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These Cottage Cheese Brownies are fudgy, rich and so chocolatey that you will never believe they’re flourless and sugar-free. Clocking at 75 calories, this TikTok viral cottage cheese brownie is the ultimate high protein treat for your diet. No oats, no nuts, no sugar!
Table of Contents
Viral brownies with cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is hitting the big time these days. From chocolate cottage cheese ice cream to the 2-ingredient cottage cheese flatbread, this food is spreading like wildfire on social media. And for good reasons! Cottage cheese is one of the healthiest foods in the world, a real superfood. It is a great source of protein, vitamins, calcium and many other nutrients that are good for you. Plus, it’s low in calories and carbs, perfect for weight loss diets.
Now there’s a new sheriff in town, welcome the Viral Cottage Cheese Brownies! If you like chocolate, you are gonna LOVE this recipe. They’re rich and decadent, extra fudgy and so chocolatey like the real thing. But low cal and high in protein, of course. Trust me, try this easy recipe and it will feel like being Willy Wonka in the chocolate factory 😉
As they are taking over TikTok and Instagram, these cottage cheese protein brownies are going to take over your heart. Go and grab a blender, mix cottage cheese with cocoa powder and bake your sweet tooth happy!
Ingredients & Substitutes
- Cottage cheese. You can make the viral protein brownies with low fat cottage cheese, full fat cottage cheese, or lactose-free cottage cheese. Although all options are suitable, I recommend full-fat cottage cheese because it has more taste and a richer texture.
- Cocoa powder. Use natural cocoa powder without added sugars for sugar-free cottage cheese brownies. As an alternative you can also use Dutch cocoa powder, or a combination of cocoa powder and chocolate protein powder (more on this down below).
- Granular sweetener. This recipe uses monk fruit sweetener as a calorie-free and sugar-free option. You can replace it with your favorite granulated sweetener such as erythritol or allulose, or opt for brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Egg. A large whole egg is a must to make tasty and super fudgy cottage cheese brownies with no flour. I’ve already tested out this recipe with 2 egg whites as a replacement for egg and it worked. However, they weren’t as rich and fudgy – so I wouldn’t recommended it.
You only need 4 ingredients to make the viral protein brownies without flour. But of course you can add extras and customize this recipe to your liking. Here are some ideas:
- Baking powder – Half a teaspoon of baking powder will help the brownies rise.
- Coffee powder – In desserts, coffee powder enhances the chocolate flavor and improves the taste.
- Salt – A pinch of salt balances the sweetness level and brings out all the good flavors.
- Vanilla extract – Everything tastes better with vanilla, especially chocolate brownies.
- Chocolate chips – Add chocolate chips in the batter, on the top of your brownies or do both. You can’t really go wrong with chocolate.
- Walnuts – Stir in a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans for the best cottage cheese brownies. Fudgy and crunchy at the same time, you will love the combination of textures.
- Protein powder – Replace 20 g of cocoa with a scoop of chocolate flavored protein powder and bake the highest protein cottage cheese brownies with little calories.
How to make cottage cheese brownies with no flour?
- Get ready for baking. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and fold a 15 cm x 15 cm (7 inch x 7 inch) brownie pan with parchment paper.
- Blend into a batter. Add to a blender cottage cheese, egg, cocoa powder and granular sweetener. Optionally, add baking powder, coffee powder and a pinch of salt if you want. Blend until all ingredients are combined into a smooth brownie batter.
- Bake brownies. Transfer cottage cheese brownie batter to your prepared pan, and optionally sprinkle with chocolate chips on top. Bake in hot oven for 22 to 30 minutes – mine took 25 minutes. Let cool completely at room temperature before slicing.
Success tips
- Use full fat cottage cheese, it gives protein brownies a much richer flavor and better texture in comparison to low fat alternatives. Don’t worry about going overboard with calories, it won’t make a significant difference.
- Fix the sweetness level, if it is necessary. I find that a third of a cup monk fruit sweetener is enough to give this cottage cheese brownie recipe a great taste. But if you have the sweetest tooth, then you may need more.
- Make cottage cheese brownies with protein powder, if you want to increase the protein content even further. In this case, you should replace 20 grams of cocoa powder with 1 scoop (30 g) of the protein powder you like the most. My recommendation is chocolate flavored protein powder.
- Mix in additional ingredients after you blend the protein batter. Some tasty ideas are chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and even raspberries. You will love all the different textures in your mouth.
- Enjoy cold from the fridge and it will feel like eating a rich bar of chocolate, but low calorie and high in protein. The perfect healthy sweet treat for summer, you will also love it with fruit and Greek yogurt as a nourishing breakfast.
How to store cottage cheese brownies?
After baking, let flourless cottage cheese brownies cool completely to room temperature. Once they have cooled, slice into squares and transfer to an airtight container with lid. Store in the refrigerator for a maximum of 4 days. You can serve them cold from the fridge, or warm them up in the microwave or in hot oven for a couple of minutes.
For a longer storage, freeze cottage cheese brownies in zipper bags or in an airtight food container for up to 3 months. To serve, remove from the freezer the day before and let them thaw overnight. Finally, reheat in hot oven for a couple of minutes, until warm.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions
Yes, of course you can make cottage cheese brownies with protein powder. In this case I recommend swapping 20 g of cocoa for chocolate protein powder. I tested it out with Optimum Nutrition chocolate whey and it worked amazingly. But if you use vegan protein powder the batter may require little milk to get smooth.
You can replace regular cottage cheese with lactose-free cottage cheese, ricotta or even Greek yogurt. For dairy-free protein brownies, use vegan cottage cheese or nondairy Greek yogurt.
Yes, you can prepare this cottage cheese brownie recipe with 2 egg whites as a replacement for a whole egg. However, taste and texture won’t be exactly the same. A whole egg enriches the flavor and makes your low cal brownies fudgier.
These protein brownies made with cottage cheese are perfect as a snack, post workouts, late-night desserts, and even for breakfast. As a snack, they taste delicious with some fruit or with a drizzle of peanut butter on top. For breakfast, you will love them with a bowl of Greek yogurt and fresh fruit to load up on protein for the day.
Yes, but you will need to slightly change the recipe. To make high protein brownie batter with cottage cheese, simply leave out the egg. Blend cottage cheese with cocoa powder and sweetener, then add to a bowl and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
Nutritional values of cottage cheese brownies
These viral protein brownies are a great low calorie healthy dessert. They are flourless and gluten-free, sugar-free, low carb and keto-friendly, high protein and good for weight loss. Clocking at 75 calories per serving, they will satisfy your chocolate cravings without guilt. Here are the approximated nutritional facts for one serving. But keep in mind these are estimations only, precise nutritional values may vary depending on the ingredients you use.
| Nutrient | Amount per Serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 75 kcal |
| Protein | 6.5 g |
| Carbs | 2.2 g |
| Fat | 3.6 g |
More high protein desserts
- Chocolate protein cake
- Protein popsicles
- Frozen yogurt
- Protein ice cream
- Blueberry yogurt clusters
- Protein frozen dessert
- Strawberry milk
- Protein cheesecake
Cottage Cheese Brownies
Ingredients
- 180 grams (¾ cup) cottage cheese
- 1 large egg
- 45 grams (½ scant cup) cocoa powder
- 80 grams (⅓ cup 1 tbsp) granular sweetener, replace with coconut sugar or brown sugar
Optional Ingredients
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp coffee powder
- ⅙ tsp salt
- chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and fold a 15 cm x 15 cm (7 inch x 7 inch) brownie pan with parchment paper.
- Add to a blender cottage cheese, egg, cocoa powder and granular sweetener. Optionally, add baking powder, coffee powder and a pinch of salt. Blend until all ingredients are combined into a smooth brownie batter.
- Transfer cottage cheese brownie batter to the prepared pan, and optionally sprinkle with chocolate chips on top. Bake in hot oven for 22 to 30 minutes – mine took 25 minutes. Let cool completely at room temperature before slicing.
- Once cooled, seal and store in the fridge for a maximum of 4 days.
I made these today and they were amazing – 10/10! I didn’t even have time to blend the cottage cheese. You can see the odd white curd but the taste/texture is still amazing. It’s a great post-gym protein snack. Please keep up the great work with more low calorie, high protein recipes.
Hey Will,
thanks a LOT! I am incredibly grateful for you taking the time to review this cottage cheese brownie recipe. It means a lot to me, and it motivates me to keep creating low cal high protein recipes.
Have a FANTASTIC Friday,
Matteo
Very tasty but it didn’t raise , I used 5 % cottage cheese
Is it nomrmsl ?
Hey Yana,
Thanks a lot for the feedback!
If you want to ensure it raises a bit, I recommend adding 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder to the batter. It should then rise nicely.
Have a great day,
Matteo
What can I use to substitute the egg?
Hey dear Ruca,
many thanks for your comment. Unfortunately the egg is necessary. Substituting it may be hard, probably the closest replacement is only flaxseed egg.
Kind regards,
Matteo
Made this and they were excellent!! I substituted the sugar for Splendas baking blend which is erithritol, allulose and stevia and it was still super good!
Hey dear Chris,
thank you so so much for your kind feedback!! I am incredibly happy to read that you enjoyed these Cottage Cheese Brownies. Healthy, delicious and packed with protein 😉
I wish you a GREAT Sunday night,
Matteo
Is there a Pinterest link?
Hey,
yes, you only need to tap the image where the Pinterest icon shows, in the corner. From there, you will be able to easily pin this recipe to your favorite board 😉
Have a great day,
Matteo
Thanks for your cottege chesse brownies Matt. All your recipes are very healthy.
Hey dear Constantino,
thanks a lot for your kind feedback! I am glad you liked this cottage cheese brownies recipe 😉
Have a great day,
Matteo
I ❤️this cottage cheese brownie! Wow
Hey dear Liza,
thank you so much for your kind feedback. If you love cottage cheese, then you are gonna LOVE the newest viral TikTok brownie recipe with cottage cheese!
Have a great day,
Matteo
I’m dying to try these. Is there anything you can substitute for the coffee powder? I’m very sensitive to caffeine.
I’m on a really strict low startch flour diet and I can’t find any that bake well since im allergic to almond flour.
I miss brownies!!!
Hey dear Kristen,
thanks a lot for your comment. First of all, I am glad to hear that this recipe fits your needs. You’ll finally be able to enjoy fudgy brownies low carb and keto, without flour and perfect for the diet.
Regarding your question, coffee powder is not necessary! You can definitely skip it, the recipe will come out as delicious as the original. Don’t worry too much, you’ll love your cottage cheese brownie dessert 😉
Best regards,
Matteo
Excellent recipe of cottage cheese. Healthy
Hey Constantino,
thanks a lot! I’m really happy that you liked this cottage cheese brownie recipe 😉
Have a great day,
Matteo