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These Cottage Cheese Cookies are packed with flavor and protein. Soft, chewy and oh so delicious, you will never guess they are also low carb, keto, gluten-free and perfect for weight loss.
Welcome to cottage cheese cookies, the latest of a long series of desserts with cottage cheese. After cottage cheese brownies, cottage cheese banana bread and chocolate cottage cheese ice cream, it was time for some cookies. This recipe is actually a combination of my cottage cheese cookie dough and my protein cookies with Greek yogurt.
Have a bite and you’ll instantly get hooked. They’re soft and chewy like American cookies, with a rich sweet flavor. And no, they don’t taste like cheese.
Recipe ingredients
- Cottage cheese. I recommend small curd cottage cheese from whole milk, but you can also make cookies with low fat cottage cheese. Just keep in mind that the higher the fat content, the tastier your cookies. Anything between 2% and 4% fat is great.
- Egg. A large whole egg binds the dough, improves flavors and adds more protein.
- Granulated sweetener. Monk fruit sweetener and erythritol are my two favorite calorie-free sugar replacements. Xylitol, alllulose, coconut sugar or brown sugar will also work.
- Almond flour. Almond flour gives cottage cheese cookies a rich texture and a nutty flavor. In comparison to regular flour, almond flour is gluten-free, low carb, keto, nutritious and packed with protein.
- Protein powder. I like making cottage cheese cookies with protein powder for extra protein. If you don’t have it, replace protein powder with more almond flour.
- Chocolate chips. For sugar-free protein cookies, this recipe uses extra dark chocolate chips. Feel free to choose your favorite chocolate.
- Sea salt. A pinch of salt brings out all good flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract. Half teaspoon vanilla extract is required only if your protein powder is unflavored.
Common substitutions
- You can replace a whole egg with 2 egg whites or with one flaxseed egg for eggless cottage cheese cookies.
- Monk fruit sweetener can be substituted with erythritol, xylitol or allulose. Coconut sugar, brown sugar and regular sugar will also work, but they will add extra calories and sugars.
- No almond flour, no problem. Swap it out for oat flour, whole grain flour or all purpose flour.
- Substitute vanilla protein powder with chocolate or unflavored protein powder. If you don’t have it, use ¼ cup (25 g) of almond flour more.
- Chocolate chips are optional. I recommend them, because they make cottage cheese cookies taste like the original. But you can definitely leave them out to cut the calories even further.
Different types of protein powder and flour absorb moisture in different ways. Some mix well – whey – while others require more liquid – vegan protein powder. This means that you may need to adjust the cookie dough to your own needs. Add a bit of milk if the dough is too thick and dry, or mix in more flour in case it is too wet and sticky.
How to make cottage cheese cookies
Prepare the ingredients. In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese with egg and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer blended cottage cheese to a mixing bowl, then add granular sweetener, almond flour, protein powder and a pinch of salt.
Make the dough. Stir until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the dough reaches a smooth consistency. Depending on the protein powder choice, you may need to fix the consistency of the dough with a splash of milk if thick, or with more almond flour if sticky. Fold through chocolate chips.
Bake cookies. Scoop out some of dough and shape about 9 cookies. Transfer cottage cheese cookies to a parchment paper covered baking sheet, spacing them apart. Bake in hot oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cottage cheese biscuits cool over a wire rack before serving.
Storing & freezing protein cookies
After baking, let the cottage cheese cookies cool to room temperature over a wire rack or over a plate. Once cooled, place the biscuits in an airtight food container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. In the fridge! I do not recommend keeping them over the counter or in the pantry because they are freshly made with cheese.
To freeze, pack the cookies in zipper bags and freeze for a maximum of 3 months. Before serving, remove the desired amount from the freeze and let the cookies thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in hot oven or in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions
Different protein powders and flours absorb moisture differently. For example, whey mixes well, while vegan protein powder needs more liquid. Adjust your cookie dough by adding milk if it’s too dry, or more flour if it’s too wet.
Unfortunately this recipe cannot be prepared using maple syrup. Liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup or honey add extra moisture to the dough, making it sticky. You will need a granulated keto sweetener or coconut sugar.
Yes, you can replace protein powder with more almond flour or with oat flour.
One cookie with cottage cheese provides approximately 109 calories, 7.1 grams of protein, 6.5 grams of carbohydrates and 6.7 grams of fats. Please note that these nutritional values are approximations only, for precise information calculate nutrition facts by yourself.
More cottage cheese desserts
- Cottage cheese brownies
- Cottage cheese banana bread
- Chocolate cottage cheese ice cream
- Cottage cheese pancakes
- Cottage cheese cookie dough
Cottage Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (220 g) cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract, optional, see notes*
- ⅓ cup (80 g) granular sweetener, monk fruit sweetener or erythritol
- ¾ cup (70 g) almond flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) vanilla protein powder, or more almond flour, see notes*
- a pinch of salt
- 4 tbsp chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese with egg and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer blended cottage cheese to a mixing bowl, then add granular sweetener, almond flour, protein powder and a pinch of salt.
- Stir until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the dough reaches a smooth consistency.Depending on the protein powder choice, you may need to fix the consistency of the dough with a splash of milk if thick, or with more almond flour if sticky. Adjust to your own needs.
- Fold through chocolate chips.
- Scoop out some of dough and shape 9 cookies. Transfer cottage cheese cookies to a parchment paper covered baking sheet, spacing them apart.
- Bake cookies in hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Let cottage cheese cookies cool over a wire rack before serving.
Notes
- This recipe uses vanilla protein powder, but you can replace it with the flavor you like the most. Depending on the protein powder choice (whey, casein, or vegan), you may need to fix the consistency of the dough with a splash of milk if thick, or with more almond flour if sticky.
- Add half teaspoon of vanilla extract if you are using unflavored protein powder, or if you make cookies without protein powder.
These are very good. I like that. They are soft cookies. I used a banana protein powder delicious. We’ll make again.
Hey Nicole,
thanks a lot for your feedback! So glad you enjoyed these protein cookies with cottage cheese. They are definitely one of my favorite treats as well.
Have a great day,
Matteo
Yummy the cottage cheese Matt
Hey dear Constantino,
thank you sooo much for your feedback! So glad you like these low carb protein cookies with cottage cheese.
Kind regards,
Matteo
Waoo this Cottage Cheese Cookies looks delicious!
Hey dear Liza,
thanks a lot for your feedback! I’m so so happy you like these protein cookies with cottage cheese. Healthy and so delicious 😉
Have a great day,
Matteo