Fitness / July 12, 2023

The Best Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Recipe

Cottage Cheese Ice Cream is not your typical sweet treat. It’s an easy and fun way to twist up your dessert game by blending cottage cheese, honey, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and a pop of fresh mint into mouth-watering summer treat!

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Summer’s officially here and I like to spend what few moments I get alone chilling in the sun on a perfect day. What could make this moment even better? A big scoop of ultra-creamy, dreamy ice cream. Because everyone — and I mean, EVERYONE — loves ice cream. But get this: there’s a killer alternative to your usual ice cream flavors that not only delivers on the flavor front but also on the health front (more on that in a minute).

This creamy creation has it all: the velvety goodness of full-fat cottage cheese, a honeyed sweetness, and the nuttiness of peanut butter. Once you’ve added in some chocolate chips and maybe a hint of fresh mint, you’ll be left with an ice cream recipe that’s not only delish but also healthy. But you don’t have to stop there! You can toss in add-ons like fresh fruit or your favorite nuts to make it even more drool-worthy.

Making this heavenly dessert is super simple. With just a few basic ingredients and easy steps, you can get into the homemade ice cream world and feel incredibly proud when you scoop out your masterpiece. If you like ice creams, make sure to try my cookie dough banana ice cream.

Is This Healthy?

By using cottage cheese for your ice cream’s main ingredient, you get a GOOD chunk of protein, calcium, vitamins, and maybe even some probiotics, which should make your gut biome sing with joy, which should make you sing with joy.

If you use all-natural peanut butter (i.e., it doesn’t contain anything other than unsalted peanuts), this ice cream is even healthier. It will cut out the unnecessary oils, salt, and sugars, and add even more protein to the proceedings. Who knew ice cream could be this fun, tasty, and healthy!

INGREDIENTS

Naturally, you can have numerous flavors just like with regular ice cream, so if there’s something you don’t like, don’t add it. It’s that simple!

2 cups full-fat cottage cheese
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp chocolate chips
1 sprig of mint leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend

Place the cottage cheese, honey, and peanut butter in a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Freeze

Place the cottage cheese mixture in a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours. Remove from the freezer and scoop into bowls. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

DEVOUR!

Tips and Tricks

Not creamy enough for you? Add heavy cream to the cottage cheese to get that texture that most resembles your favorite ice creams.
Try chilling your ingredients before mixing them up for a heavenly consistency.

Variations

Fruit will taste just as good atop this cottage cheese ice cream as it does on regular ice cream… maybe even better! Add berries, mango, peaches, or whatever summer fruit you love for a sweet, fruity twist.

Why not keep your peanut butter company by chopping up some almonds or walnuts and mixing them into your ice cream? Quickly toast them beforehand to give your ice cream a warm, rich, nutty flavor.

I’d feel guilty if I didn’t at least MENTION the different syrups on the market but honestly, why reach for the processed stuff when you have maple syrup and (more) honey to drizzle on your dessert.

Serving Suggestions

Eating ice cream on its own is totally one way to go if you’re a purist, but if you want to apply your newly discovered dessert to some other sweet treats, here are my suggestions.

You can put a dollop on this lovely Paleo Pumpkin Pie. You can also crumble these Pecan Pie Paleo Cookies over the ice cream. And, because this is so healthy, why not have it for breakfast as part of this Apple Pie Overnight Oats?

FAQs

Do I need an ice cream maker for this recipe?

You could use an ice cream maker, but if you don’t have one, no worries! Your blender or food processor will do the trick just fine.

My Cottage Cheese is lumpy. What did I do wrong?

You have to go all in on the blending. Set that puppy on HIGH to get that silky smooth texture. It should take a few minutes to attain the right consistency, then you can strain the mix to get rid of any unwanted lumps.

Can I Use Low-Fat or Non-Fat Cottage Cheese in This Recipe?

I recommend the full-fat variety, with at least 4% milkfat I mean, you COULD use the lower-fat stuff but the ice cream won’t be as creamy as you might like.

Can I Substitute Other Sweeteners for Honey?

If honey’s not your thing or you don’t have on hand, try maple syrup, agave syrup or even granulated sugar.

Can I Add Other Mix-Ins or Toppings to the Recipe?

Yep, you have carte blanche here (crème blanche?). Add your favorite mix-ins like nuts, fruit or candy pieces. Get creative!

Is This Recipe Suitable for Lactose-Intolerant People?

Cottage cheese is fairly low in lactose compared to other dairy, but this would be a question for your doctor or dietitian. There are also lactose-free cottage cheese alternatives out there, though they may not be suitable for making ice cream.

How to Store Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

Store your ice cream in an airtight, freezer-friendly container to prevent ice crystals from forming. If you really want to guarantee no crystals, layer on wax or parchment paper over the ice cream before you pop on the lid.

Stash your ice cream in the coldest part of the freezer away from the door and this homemade ice cream should last you two to three weeks. Let it sit out for a few minutes to make scooping easier when it comes time to eat.