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This creamy chocolate Cottage Cheese Ice Cream is the ultimate high-protein treat for warm days. It’s low carb, low calorie and doesn’t taste like cottage cheese at all. The best part? It’s made with just 3 ingredients in 2 minutes–no ice cream maker!
If you are looking for healthy desserts with cottage cheese, you should try my cottage cheese cheesecake, cottage cheese cookies, cottage cheese brownies and cottage cheese pudding. But only after this ice cream–it tastes like the real original but high protein and without all the calories or sugars. 167 calories only!
Why you will love this recipe
Believe me, the TikTok viral ice cream is worth the hype. From simplicity to taste, this is a recipe that has it all. Still not convinced? Here are four reasons why this may be the best healthy ice cream recipe ever.
- Quick and easy – This low cal ice cream comes together in a blender in under 2 minutes, with just 3 ingredients. No need for ice cream makers, protein powder, thickeners or gums.
- Macro-friendly – Making ice cream with cottage cheese is a great way to boost protein and macros without powders (16 g of protein). This makes it perfect as a post workout snack or a macro-friendly dessert.
- Healthy and low calorie – With just 167 calories per serving, it’s a great dessert for your diet. Plus, since it’s free from bananas, my recipe is also low in carbs and keto-friendly (swap maple syrup for sugar-free sweeteners).
- Rich and creamy – Not a cottage cheese fan? No problem. This ice cream is rich, creamy and naturally sweet; it won’t taste like cottage cheese at all. Plus, you can customize it with mix-ins or with a scoop of protein powder.
Ingredients
My viral cottage cheese recipe requires just 3 ingredients you probably already have at home. Here are more details, along with tips and substitutes–precise quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.
- Cottage cheese – You can use either full fat or low fat cottage cheese, here I am using 4% small curd cottage cheese. Although any works, I recommend choosing an organic full fat cottage cheese from a reputable brand like Good Cultures, Daisy or Nancy’s.
- Cocoa powder – Use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for a healthier treat with no refined sugar. As a higher protein alternative, swap it for a scoop of chocolate protein powder.
- Maple syrup – This adds natural sweetener without refined sugars. Great replacements are honey, date syrup, agave or a keto syrup. Since they will change the consistency, brown sugar or granulated sweeteners are not recommended.
Recipe variations
- Protein powder – Blend cottage cheese and cocoa powder with a scoop of your favorite protein powder. If using chocolate flavored protein powder, you can leave out the cocoa.
- Keto – To cut carbs, swap maple syrup or honey for a sugar-free syrup of your choice. Since they may change the texture, granulated sweeteners like monk fruit, stevia or erythritol are not the best choice.
- Vegan – Replace cottage cheese with my homemade dairy-free cottage cheese, it’s so quick to make with tofu.
- Vanilla – Leave out the cocoa powder and add half a teaspoon of vanilla exact. For a protein boost, you can also use a scoop of vanilla protein powder.
- Fruit – Blend in half a cup of frozen blueberries, strawberries or mixed berries, a frozen banana or your favorite frozen fruit. I really like making my cottage cheese ice cream with banana and pieces of frozen mango.
- Mix-ins – For more flavor, add in two tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter, matcha powder, instant coffee powder or vanilla extract. After blending, stir in the cottage cheese ice cream chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, raisins, crushed protein cookies or protein bars.
How to make cottage cheese ice cream
Making the TikTok viral cottage cheese ice cream is very simple. You can find the printable recipe at the end of this blog post, but for now here’s an overview.
- Step 1 – Blend. In a blender, combine cottage cheese with the cocoa powder and maple syrup. Optionally, add any extra ingredient you want. Pulse until all the ingredients have blended into a smooth cream.
- Step 2 – Freeze. Scoop the cottage cheese mixture out into a loaf pan lined with parchment, then cover with a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap to prevent freezer burns. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Step 3 – Serve. After freezing remove from the freezer and let your chocolate protein ice cream sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Scoop into a serving bowl and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
Recipe tips
- Choose high quality cottage cheese – For the best texture and flavor, use full-fat, small curd cottage cheese from a good brand (preferably organic). If necessary, choose no-added-salt options to lower the sodium content.
- Customize with mix-ins – Swirl in nut butter, mix in chocolate chips, or add a handful of crushed cookies for extra crunch. For a protein boost, add to your blender a scoop of protein powder.
- Blend until completely smooth – To avoid any grainy texture, blend at high speed until the mixture is silky smooth. If needed, scrape down the sides and blend again until you see no more chunks of cottage cheese.
- Let it soften before serving – Cottage cheese ice cream firms up when frozen, so you’ll need to let it sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Storage directions
Ice cream made with cottage cheese can be stored for up for a week, although it tastes better within the first 2-3 days. To store, place leftovers in an airtight container or in a loaf pan covered with plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Since it tends to firm up, you’ll need to let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving. Matteo’s tip–to bring back its creamy consistency, you can also blend it again for a few seconds.
Frequently asked questions
You can use either full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese, but for the best result I recommend a high-quality, organic full-fat option. Here I’m using 4% small curd cottage cheese. If possible, go for an organic brand with minimal additives, such as Good Culture, Daisy, or Nancy’s. For a lower-sodium option, look for “no added salt” cottage cheese.
Absolutely! For a high protein treat, blend in a scoop of your favorite protein powder–chocolate, vanilla or unflavored. I recommend whey, as it mixes better than vegan protein powder or casein without lumps.
More cottage cheese desserts
- Cottage cheese cookie dough
- Cottage cheese muffins
- Cottage cheese brownies
- Cottage cheese banana bread
- Healthy Syrniki pancakes
- Cottage cheese pancakes
- Cottage cheese chocolate mousse
- Cottage cheese cheesecake
Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup (220 g) cottage cheese, full fat recommended
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 3 to 5 tbsp maple syrup , or honey, to taste
Instructions
- In a blender, combine cottage cheese with the cocoa powder and maple syrup. Optionally, add any extra ingredient you want.
- Process until all the ingredients have blended into a smooth cream.
- Scoop the cottage cheese mixture out into a loaf pan lined with parchment, then cover with a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap to prevent freezer burns. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
- After freezing, remove from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Scoop into a serving bowl and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
- Protein powder: Swap cocoa powder for a scoop of chocolate or vanilla protein powder. If using flavored protein powder, adjust sweetener to taste.
- Vanilla: Skip the cocoa powder and add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract for a creamy, classic vanilla ice cream.
- Fruit: Blend in ½ cup of frozen fruit like bananas, strawberries, or blueberries for a punch of natural sweetness.
- No cocoa: Omit the cocoa powder, and feel free to customize it with your favorite mix-ins such as vanilla extract, peanut butter or protein powder.
- Keto: Swap maple syrup for keto syrup or keto honey, and make sure you use unsweetened cocoa powder.
I made this and it tastes too much like the cottage cheese. I put one less tbs of maple syrup, is that where I went wrong? Also, I left it on the counter for 10 min to thaw and it didn’t….
Hey Maria,
thanks for your feedback. First of all, thanks for trying my recipe!
Regarding the strong cottage cheese taste, the reasons could be mainly 2. Either the specific type of cottage cheese was too strong in flavor (as not all taste the same), or the maple syrup wasn’t enough.
Touching the second issue, namely the fact that it didn’t thaw, it may still be because of the cottage cheese. Make sure to use full fat, as low fat or nonfat options do not freeze and thaw well.
Hope I could help,
Matteo