COTTAGE CHEESE RECIPES · HIGH-PROTEIN TREATS
These cottage cheese chocolate chip cookies are soft and cakey, with blended cottage cheese and a little vanilla protein powder standing in for part of the butter and flour. The dough comes together in one bowl, bakes in about 12 minutes and makes 14 cookies with about 7 g of protein each.
Jump to Recipe
- Makes
- 14 cookies
- Total time
- 30 minutes
- Oven
- 350°F / 175°C
- Protein
- About 7 g per cookie
- Texture
- Soft and cakey
Why You’ll Love This Cottage Cheese Cookies
- More protein than a regular cookie. Cottage cheese and protein powder bring each cookie to about 7 g.
- You cannot taste the cottage cheese. Blended smooth, it disappears into the dough and keeps the cookies soft.
- One bowl. No mixer and no chilling.
Ingredient Notes
Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth before measuring it into the dough. Any curds left will show in the baked cookie.
Use a vanilla whey or whey-casein protein powder. Plant-based powders absorb more liquid and can make the cookies dry.
Semisweet chocolate chips balance the lightly sweet dough. Dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate also work.
The recipe card below lists every quantity in one place.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Blend and mix the dough
Blend the cottage cheese smooth, then whisk it with melted butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop and bake
Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet, flatten each mound slightly and bake until the edges are set.
Photos in this article are AI-generated illustrations of the recipe, created for AllRecipeEasy.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Flatten the dough. This dough does not spread much. Press each mound to about ½ inch thick before baking.
- Do not overbake. Pull them when the edges are set and the centers still look soft. They firm up as they cool.
- Cool on the pan. Five minutes on the hot baking sheet finishes the centers.
- Measure flour lightly. Spoon it into the cup and level it. Packed flour makes dry cookies.
Substitutions and Variations
- No protein powder: Replace it with ¼ cup more flour. Protein drops to about 4 g per cookie.
- Oat flour: Swap the all-purpose flour for the same weight of oat flour for a heartier cookie.
- Less sugar: Use sugar-free chocolate chips. The brown sugar is needed for texture.
- Add-ins: Stir in chopped walnuts or a pinch of cinnamon.
Budget Tips
The half cup of cottage cheese left in a tub after another recipe is enough for a batch. Store-brand chocolate chips and protein powder bought in a large tub keep the cost per cookie low.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm with a glass of milk, or pack two in a lunch box. For another high-protein sweet, try the healthy cottage cheese cheesecake. If you want something savory with the rest of the tub, the cottage cheese queso uses a full cup. More ideas are in our cottage cheese recipes.
Storage, Reheating and Meal Prep
Because they contain cottage cheese, store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm one in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften it. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature.
Food safety: Do not eat the raw dough; it contains raw egg and raw flour. Refrigerate baked cookies within 2 hours.
Recipe Questions
Can you taste the cottage cheese in cookies?
No. Once it is blended smooth and baked, it adds moisture and protein without a cheese flavor.
Why are my cottage cheese cookies cakey?
Cottage cheese adds water, which makes a softer, cake-like cookie. For a chewier cookie, bake 1 to 2 minutes longer and let them cool completely.
Do I have to blend the cottage cheese?
Yes for the best texture. Unblended curds leave white spots and wet pockets in the cookies.
How much protein is in a cottage cheese cookie?
About 7 g per cookie in this recipe, estimated from USDA data. It varies with your protein powder.
Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth. In a large bowl, whisk it with the melted butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla.
- Add the flour, protein powder, baking soda and salt and stir just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop 14 mounds of dough (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the baking sheet, 2 inches apart, and flatten each to about ½ inch thick.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack.