These cottage cheese protein snacks are easy to make and taste delicious! Try them for an afternoon snack or add them to your lunchbox or breakfast plate!

Hi friends!

Let’s talk cottage cheese. As I’m sure you’ve seen, cottage cheese is having a moment right now. It’s being used in everything from pudding to smoothies to pancakes!

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is for new and exciting snack ideas because people are tired of eating the same thing over and over. So I rounded up 20+ snack ideas using cottage cheese in a variety of ways so there’s something for everyone!

If you’re looking for more snack ideas, be sure to check out all of my snack roundups here. Some of my favorites include:

• Healthy High Protein Snacks
• At Work & After Work Snacks
• Egg Wraps
• Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins

And here are some easy snack ideas using cottage cheese:

Sweet Cottage Cheese Protein Snacks

These sweet cottage cheese protein snacks are perfect for snack time but they also work well for breakfast or dessert!

Chocolate Cottage Cheese Pudding

With just six ingredients and packed with protein, you can make this pudding ahead of time for breakfast or dessert!

Grab the recipe!

Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough

No oven required for this cookie dough snack!
Grab a spoon an dig in!

Grab the recipe!

Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowl

A quick and easy breakfast that can be customized for a sweet or savory spin!
Here are 6 ideas.

Grab the recipe!

Cottage Cheese Banana Bread

An easy banana bread recipe that’s gluten-free and packed with protein!
Made with almond flour and it’s freezer-friendly.

Grab the recipe!

Savory Cottage Cheese Protein Snacks

If sweet cottage cheese recipes are not your favorite, there are plenty of savory options out there. Everything from dips to bowls to chips can be made with cottage cheese!

Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip

Easy to whip up and perfect for dipping your favorite veggies, this recipe is a great alternative to storebought ranch dressing.

Grab the recipe!

Cottage Cheese Avocado Toast

Quick, easy and packed with protein, this nutritionally balanced combo is great for breakfast or a snack with some staying power!

Grab the recipe!

Savory Cottage Cheese Bowl

The perfect combination of savory ingredienst like egg, salmon, veggies and seasoning, artfully arranged over cottage cheese.

Grab the recipe!

High Protein Cottage Cheese Chips

I’ll bet you didn’t know you could bake cottage cheese into some deliciously crispy chips that are perfect on their own or for scooping your favorite dip!

Grab the recipe!

Cottage Cheese Protein Recipes (Baked)

Cottage cheese isn’t just for snacking on straight out of the fridge. It can be mixed and baked into delicious snack options like cookies, egg bakes and pizza dough!

Cottage Cheese Cookies

Made with just 7 ingredients, these cookies are soft and chewy and make the perfect snack. They pack in 8g of protein per cookie!

Grab the recipe!

Baked Cottage Cheese

This recipe is perfect for meal prep and can be heated up quickly at any point during the day for a quick snack. You’ll the love the custard-like texture!

Grab the recipe!

Cottage Cheese Egg Bake

These egg bake is creamy and hearty, packed with veggies and higher in protein than your normal egg bake!

Grab the recipe!

No Rise Protein Pizza Dough

With each slice containing 20g of protein, this pizza dough is a must-try for your next pizza night! Mix it up, add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Grab the recipe!

Make-Ahead Cottage Cheese Snacks

We still need snacks even on the busiest of days. These recipes can be made ahead of time for quick, easy snacks when you’re on the run!

Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are creamy and delicious with endless flavor possibilities. Adding cottage cheese for a boost of protein makes them even more satisfying.

Grab the recipe!

Cottage Cheese Waffles

Make a big batch of these cottage cheese waffles over the weekend and pop them in the toaster for a quick meal or snack during the week!

Grab the recipe!

Blueberry Frozen Cottage Cheese Bark

Cottage cheese mixed with blueberry jam, fresh berries and granola and then frozen and broken into pieces makes the perfect snack on a hot afternoon!

Grab the recipe!

Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough Bites

A simple mix of cottage cheese, almond and oat flour and some maple syrup make these a quick, kid-friendly afternoon snack!

Grab the recipe!

Cottage Cheese Protein Smoothies & Shakes

Adding cottage cheese to your smoothie or shake is an easy way to add some extra protein and make it extra creamy and delicious!

Cottage Cheese Smoothie

No need for protein powder – this smoothie is the perfect blend of cottage cheese, berries, bananas, milk and honey!

Grab the recipe!

Tropical Cottage Cheese Smoothie

All your favorite tropical flavors like mango and pineapple in a protein-packed shake that makes a great snack!

Grab the recipe!

Peanut Butter Avocado Chocolate Smoothie

Packed with protein and healthy fats, this creamy chocolate smoothie is healthy enough for a snack and sweet enough for dessert!

Grab the recipe!

Cheesecake Cottage Cheese Smoothie

Your favorite dessert in smoothie form? Yes please! Protein packed with no need for protein powder, this shake will definitely hit the spot!

Grab the recipe!

FAQs About Cottage Cheese High Protein Snacks

How much protein is in cottage cheese snacks?

Cottage cheese on its own typically has 11-12g of protein per half cup but the exact amount of protein will vary based on the specific snack recipe. Many snacks that use cottage cheese will also contain other ingredients with protein so the total amount of protein per serving will be higher than cottage cheese alone.

What are the best cottage cheese protein snack combinations?

If you’re looking to increase your protein intake, the best snack combinations are the ones that you will actually eat. Cottage cheese is a fairly versatile ingredient and can be used in sweet, savory, baked goods and no bake recipes as shown above!

Can you meal prep cottage cheese protein snacks?

Yes! Many snacks that contain cottage cheese can be made during meal prep. With the exception of toasts and some bowls, most of the recipes shared above could be prepped ahead of time and enjoyed all week long!

What cottage cheese protein recipes are easiest to make?

Sometimes it’s having the right tools to make recipces easier that’s most important. With many cottage cheese recipes, it’s important to have a high-powered blender to blend the cottage cheese smooth and enhance the texture. We love our Nutribullet (aff link). Most of the snacks shared above are ready in 15 minutes or less.

How do you make cottage cheese protein snacks taste better?

If you dont’ like the taste of cottage cheese, I would skip the bowls and toast where cottage cheese stays in its original state and try recipes like smoothies, puddings, pizza crust etc where the cottage cheese is transformed into something totally different where you likely won’t notice it.

Are cottage cheese protein snacks good for weight management?

Snacks that are high in both protein and fiber can be a great tool for weight management. If you’re looking for an easy protein source to balance out a snack that is higher in carbs, adding cottage cheese can help boost the protein content and make the snack more satisfying to help you stay fuller longer.

What can you mix with cottage cheese for a high protein snack?

On it’s own, cottage cheese doesn’t have a very strong flavor, which makes it a great vehicle for mixing with flavors you do enjoy! Mix with fruit for a smoothie, top with salmon and veggies for a savory bowl or mix into cookie or pizza dough for a high protein snack option.

How long do homemade cottage cheese protein snacks last?

This will depend on the snack. Snacks that need to be refrigerated will typically last 3-4 days. In the freezer, most snacks will keep for 2-3 months.

What cottage cheese snacks are kid-friendly?

Some kid-friendly snack ideas using cottage cheese include:

• Smoothies
• Cheesecake Fruit Dip
• Frozen fruit bark or popsicles
• Muffins or pancakes

Can you use protein powder in cottage cheese snacks?

Many snacks that use cottage cheese to boost the protein content will also use protein powder. Combining the two adds a larger amount of protein and can also add flavor if you’re using a flavored protein powder.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

These Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins are a high-protein breakfast option that can be prepped ahead of time and eaten on the run! They’re a fun change from traditional egg cups!

{Originally published in 2013. Updated 2018 & 2023}

Hi Friends!

Cottage cheese is having a moment right now if you haven’t noticed and lately, I’ve been making these cottage cheese egg muffins that I first developed back in 2013. They’re still just as good as I remember.

Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins

These are similar to traditional egg muffins, but instead of being all egg, I mixed in some cottage cheese to change things up! You can just mix the cottage cheese in as is, but I’ve also discovered that if you don’t love cottage cheese, blending it up first to make it smooth it an easy trick. I actually use an immersion blender to to blend my cottage cheese and eggs together.

How To Make Egg Muffins with Cottage Cheese

The nice thing about these muffins is that they’re super easy to customize so here’s how I make them:

• Mix or blend cottage cheese and eggs together until well-blended.
• Add mix-ins. I like to use leftover chicken, chicken sausage or bacon or even beans and then add cheese and whatever veggies I have on hand. Peppers, onions, chopped kale, mushrooms etc work well.
• Pour the mixture into silicone muffin tins and top with more cheese if desired.
• Reheat as needed.

High Protein Egg Muffins With Cottage Cheese Recipe

Here’s a recipe to use as a guide:

Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins Recipe

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4.9 from 7 reviews

These Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins are a high-protein breakfast option that can be prepped ahead of time and eaten on the run! They’re a fun change from traditional egg cups!

• Author: Lindsay
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Makes 10-12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup diced vegetables (peppers, mushrooms, green onions, etc.)
• 1/2 cup cooked chicken, bacon, chicken sausage or beans
• 1 c kale, finely chopped
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 c cheese, optional
• Optional seasonings- salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, Montreal Chicken Seasoning, etc.

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Instructions

1. Combine eggs, cottage cheese and cheese in a large bowl. Blend the eggs and cottage cheese first if you want to.
2. Stir in meat/beans and veggies and season as desired.
3. Spoon into a well-greased muffin tin. I fill my tins pretty full and usually make about 9 muffins.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 25- 30 minutes or until eggs are set.

These are really easy to make and keep well in the fridge so they can be reheated throughout the week. To make these Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins kid-friendly, ie something my kids might consider eating, I’d leave out the kale, replace chicken with chicken sausage and add just a few pieces of red pepper and maybe some peas.

Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins FAQs

Can I just do egg whites?

I wouldn’t recommend doing just egg whites since that yolks add some healthy fats and flavor but you could do a mix of a couple whole eggs and some additional egg whites.

Are cottage cheese egg muffins low-carb?

Yes, these muffins would be considered low carb. Cottage cheese has about 5g of carbs per 1/2 cup serving.

Does the kind of cottage cheese you use matter?

You’re welcome to use full-fat, low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese. I always recommend looking for a lower-sodium brand out of the ones that are available to you.

Can I make mini egg muffins?

Absolutely! Feel free to make your egg muffins mini-sized. You’ll just need to reduce the cooking size.

Is it safe to reheat egg muffins?

Yes! You can prep a batch of these ahead of time and microwave a couple of egg muffins each morning.

Could you use ricotta instead of cottage cheese?

I haven’t tried it myself but yes, you should be able to sub ricotta cheese for cottage cheese.

Looking for more cottage cheese muffins?

Here are some more recipes to try:

• Cottage Cheese Blueberry Muffins
• Lemon Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins
• Cottage Cheese Breakfast Muffins with Ham and Cheddar
• Blender Cottage Cheese Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Enjoy!

–Lindsay–

These Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes are made in a blender with protein-rich ingredients like cottage cheese and eggs. No protein powder required and they make a great breakfast or post workout snack.

*This post was originally published April 2014. Text and photos have been updated*

Hi Friends!

These Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes were born out of necessity a few years ago. I hadn’t gone grocery shopping the previous weekend and was looking for something quick and easy for lunch. I combined some leftover baked sweet potatoes with a little cottage cheese and a couple eggs and voila! A protein-packed pancake that requires no protein powder.  Added bonus? You can whip them up in the blender making cleanup a breeze.

Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes

A few things to note about these pancakes before we go any further.

1. If you’re looking for fluffy, traditional pancakes, these are not them.
2. There is no protein powder in these pancakes. They’re high in protein thanks to the other ingredients.
3. Not everyone will like these. They’re a little dense in the middle so some people won’t like the texture.
4. These do not taste like cottage cheese.

Here’s how you make them:

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Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 17 reviews

A high protein, lower-carb breakfast option!

• Author: Lindsay
• Prep Time: 5 min
• Cook Time: 10 min
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 1-2

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• cinnamon, to taste
• peanut butter, for drizzling (optional)

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Instructions

1. In a high-powered blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a greased pan or griddle over medium heat.
3. Let sit for 3-4 minutes before flipping.
4. Flip carefully and let cook another 2-3 minutes.
5. Flip again and let cook for 2 more minutes.

Patience is the key when cooking these. Pour in the batter, let them sit for 4-5 minutes, flip them and let them sit for a few minutes. Then, flip them again and let them cook a little more. You can’t have your heat too high otherwise they will burn, but the longer cooking time helps them solidify a bit more in the middle.

These dense, eggy pancakes continue to be a favorite of mine and both my kids love them as well! Enjoy these drizzled with nut butter or your favorite pancake topping. I often make a batch as part of my food prep and eat them cold throughout the week. They’re also great after a workout!

[clickToTweet tweet=”Try these Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes, no protein powder required, for a quick meal or snack!” quote=”Try these Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes, no protein powder required, for a quick meal or snack!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay-

These Barely Banana Protein Pancakes are made with just 4 simple ingredients. They’re a kid-friendly breakfast or snack recipe that can be made quickly in the blender!

Note- I was provided a free copy of this cookbook. All opinions are my own.

Hi Friends!

I have a special treat for you guys today (Be sure to read the whole post!) If you’ve been paying attention in my toddler meals posts, you probably know that we’re breakfast creatures of habit around here. Now, I’m totally fine with that, but it is fun to change things up every once and a while. So when my friend and fellow RD Katie from Mom’s Kitchen Handbook reached out to me to check out her new cookbook, I jumped at the chance when I realized it was ALL ABOUT BREAKFAST!

Rise And Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Moms (affiliate link) is packed with 75 super easy breakfast recipes that all sound phenomenal. In this digital world, it’s been a while since I looked through a physical cookbook but I definitely spent some time tagging some recipes to try in this one.

A few that immediately caught my eye were:

Photo Credit: Erin Scott

PB Waffle Iron Sandwich
Milk & Cereal Bars
A Green Smoothie (even the kids will love)

Actually I pretty much wanted to try all of them, so huge congrats to Katie for writing such a phenomenal cookbook….but these Barely Banana Protein Pancakes were the first recipe I tried. And they were a huge hit! They’re similar to my Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes but with a little bit different twist.

Squish and I both loved them and Katie’s been kind enough to let me share the recipe with you guys!

Here’s how you make them:

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Barely Banana Protein Pancakes

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Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oats
• 1 1/3 cup cottage cheese
• 1 small ripe banana
• oil or butter for greasing skillet
• blueberries for topping, optional

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Instructions

1. Combine eggs, oats, cottage and banana in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a greased skillet and cook like regular pancakes.
3. (I made about 18 silver dollar sized pancakes)

I added some cinnamon to mine…and instead of syrup, I just defrosted some frozen blueberries and smashed them up to make a sauce!

Now, did you note that these pancakes require a blender? Well here’s the good news. We have a blender to give away to one of you! And not just any blender….A Nutri Ninja!

A little more about the blender:
Ninja^® Blender System with Auto-iQ Technology has  pre-programmed settings with unique blending patterns that deliver smooth consistent results, with no guesswork required. These programs combine unique, timed pulsing, blending and pausing patterns that do the work for you. The digital countdown timer shows blending time remaining, allowing you to multitask. Available at all major retailers nationwide, starting at $249.99.

Feeling lucky? Enter below! One lucky winner will win a copy of the Rise & Shine Breakfast Cookbook and a Ninja Blender System!

TO ENTER:
Just leave a comment below and tell us your ultimate go-to breakfast for busy mornings!

Giveaway is open to continental US Residents only. Giveaway ends Wednesday September 14, 2016 at 11:59PM EST. Winner will be picked using random.org.

To grab your copy of Rise and Shine OR Katie’s other fabulous cookbook Best Lunch Box Ever, check out her site for details.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Try these Barely Banana Protein Pancakes for a healthy breakfast from @leangrnbeanblog!” quote=”Try these Barely Banana Protein Pancakes for a healthy breakfast option!”]

Enjoy!

–Lindsay–

These 4 kid-friendly dips are easy to make and perfect for dipping everything from meat to vegetables at dinner or even eating with a spoon for a healthy snack! 

Hi friends!

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably seen some of these dips pop up in my food prep posts for the past couple of months. I initially started whipping up dips like that to give Squish something to dip his meat into. Turns out he likes a few of them so much that he generally just ends up eating them with a spoon. However, he’s recently developed an affinity for ketchup and has pretty much mastered dipping his chicken in that, so I’m hoping that his dipping prowess will soon extend to these dips as well! If not, by the spoonful is just fine with me!

These are super simple recipes and are so easy to make! Dips are a fun way to add some extra nutrients to your child’s plate and it’s fun to experiment with different flavor combos.

Here are the recipes for these four:

Kid-Friendly Dips

This is his favorite!

Pumpkin Black Bean Dip

Combine 1/2 cup pumpkin + 1/2 cup black beans + 1/4 cup peanut butter in a food processor.
Puree until smooth.

Squash Yogurt Dip

Combine 2/3 cup roasted squash + 1/3 cup plain or vanilla yogurt + 1/4 tsp cinnamon.
Puree until smooth.

Optional:
Add some hemp seeds.
Use plain yogurt and add a dash of maple syrup.

Avocado Pea Dip

Combine 2/3 cup avocado + 2/3 cup cooked green peas + 1 cup canned pears/pineapples.
Puree until smooth.

Raspberry Cottage Cheese Dip

Combine 1/2 cup white beans + 2/3 cup cottage cheese + 2/3 cup raspberries.
Puree until smooth.

Do you make dips for your kiddos? What flavor combos do they like?

[Tweet “Try serving these 4 Kid-Friendly Dips with meat or veggies! via @leangrnbeanblog”]

These dips would make the perfect addition to your weekly food prep! Like I mentioned, they also make a great snack with a spoon. Want more kid-friendly snack ideas? Check out these Healthy Toddler Snack Ideas!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–