it yet.
Since cottage cheese is the main ingredient in this cookie recipe, there isn’t a good substitute for it. Greek yogurt might work, but I’m not sure how the consistency or flavor of these cookies will be.
Unfortunately not since cottage cheese is made with dairy. If you’re looking for a vegan protein cookie recipe you could make these protein cookies instead.
I haven’t tested it, but I bet you can sub the protein powder with more almond flour. I would test it with 2 cups almond flour if you skip the protein powder, but again I haven’t tried it so am not 100% sure how the cookies will turn out.
More Cottage Cheese Recipes
- Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough
- Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
- Cottage Cheese Smoothie
- High Protein Cottage Cheese Oatmeal
- Frozen Cottage Cheese Bark
- Banana Cottage Cheese Pancakes
- Cottage Cheese Pancakes
More Cookie Recipes
- Protein Cookies
- Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Cookies
- Lemon Almond Flour Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Be sure to check out all of the cottage cheese recipes and the full collection of cookie recipes here on EBF!
Cottage Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup 4% milkfat cottage cheese, I used whole milk Good Culture cottage cheese
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder, I used Nuzest
- ½ cup chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a blender, add the cottage cheese, maple syrup and vanilla. Blend on high until smooth.
- In a mixing bowl combine almond flour and protein powder. Add the coconut oil and cottage cheese mixture. Stir until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop dough onto a prepared baking sheet using a medium cookie scoop and use your hands to flatten the cookies just a bit so they’re in a cookie shape. You can also roll the cookie dough into a ball and then use your hand to flatter for a more uniform shape. Add a couple more chocolate chips on top of each cookie.
- Bake for about 15-16 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s like you were in our house last night when my teenager said “I like the Jake Cohen cookie dough, but I wish you could make actual cookies!”
Ahh, perfect timing! I hope you love these, they are SO good!
I’m not sure what happened but my dough came out way more runny. More like a cake batter consistency. Should the almond flour be packed in the measuring cup?
Hi – If you notice that your dough seems pretty liquidy after mixing everything together, you could try adding 1/4-1/2 cup more almond flour to the dough to see if that helps.
I had the same problem. even after another 1 cup of almond flour it was still like a cake batter consistency. hopefully they turn out ok
Hey Kelly – How’d they turn out? And what brand of cottage cheese and protein powder did you use?
I love this recipe thank you so much!
I swapped almond flour for hazelnut flour and it was incredible!
The only thing I would suggest is to add in the recipe to use unsweetened vanilla protein powder.
I forgot that mine was sweetened with Monk fruit and it came out way too sweet for my taste.
YUM! Sounds amazing, Sonia. Yes, I definitely recommend an unsweetened protein powder. Glad these cookies turned out great for you. Appreciate your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
Delicious! Much less dry than most almond flour/gluten free cookies!!
Yay! I am so glad you are loving this recipe, Janice. Thank you so much for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
Can you sub the maple syrup for something to lower the carbs? Any idea how many carbs if a recommended substitute is used? Thank you!
Hi Lynn – You can use any sweetener you prefer and I would recommend putting the ingredients into a nutritional calculator with the adjusted ingredients. Enjoy!
I need to find a way to make these without the protein powder. According to my calculations it would be $2.62 for that ingredient for the single recipe and I don’t have another use for it. Is there a way to make this recipe without? Thanks!
Hi Bonnie – You can add more almond flour to replace the protein powder. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
I want to try these but I only have 2% cottage cheese. Do you think that will work?
I haven’t tried it with 2%, but it should work. Let me know how they turn out!
I used 2% and they turned out great!
Great to know, Andrea. Thanks for sharing!
What would you suggest as a replacement for protein powder? Or, would this work if it is simply left out?
Hi Sara – You could add additional almond flour to replace the protein powder. Let me know how this recipe turns out for you!
I wonder if you could replace the protein powder with the PB2 peanut butter? Have you ever baked with it?
Hi Nora – I am not sure I would replace the protein powder with PB2 but you could definitely add some into the cottage cheese mixture for more of a peanut butter flavor. If you want to replace the protein, you could add in additional almond flour. Enjoy!
I know this is an old post, but this was my question, and if you tried PB2, please share how it turned out. Thanks!
Thank you for the recipe. Pretty good, relatively speaking. We are new to grain-free living. I think I need to try a different flour? My almond flour seems to be less like flour and more like the consistency of sawdust.
Do these need to be refrigerated? Just wondering if the cottage cheese is ok to sit out.
Oh no!! Did you use blanched super fine almond flour? How did the cookies turn out overall? These cookies can be stored at room temp for 2-3 days. For longer storage you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge!
I want to make these tomorrow but am running low on protein powder could I do half collagen powder (unflavored)? Excited to try these!
Hey Leah! That would probably work just fine. You might want to add a splash of vanilla extract to the batter since the vanilla protein powder adds a nice vanilla flavor. Definitely come back and let me know if you try it and how the cookies turn out!
Hi, I just had to try these. They are not like your average fattening cookies but they are very good. Will help me with my cookie cravings and not feel guilty….with moderation of course! I didn’t have protein powder, ran out, but used oat flour in its place..will make again with protein powder. Still very tasty! I’m looking forward to trying your other cookie recipes. Thank you!!
YUM! I am so glad you are enjoying this recipe, Suzy. Instead of protein powder, I would recommend subbing additional almond flour. Oat flour doesn’t work the best for the texture of these cookies. Thanks for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
I had issues with watery dough too
Added extra flour, protein powder, and some oats
They ended up baking up ok
I love your site and recipes though
I’ve never had any issues before this
What type of cottage cheese did you use?
If I want to make these and use as edible cookie dough, do I skip the flour?
Hi Jas – I have a recipe for the cottage cheese cookie dough HERE! Enjoy!
That link takes you to The Anthropologie Colette Denim Shorts page.
Haha thanks for catching that, Karen. Just updated the link!
Thank you. This recipe is delightful. Texture and flavor A+. You have really helped me! (Just FYI, a bit of ocara flour can help with moisture, and adds protein. Mine came out great.
Ah this is great, thanks so much for the tip, Karen, I am so glad these cookies turned out great for you. I appreciate you coming back and sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
I have made these 3 times now. They are always very wet so I add a little protein powder and almond flour. They still don’t look like yours but they taste good and they don’t really spread. I feel like the full fat cottage cheese works better. I just use about half a scoop or so of the dough and put directly on parchment. No shaping. You can move it around with the scoop to even it out. They taste good and others tend to like them as well. As a bariactric patient I struggle with getting enough protein so this really helps.
Thank you SO much for your feedback, Michelle. I am so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! Thank you for your review + star rating, I so appreciate it!
I just picked up the Good brands lactose free 2% cottage cheese. Do you think it would work in this recipe?
Hi Jessica – I haven’t tested this recipe with lactose free cc, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let me know how these turn out for you, enjoy!
Is there a sub for the cottage cheese?
Ricotta chz, cream cheese are good cottage cheese substitutes. They use these substitutes for baking all the time.
To flatten the cookies 🍪 use bottom of jelly pint jar works nicely.
Hi! I haven’t tested this recipe with a sub for the cottage cheese, possibly yogurt, I can’t say for sure because I haven’t tried it. So sorry!
I was skeptical, but these turned out great! I did use 1% cottage cheese bc that is what I had and still turned out perfect!
Yay! So glad you loved these cookies, Heather! Thanks for making this recipe and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
These are yummy! Toddler approved too!
I did have to use 1/2 cup more almond flour but that could be because mine was super fine grain. I only had low-fat cottage cheese on hand and it worked well! Here for the cottage cheese obsession craze, I love cottage cheese!
Yay! So glad these cookies were a hit, Bianca! Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Can I use applesauce instead of coconut oil?
I’m not sure as I haven’t tested it! Definitely let me know if you end up trying it and how these cookies turn out.
Nope. the flavor of the protein powder comes through so much. skip it. just use almond flour.
I was so disappointed in this recipe.
Hi Monica – I am sorry to hear you aren’t loving these. What type of protein powder did you use? Sounds like that could be the issue. I recommend Nuzest, Clean Simple Eats or Sun Warrior protein powder for best results.
Think you could substitute instant vanilla pudding mix(sugar free) for the protein powder?
Hi Craig – I haven’t tried it but if you want to replace the protein powder, I would recommend adding more almond flour. Can’t wait to hear how these turn out!
Apologies, but these were horrible. An unappealing aftertaste from the cottage cheese. I really tried to give this a chance, and let’s just say, it was a waste of chocolate chips.
Oh no! I am so sorry these did not turn out the way you had hoped, Tanya. What kind of cottage cheese did you use?
Nutrition Facts
Servings 14.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 130
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9 g 14 %
Saturated Fat 4 g 19 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 3 mg 1 %
Sodium 68 mg 3 %
Potassium 53 mg 2 %
Total Carbohydrate 11 g 4 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g 16 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 5 g 9 %
I got different stats than you through MyFitnessPall using these ingredients (although you do not say how many cookies this yields – but in your photos there are 14.
1 cup, Cottage Cheese 4% Milkfat
1 tsp(s), Vanilla Extract
1 cup, Almond Flour
2 tablespoon, Coconut oil
0.25 cup(s), Maple Syrup
4 ounce, Vanilla Protein Powder
4 oz(s), Dark Chocolate Baking Chips
Hi Donna – I do mention that this recipe makes 15 cookies.Something seems off on your calculations because you have 0g of sugar and this recipe calls for maple syrup. The nutritional info will be dependent on the brand of cottage cheese, protein powder, etc. that you use for this recipe.
Okay so I did not have vanilla p.p but I had chocolate p.p & used that. Did not have coconut oil so I used walnut oil instead.
I ended up baking them for 25 minutes but I make bigger cookies. I am really trying to watch my cholesterol and sugar intake and have been wanting to make these. My husband loved them! Shocking- he is a sugar-aholic most of the time. Working hard on us both to eat better. This is my third recipe I have made from “eating bird food.com”
Thank you-
Hi Pam! This seriously makes me so happy to hear. I am so glad you and your husband are loving these cookies and they turned out great for you. Thank you so much for sharing your review & star rating, it means the world to me!
I went into this recipient with high hopes for a healthy guilt free desert item. Unfortunately this turned out to be probably the worst thing to ever come out of my kitchen. They had a glossy plastic appearance, an extremely unpleasant texture, and just tasted awful. I will not be cooking with cottage cheese or protein powder in the future.
Hi Chris – I am so sorry to hear that these cookies did not turn out the way you had hoped. Did you happen to change anything about the recipe? What type of cottage cheese, almond flour and protein powder did you use?
Great cookies for my grandsons! I added a small scoop (tablespoon) of almond butter and this puts these cookies over the top.
YUM! That sounds like the perfect addition, Millie. I am so glad you and your grandsons are enjoying these cookies and they turned out great for you. Thanks for your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
Just made using 2% fat cottage cheese because it is what I had and Truvani vanilla protein powder. Turned out amazing! So delicious !❤️
YAY! I am so glad you are loving these cookies, Melissa. Thanks so much for giving them a try and sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
I loved these cookies so much I decided to try a spice version. I added ground clove and ground cinnamon; substituted raisins for the chocolate chips and cut make maple syrup by approximately a tablespoon and added molasses. Turned out GREAT! Thank you again for a great recipe!❤️
Take this off your site. These are terrible. Had to bake for a 20 more than the recipe called for. They are not satisfying at all. I recommend either taking this off the site or testing these again with an egg or other.
Just bad.
Hi – I am so sorry these did not turn out for you. Did you change anything about the recipe?
They came out doughy, I think this recipe needs baking powder
Hi A.Z – did you change anything about the recipe? What was the texture of the dough before baking?
These cookies turned out really well. I only wish I had coconut oil. I had to use olive oil, which I will not do again. I also added a heaping tablespoon of ground flaxseed, which always makes GF baked goods taste better in my opinion. 😊
WOO! I am so glad you loved these cookies, AJ! You could also sub butter for coconut oil, that might work better. Thanks for sharing your review & star rating, I appreciate it!
Loved these. Moist and delicious. I used a high fiber, sweetened protein powder so next time I will cut back slightly on the maple syrup. Otherwise, loved!
YUM! So glad you gave these a try and are loving these pancakes, Teresa. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I appreciate it so much!
I tried this recipe, quite tasty! I’ve got a question thou, the dough turned out very sticky so it was not easy to shape them into cookies. Was yours sticky too? I reduced maple syrup to 2 tea spoons instead of the amount the recipe calls for, maybe that could be the reason?
Hi Ella – I am SO glad you enjoyed this recipe. Did you change anything about the recipe? What type of almond flour did you use?
Can we use olive oil instead of coconut oil
I would probably recommend melted butter instead of coconut oil, but oil might work. I haven’t tried either. Let me know how it turns out.
These were amazing! I doubled recipe, added half a stick of melted butter, instead of coconut oil, and I added an egg and chopped walnuts for even more protein. They were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I this will be my go to recipe from now on!
Delicious! I am so glad you gave these a try and are loving them. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
These are always a favorite at our house. This time I used oat milk instead of maple syrup, halved the chocolate chips and added walnuts for decreased sugar/calories and added protein. They were so so good with even less guilt. Highly recommend.
YUM! I am so glad you are loving these cookies are they are a hit for your family, Brennan. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!