Cottage Cheese Brownies - iFoodReal.com (original) (raw)

Cottage Cheese Brownies are rich, fudgy, completely gluten-free and packed with 7 grams of protein. Made in a blender for quick and easy healthy treat!

I also love making Greek yogurt brownies, sweet potato brownies and banana brownies!

Sliced cottage cheese brownies on a wire rack.

I love cooking, but especially baking with cottage cheese! Once I made cottage cheese cookie dough and cottage cheese tiramisu, both out-of-this-world delicious, I knew that we could make almost anything with this magical ingredient!

And these cottage cheese brownies delivered big time! One bite, and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Rich and fudgy: These brownies have the perfect gooey, chocolatey texture.
Quick and easy: Everything comes together in a blender so there’s minimal effort and clean up.
High in protein: Each cottage cheese brownie packs 7 grams of protein. Higher in protein are only these protein brownies.
Tried and true: If cottage cheese can do everything from dips to bread to cheesecake, you know these brownies will be good!

Ingredients for Cottage Cheese Brownies

You’ll only need 8 basic baking ingredients, plus almond flour and cottage cheese.

Cottage cheese, cacao powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, baking powder, salt, eggs, almond flour, chocolate chips, vanilla.

Cottage cheese: The main ingredient that also makes them high protein! You can use any % you have on hand or prefer, I used 2% cottage cheese.
Eggs: Boost protein, add moisture, and help bind everything together.
Maple syrup: Adds natural sweetness. You could also try honey or agave as a liquid sweetener.
Coconut oil: Melted coconut oil helps give these brownies an extra fudgy texture.
Cacao powder: Feel free to substitute cocoa powder.
Almond flour: Adds structure while keeping the brownies moist and tender. I think almond meal will work too.
Baking essentials: Pure vanilla extract and salt for flavor, and baking powder to give them a little lift.
Mini chocolate chips: I love how mi ni chocolate chips melt into every bite! I always mix some in and sprinkle the rest on top.

How to Make Brownies with Cottage Cheese

This brownie recipe comes together with the easiest 10 minutes of prep!

Step by step process how to make brownies with cottage cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 F and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.

Blend the batter: Add everything to a high speed blender and blend until smooth, stopping once to scrape the sides.
Bake: Pour the cottage cheese mixture into the prepared dish, level it with a spatula, and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a little dough and some wet batter.
Cool and slice: Let the brownies cool for 10 minutes. Use the parchment paper to transfer them to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing.

Sliced brownies on a wire rack.

Tips for Best Results

Here are a few tips to make these brownies a standout healthy dessert in your home!

Don’t substitute cottage cheese: Substitutes won’t give you the same texture. Try my brownies with Greek yogurt if you have that ingredient in mind.
Don’t over bake: The key to keeping brownies soft, fudgy, and perfect. They might look a little underdone when you take them out, but brownies will firm up during cooling.
Let brownies cool: They’ll need a few minutes to set and will be much easier to cut once they’ve set.
Slice carefully: I’ve found that cutting and lifting upward with a serrated knife works best. Wiping the knife with a wet cloth between cuts helps too.
Mini chocolate chips are the best: They spread out so perfectly that you get melted chocolate in every bite, and you don’t need to use as much! But regular size ones will work as well.

Brownie served with whipped cream.

Variations

These brownies with cottage cheese are easy to customize, here are just a few ideas:

Toppings: Finish them off with sprinkles, chopped nuts, flaky sea salt, mini marshmallows, whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Nutty swirl: Swirl some peanut butter or nut butter on top before baking.
Crunchy twist: Mix up to 1/2 cup chopped nuts like walnuts or almonds into the batter.
Muffin style: Turn these brownies into muffins by diving the batter into a muffin tin and baking for about 20-25 minutes.
Espresso kick: Stir in a little instant espresso powder for a coffee-flavored brownie.
Mint chocolate: Add a few drops of peppermint extract to the batter for a refreshing twist.

How to Store

Store: Keep your brownies in a ventilated container at room temperature for 2 days. After that, pop them in the fridge for up to 3 more days.

Freeze: They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months stored in an airtight container.

FAQs

What is the best cottage cheese to use?

I used 2% fat, I think you can use any fat % in this recipe.

Can I add protein powder?

I don’t recommend it here because protein powder will dry out the brownies. But don’t worry, I do have a protein powder brownie recipe! That’s why I know protein powder brownies need a different amount of liquids.

Can I use egg whites?

You may replace two large eggs with 1/3 cup egg whites, but brownies will be less fudgy.

What can I replace coconut oil with?

Coconut oil is the only oil that solidifies and makes these brownies more fudgy. You can use any other oil like avocado oil or olive oil, but I think brownies will not be as fudgy. Maybe butter would be a better substitute.

More Cottage Cheese Desserts to Try

More Brownies Recipes

A stack of three cottage cheese brownies.

▢ 1 cup cottage cheese, I used 2%
▢ 2 large eggs
▢ 1/2 cup maple syrup
▢ 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
▢ 1/2 cup cacao powder
▢ 1/2 cup almond flour
▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▢ 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips, divided

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 8 x 8 square baking dish with unbleached parchment paper. Set aside.
In a high speed blender, add cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, cacao powder, almond flour, vanilla extract, baking powder and salt. Blend until smooth, pausing and scraping the walls once.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish, level with spatula and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean, with small pieces of dough attached to it and a bit of wet batter is fine.
Remove from the oven and let brownies cool for 10 minutes. Holding onto parchment paper flaps, transfer to a cooling rack and let cool until room temperature before slicing. Cut into 9 squares.

🎉 Last step! If you made this recipe, please leave a review and let us know what you think!

Store: Store in a ventilated container for 2 days in a cool dark place. Then refrigerate for up to 3 more days.
Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Serving: 1brownie, Calories: 214kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.004g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 204mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 14g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Watch Olena Cooking on Youtube

5 new videos every week