Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
70
Published Apr 18, 2023, Updated Jul 17, 2023
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
You only need 4 simple ingredients to make this viral cottage cheese ice cream! It’s super creamy, thick and packed with over 20 grams of protein!
Cottage cheese ice cream has gone completely viral thanks to Lainie Cooks on TikTok. I shared a version on Instagram and after seeing so many of you make (and love it), I knew I had to get the recipe up on the blog!
There are many different variations out there, but the base is just 2 simple ingredients: cottage cheese and honey! The version I’m sharing also has peanut butter and chocolate chips and the combo is seriously so good.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a high-protein dessert or snack that’s packed with over 20 grams of protein per serving!
- It comes together quickly with just 4 simple ingredients!
- No ice cream maker required!
- Can easily be customized to make your favorite ice cream flavor.
Ingredients Needed
- cottage cheese – the key component of this recipe, providing a creamy texture and rich flavor with plenty of protein. I used full-fat Good Culture cottage cheese, but low-fat will work as well. Full fat will definitely be creamier though!
- honey – for the sweetener we’re using honey, which I think pairs nicely with the cottage cheese. Feel free to swap the honey with maple syrup or your preferred liquid sweetener.
- peanut butter – brings a nutty flavor and adds a touch more protein to this recipe! I like the flavor combo of peanut butter, honey and cottage cheese, but if you have a peanut allergy or aren’t a fan of peanut butter feel free to use almond butter or any nut/seed butter of choice.
- chocolate chips – a delicious addition that adds some crunch and chocolatey goodness to the ice cream. I like to use Lily’s dark chocolate chips because they are sweetened with stevia and low in sugar.
How to Make
Blend: Add cottage cheese, honey and peanut butter to a food processor or high-speed blender and pulse/process until smooth and creamy. Stir in chocolate chips.
Freeze: Add cottage cheese ice cream mixture back into the cottage cheese container or to a loaf pan and place in the freezer for about 4 hours, or until hard.
Serve: Remove from the freezer and let thaw for 5-10 minutes, just until you can easily scoop it. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop into bowls and enjoy.
How to Serve
- In a bowl or cone: Scoop the ice cream into a bowl or an ice cream cone and enjoy it as you would with any other ice cream.
- Toppings: Get creative with your favorite toppings, such as fresh fruit, chopped nuts, granola, or a drizzle of honey or chocolate sauce. See some more ideas below!
- Parfait-style: Layer the ice cream with fresh fruit, yogurt, or whipped cream for a delicious and visually appealing treat.
- Sandwich: Place a scoop of the ice cream between two cookies or waffles for a fun and satisfying dessert.
Flavor Variations
There are so many ways to get creative with this cottage cheese ice cream and create different flavors. Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Chocolate: Add in 1/2-1 Tablespoon cacao powder or cocoa powder plus the chocolate chips or cacao nibs for a chocolatey treat!
- Fruity: Blend in your favorite frozen fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, bananas, mango or peaches for a fruity twist. You could also add a swirl of your favorite jam or this strawberry chia jam!
- Nutty: Swap the chocolate chips for chopped nuts like almonds, pecans, walnuts or pistachios.
- Spiced: Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or pumpkin pie spice for a warm and comforting taste.
- Coffee: Mix in a shot of espresso or a spoonful of instant coffee powder for a delightful coffee-flavored ice cream.
- Vanilla: Add vanilla bean paste from 1/2 – 1 vanilla bean pod or vanilla extract for vanilla goodness.
- Strawberry cheesecake: Add some frozen or fresh strawberries and crushed graham crackers for a delicious strawberry cheesecake combo!
How to Store
In the freezer: Transfer the cottage cheese ice cream to an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Be sure to cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap before sealing the container to prevent ice crystals from forming.
Thawing: Allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before scooping and serving. This will make it easier to scoop and provide a creamier texture.
FAQ’s
The type of cottage cheese you use is up to personal preference. 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 Nancy’s. I also like Friendship Diaries no salt added, small curd 1% cottage cheese (in the red container). Cottage cheese tends to be really high in sodium so I like that this variety is a little lower than your typical brands. Unfortunately, this brand isn’t organic.
You better believe it! This ice cream is made with minimal, good-for-you ingredients and has no refined sugar or artificial preservatives. It has more fiber and less sugar than traditional ice cream but is still absolutely delicious.
With 22 grams of protein per serving it can help balance your blood sugar and leave you feeling satisfied instead of hungry for more. If you’re someone like me who could easily eat a whole pint of ice cream in one sitting, this recipe is definitely for you.
More Ice Cream Recipes
- Mint Chip Avocado Ice Cream
- Healthy Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
- Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Ice Cream
- Healthy Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Bars
- High Protein Ice Cream
- One Ingredient Banana Ice Cream
More Frozen Treats
- 2-Ingredient Banana Frozen Yogurt
- Strawberry Coconut Milk Sorbet
- Chocolate Strawberry Banana Yogurt Clusters
- 3-Ingredient Blueberry Frozen Yogurt
- Frozen Yogurt Bark with Berries
- Frozen Cottage Cheese Bark
- Frozen Banana Snickers
- Greek Yogurt Popsicles
- Chocolate Covered Banana Pops
- Chocolate Covered Frozen Raspberries
Be sure to check out all of the cottage cheese recipes as well as the full collection of dessert recipes on EBF!
Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups (16 oz) full fat cottage cheese, I used Good Culture
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 Tablespoons chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add cottage cheese, honey and peanut butter to a food processor or high powered blender and pulse/process until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Add mixture back into the cottage cheese container or a loaf pan and place in the freezer for about 4 hours, or until hard.
- Remove from the freezer, let thaw for 5-10 minutes, just until you can easily scoop it. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop into bowls and enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is so delicious! I am now hooked on creating different flavors. I love how you use actual honey and organic cottage cheese, makes this dish so pure and healthy, no added chemical sweeteners to harm us.
I have a small inexpensive food processor which works perfectly with this, it takes about two whole minutes in it to cut down on any graininess,
I also think adding vanilla cuts down on any cottage cheese taste, if you don’t like that taste.
I also have eaten this ice cream as a pudding, just put it in the fridge after mixing up to get it nice and cold.
Or just putting it in the freezer to get really cold, not frozen hard.
Another way I have been making it tastes like delicious cheesecake pudding. I’ve added dried cherries, walnuts, and I am going to try more, thank you so much for this healthy delicious recipe!!
I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Nance!! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
I made this late this afternoon. The batter tastes great! I added cinnamon to the batter. I let it set in the freezer about 1 and 1/2 hours, then I checked it. It is not frozen as to be expected with the lack of freezer time. But it is delicous! More like thick pudding or soft serve ice cream. I also like the amount it makes. Perfect for single people or 2-3 people. Little cost and healthier for you. I have shared this recipe to friends.
This is great, Rhonda. Thank you so much for sharing, I am glad you’re enjoying this recipe!
I can’t wait to try this! Do you think using coconut oil or coconut butter would give it more of a coconut base flavor?
Thanks!
Sarah
Hi Sarah – Maybe coconut milk? I haven’t tested this recipe with it though so I am not sure how it would turn out. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out!
I tried the strawberry cheesecake version today and it was amazing! I prefer softer ice cream and I didn’t want to wait for it to thaw, so after letting it freeze for 4 hours, I ran it through the food processor again with a little almond milk. The texture was PERFECT and I didn’t have any wait time! Mixed in some fresh strawberries and graham crackers after all of that and it masked any cottage cheese taste completely! Will definitely be making this again
WOW! This sounds absolutely delicious, Kennedy! I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and I really appreciate you sharing your version. Thank you for your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
this appears to be very intriguing and helpful to my goal of losing the last 20 or 30 lbs to achieve my last goal!
Congratulations! Hope you enjoy this ice cream!
I have not made this yet but had a question. do you use natural unsweetened peanut butter or “Jiff” with the added sugar?
I always use a natural pb with just peanuts and salt! Hope you love this recipe. 🙂
I added a little milk to help put in a container freeze did i mess up?
That shouldn’t. Was it super thick?
Can I use low fat cottage cheese? I just made it and waiting for it to freeze! Hope it’ll still be good. Just on a low fat diet
You can totally use low fat cottage cheese, it just won’t be as creamy. Let me know how it turned out for you!
How do you feel about this recipe being used for breakfast? I’m looking for a way to incorporate cottage cheese into my diet (preferably at breakfast), while hiding any hint of what it actually tastes like! Any other recommendations, or why you wouldn’t? Thank you!
Hi! I have lots of cottage cheese recipes on my site that include the protein, but not so much the flavor of cottage cheese. I would recommend my banana cottage cheese pancakes, cottage cheese smoothie or my cottage cheese overnight oats. Can’t wait to hear which one you try and what you think of them!