Healthy Cottage Cheese Pudding Recipe (5 Minutes)

If you need a quick dessert that actually helps you hit your protein goals, cottage cheese pudding is your answer. It takes less time than scrolling through social media and tastes nothing like what you’d expect from cottage cheese.

This recipe works for busy parents packing school lunches, students on a budget, or anyone trying to eat better without spending hours in the kitchen. You blend cottage cheese until it’s smooth, add your favorite flavors, and you’re done.

Quick Verdict

• Who it’s for: Anyone wanting a high-protein dessert or snack that’s ready in minutes, especially people watching their sugar intake or trying to add more protein to their diet.
• Main benefit: You get 15-20 grams of protein per serving with minimal sugar, and it takes only 5 minutes from start to finish.
• Main drawback: The texture won’t be exactly like traditional pudding; it’s thicker and has a slight tang unless you add enough sweetener and vanilla.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

High in Protein, Low in Sugar

• A typical serving of this healthy cottage cheese pudding gives you 15-20 grams of protein. That’s about the same as three eggs or a small chicken breast.
• Compare that to regular pudding from the store, which usually has 2-3 grams of protein and 20-25 grams of sugar per serving. This recipe flips that ratio.
• You control the sweetness. Some people use just a teaspoon of honey. Others need two tablespoons of maple syrup to cover the cottage cheese tang completely.

Ready in 5 Minutes

• You don’t need to cook anything. You don’t need to wait for it to set in the fridge for hours.
• Throw ingredients in a blender, blend for 30-60 seconds until smooth, and eat it right away. Or chill it for 15 minutes if you prefer cold pudding.
• This matters when you’re home from work at 6 PM, and your kid wants dessert before bed. Or when you’re studying late and need something sweet that won’t make you crash.

Customizable to Your Taste

• This easy cottage cheese pudding recipe works as a base for dozens of variations. You can make it taste like chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding, or fruit pudding.
• Add cocoa powder and a banana for chocolate. Add vanilla extract and berries for a fruit version. Add peanut butter and a drizzle of honey for something richer.
• You can also adjust the thickness. Want it thinner? Add a splash of milk. Want it thicker? Add less milk or throw in some chia seeds.

Ingredients Needed

Base Ingredients

For one serving, you need:

• 1 cup cottage cheese (full-fat, low-fat, or fat-free all work)
• 1-2 tablespoons milk (any kind, including almond or oat milk)
• 1-2 tablespoons sweetener (honey, maple syrup, or sugar substitute)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

That’s it for the basic version. Four ingredients you probably already have.

The type of cottage cheese matters. Full-fat cottage cheese makes the creamiest cottage cheese pudding. Low-fat works fine, but tastes slightly less rich. Fat-free cottage cheese can taste a bit watery, so you might need less milk.

Optional Add-Ins and Toppings

To turn your basic pudding into something more interesting:

For chocolate pudding:

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• Extra sweetener (cocoa is bitter)

For fruit flavor:

• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen berries
• A squeeze of lemon juice

For more protein:

• 1 scoop protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)
• Note: this makes it thicker, so add more milk

For toppings:

• Fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, banana slices)
• Granola or crushed graham crackers
• Dark chocolate chips
• Chopped nuts
• A drizzle of nut butter

Nutrition Information

Here’s what you get in one serving of the basic cottage cheese pudding recipe (made with low-fat cottage cheese, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1 tablespoon honey):

How to Make Cottage Cheese Pudding

Step 1: Blend the Base

• Put 1 cup of cottage cheese in a blender or food processor. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
• Blend on high speed for 30-60 seconds. You want it completely smooth with no lumps. Stop and scrape down the sides if needed.
• If you’re using a regular blender (not a high-speed one), this might take closer to 90 seconds. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks like thick yogurt or pudding.
• Some people skip the blender and use an immersion blender right in a bowl. That works too.

Step 2: Add Sweetener and Flavor

• Add your sweetener and vanilla extract. If you’re making a chocolate or fruit version, add those ingredients now, too.
• Blend again for 15-30 seconds until everything is mixed in.
• Taste it. This is important. Cottage cheese has a natural tang, and different brands taste different. If it’s too tangy, add more sweetener. If it’s too thick, add a splash more milk.

Step 3: Chill or Serve Immediately

• You can eat this no-bake cottage cheese pudding right away. It’ll taste like soft-serve pudding at room temperature.
• Or pour it into a bowl and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Cold pudding tastes less tangy and more like traditional pudding.
• If you’re making it the night before for meal prep, it’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. The texture might get slightly thicker as it sits.

Serving and Storage Tips

How to Serve

• Serve this quick cottage cheese pudding in small bowls or jars. A typical serving is about 3/4 to 1 cup.
• Layer it with fruit and granola for a parfait. Spread it on toast like a sweet ricotta. Use it as a dip for apple slices or graham crackers.
• For kids who are picky about texture, serve it in a fun cup with colorful toppings they can mix in themselves. Let them choose between chocolate chips, sliced strawberries, or crushed cookies.

Storage Guidelines

• Store the pudding in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. After that, it starts to separate and get watery.
• Don’t freeze it. Cottage cheese doesn’t freeze well—it gets grainy and weird when thawed.
• If you’re packing it for lunch, keep it in an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack. Cottage cheese needs to stay cold.
• Make just one or two servings at a time rather than a huge batch. It takes 5 minutes anyway, and fresh tastes better.

Helpful Notes

Choosing the Right Cottage Cheese

• Not all cottage cheese tastes the same. Some brands are tangier. Some are saltier.
• Good Cottage (if available in your area) and Daisy are less tangy than some generic brands. Nancy’s Organic has a mild flavor, too.
• Large curd vs. small curd doesn’t matter much once you blend it. But small curd usually blends faster and smoothly.
• If you really hate the cottage cheese taste, try blending it with Greek yogurt—half cottage cheese, half Greek yogurt. You still get good protein, but less tang.

Sweetener Options

• Honey works great in this low-sugar cottage cheese pudding. It adds flavor and sweetness without being overpowering. Use 1-2 tablespoons depending on your taste.
• Maple syrup gives a slightly different flavor. Some people prefer it.
• Stevia or monk fruit sweetener works if you want zero-calorie options. Start with less—these are sweeter than sugar, so you need maybe 1/4 teaspoon to equal a tablespoon of honey.
• Regular white sugar works fine, too. About 1-2 tablespoons is typical.
• Dates are another option. Blend in 2-3 pitted dates for natural sweetness. This works especially well in chocolate versions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not blending long enough. If you see any lumps or curds, keep blending. Lumpy cottage cheese pudding doesn’t taste good.
• Adding too much milk. Start with just 1 tablespoon. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out if it gets too thin.
• Not tasting before serving. Different cottage cheese brands need different amounts of sweetener. Always taste and adjust.
• Use fat-free cottage cheese with no adjustments. Fat-free versions are more watery and more tangy. You need less milk and more sweetener.

Flavor Variations to Try

Chocolate Cottage Cheese Pudding

• Add 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the basic recipe. You’ll need extra sweetener—cocoa is bitter.
• For an even richer version, add 1/2 tablespoon of cocoa powder plus 10-15 dark chocolate chips. Blend the chocolate chips in so they melt slightly and create little chocolate flecks.
• Top with whipped cream or sliced banana. This becomes a keto cottage cheese pudding if you use a sugar substitute.

Vanilla Berry Pudding

• Make the basic vanilla version, then fold in 1/4 cup of fresh or frozen berries after blending.
• Strawberries work great. So do blueberries or raspberries. If you use frozen berries, let them thaw slightly first or they’ll make the pudding too cold and icy.
• A squeeze of lemon juice (maybe 1/2 teaspoon) brightens up the berry flavor.
• This is a perfect fruit cottage cheese pudding for summer.

Peanut Butter Banana Pudding

• Blend in 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (or any nut butter) with the cottage cheese. Add half a banana too.
• The banana adds natural sweetness, so you might need less honey or maple syrup.
• Top with a few more banana slices and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Kids love this version.
• If you want more protein, add a scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder. This becomes a high-protein cottage cheese pudding with 30+ grams of protein per serving.

Healthy Cottage Cheese Pudding (5 Minutes)

This healthy cottage cheese pudding is a quick, high-protein dessert or snack that comes together in just 5 minutes. Blended until smooth and lightly sweetened, it tastes nothing like cottage cheese and can be customized with chocolate, fruit, or nut butter for endless variations.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 1 serving

Calories 190 kcal

Ingredients

  

Base Ingredients

• 1 cup cottage cheese full-fat, low-fat, or fat-free
• 1-2 tablespoons milk any kind
• 1-2 tablespoons sweetener honey, maple syrup, or sugar substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Add the cottage cheese and milk to a blender or food processor. Blend on high for 30–60 seconds until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if needed.
• Add the sweetener and vanilla extract. Blend again for 15–30 seconds until fully combined. Taste and adjust sweetness or thickness as desired.
• Serve immediately for a soft pudding texture, or refrigerate for 15–30 minutes for a colder, thicker consistency.

Notes

For chocolate pudding, add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and extra sweetener. For fruit pudding, blend in or fold in berries. Adjust milk to control thickness. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

FAQ

Is cottage cheese pudding actually healthy?

Yes, compared to most desserts. You get 15-20 grams of protein per serving, calcium, and probiotics if you use cultured cottage cheese. The sugar content depends on what you add, but even with 2 tablespoons of honey, you’re looking at about 12-15 grams of sugar—half of what’s in regular pudding or ice cream.

The downside is sodium. Cottage cheese has 300-400mg of sodium per cup. If you’re watching your salt intake, look for low-sodium cottage cheese brands.

Can I make this without a blender?

You can try mashing cottage cheese with a fork and whisking hard, but it won’t be smooth. You’ll have lumps. An immersion blender works. So does a food processor. But a regular fork and whisk won’t get it truly pudding-like.

Some people don’t mind the texture of small-curd cottage cheese just stirred with sweetener and vanilla. It’s more like cottage cheese with flavoring than actual pudding, though.

How do I make it less tangy?

Use more sweetener and vanilla extract. Vanilla masks the tang really well—try a full teaspoon instead of half. Adding cocoa powder or peanut butter also covers the cottage cheese flavor.

Or mix it half-and-half with Greek yogurt or mascarpone cheese. This reduces the tang while keeping the protein high.

Can I use this as a protein shake?

Sort of. If you add enough milk (maybe 1/2 cup instead of 2 tablespoons), it becomes drinkable. Throw in some ice cubes and fruit, and blend it into a thick protein shake.

It won’t be as smooth as a shake made with protein powder, but it works in a pinch.

Is this suitable for kids?

Yes. Kids often like it because it tastes like dessert, but parents can feel good about the protein and calcium. Start with the chocolate or peanut butter banana version; those hide the cottage cheese flavor better.

Let kids help make it and choose their own toppings. That usually helps picky eaters try new things.

What’s the best cottage cheese brand for this?

That depends on what’s available where you live. In general, look for cottage cheese with simple ingredients—just milk, cream, salt, and cultures. Avoid brands with lots of stabilizers and gums if you can.

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Marcie Nina

Hi, I’m Marcie Nina — a self-taught home cook with an unapologetic love for all things cheese. From gooey mac to late-night cheesecakes, I test (and retest) comfort recipes so you don’t have to. If it’s melty, creamy, or crumbly, I’m probably already obsessed with it.

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