Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Recipe

Cottage cheese has been having a moment lately. While the creamy, curd-filled dairy product used to be associated with bland and unexciting diet food, cottage cheese is now huge on TikTok, where millions of people are singing its praises. Though it may have somewhat of an unconventional texture, cottage cheese is high in protein, low in cholesterol, and filled with nutrients. It's also versatile enough to be used in both sweet and savory recipes. Here, recipe developer Christina Musgrave turns it into a refreshing ice cream with the help of a couple pantry staples and a food processor, which ends up being a much easier process than making ice cream the traditional way.

"Cottage cheese is the star of the recipe," Musgrave says. "It mimics the texture of ice cream but with much more protein." And, thanks to the additions of honey, peanut butter, and chocolate chips, this dish tastes much more like a creamy, sweet treat than it does curd-laden cottage cheese. There's no churning in involved, and you can actually count on your handy food processor to do the work in whipping up this unique confection.

You won't need many ingredients here — just cottage cheese (full fat is a must), your favorite type of chocolate chips, peanut butter, and honey. "Full fat cottage cheese will give a creamy texture that resembles ice cream," Musgrave says. "You can definitely taste the peanut butter," she adds, noting that "you could use a different nut butter if you prefer."

Start by getting your food processor out and putting in the cottage cheese, honey, and peanut butter. Then, simply use the pulse button to transform it into a creamy, uniform ice cream base. It's that easy!

It's time for toppings! This recipe keeps things simple and just uses chocolate chips. "You can definitely add more mix-ins to this! I'd just reduce the chocolate chip amount if you add additional things to keep the texture correct," Musgrave says. Nuts, dried fruit, or even yogurt chips are all fair game here. Once you've created the ice cream of your dreams, transfer it to a loaf pan and stick it in the freezer for at least 3 hours.

Once you've completed the difficult task of waiting for your cottage cheese ice cream to freeze fully, it's time for the sweetest reward of all: Eating your homemade creation. Musgrave says you can make this "a day in advance" if you'd like, but the recipe is so simple it would also be a snap to throw it together in the morning so it's ready for an after-dinner treat. Whether you were already a cottage cheese fan or are trying it for the first time now, you've probably never had it like this.