This chocolate cottage cheese pudding makes a tasty make-ahead-of-time breakfast option or even a healthy dessert! Packed with 42g protein per serving and you only need 6 ingredients to make it!
I’m new to the cottage cheese game. For a very long time I avoided eating dairy all together since I linked it to my IBS and eczema flare-ups. I started reintroducing it back into my diet last year and to my surprise I haven’t had any negative side affects. Looking back I wonder whether I ever had an adverse reaction to dairy.
I now know my IBS is usually triggered by things like stress and lack of sleep, rather than any one ingredient I consume in isolation. I also found out last year that my eczema is triggered by an allergy to plant perfumes. Once I avoided all perfumes, my eczema flare-ups almost disappeared over night! I still get the odd flare-up here and there, but nothing like I used to experience.
Once my triggers became more apparent, I was curious to see whether the foods I had cut out for years were still triggering any of my symptoms. That’s when I started consuming dairy and gluten again (I assumed I was intolerant to both!).
Why I love making this chocolate cottage cheese pudding:
I always make including protein into my meals a priority, especially when it comes to breakfast. I usually don’t eat breakfast until 10-11am, which means by the time I have my first meal of the day it’s already been 14-16 hours since my last meal. My body needs the energy, but also the protein to help keep me satiated after a long fast.
I also usually do my workouts first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (I know the advice at the moment is not to workout on an empty stomach, but that’s what works best for me, so that’s what I do!), so a satiating, well balanced meal is exactly what I need.
As well as being packed with protein and a good source of fibre, this chocolate cottage cheese pudding is also packed with antioxidants in the cocoa, oats, tahini and pomegranate seeds. If you choose to top it with a bit of melted dark chocolate like I did, you’ll be adding even more antioxidants/polyphenols.
As well as the nutritional benefits, digging into this pudding also feels like you’re eating a decadent dessert! Healthy eating is so much easier when what you’re eating actually tastes good, isn’t it?
Can I have this chocolate cottage cheese pudding for breakfast?
Yes! This chocolate cottage cheese pudding is a well rounded, balanced and healthy meal. Each serving offers 42g protein, which helps feed your body as well as balance your blood sugar levels. It also offers 7g of fibre, which means you’re well on your way to the recommended 30g per day. Top with some fresh or frozen berries to make that even higher!
Apart from the chocolate shell, which is optional, everything in there is what you would include in a healthy breakfast. Things like oats, cottage cheese, protein powder, tahini and milk. I also added cocoa powder, which is a powerhouse for antioxidants.
Protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates or fats, so a high-protein breakfast can keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer periods. This can help prevent overeating later in the day.
Cottage cheese is rich in protein, which is essential for muscle repair, growth, and overall health. It’s a great option for those looking to increase their protein intake, especially for vegetarians or those who don’t consume a lot of meat.
Why should I use cottage cheese in a sweet pudding?
Cottage cheese is similar to yoghurt in that it’s both mild and creamy, making it a great option to use in a sweet recipe. When blended with the other ingredients, it honestly doesn’t feel like you’re eating cheese! It’s an easy way to include more protein into your diet.
You can make this chocolate cottage cheese pudding even if you don’t have/don’t like using protein powder. There will still be 20g protein per serving, and that protein comes from the cottage cheese. It also contains other important nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin B12, and riboflavin.
How to make this chocolate cottage cheese pudding:
All my breakfast recipes are easy and take no time to prepare. I almost never have the time (or patience!) for anything that takes longer than 5-10 minutes to make in the morning. That’s why breakfasts like this that you can prepare ahead of time or the night before are always the kind of breakfasts I turn to.
This chocolate cottage cheese pudding only calls for 6 ingredients, and all you need to do to make it is:
-
Add everything to a blender/food processor and blend until smooth.
-
Transfer into small serving dishes/bowls, then top with an optional drizzle of dark chocolate.
-
Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours, top with pomegranate seeds/berries and enjoy!
This chocolate cottage cheese pudding is:
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Healthy
- Packed with protein (42g per serving)
- A great source of fibre (7g per serving)
- Packed with antioxidants
- Easily adjustable
- Convenient
- Really easy to make
- A breakfast that tastes like a dessert!
- A great healthier dessert option
- The perfect way to satisfy your chocolate cravings
- So delicious!
Chocolate Cottage Cheese Pudding (High Protein/Healthy)
Ingredients
- 200g low fat cottage cheese
- 2 scoops protein powder* chocolate or vanilla
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp tahini or nut butter
- 50g oats
- 80ml milk of choice
Optional toppings
- 15g dark chocolate
- Pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Add everything to a blender/food processor and blend until smooth.
- Transfer into small serving dishes/bowls, then top with an optional drizzle of dark chocolate.
- Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours, top with pomegranate seeds/berries and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Love your protein recipes. Please share more, especially snacks. I’m struggling to get protein in between meals and I don’t like the taste of protein shakes/bars.
I don’t like protein shakes on their own either! I prefer to add protein powder to recipes instead. More protein recipes coming your way! 😀 xx
Ms. Nadia,
Can I substitute protein powder with something else?
You can leave out the protein powder and just add a little less milk 🙂 Hope that helps x
Hi Nadia
Is there a protein powder that you recommend as the taste can really vary between brands and I’ve not found a nice one as yet!
Hi Michelle 🙂 I’ve tried a few and I think protein flavours seem to be very personal. I’ve tried some that people swear by and I didn’t like personally, but some I like that others seem to hate 😅 At the moment I’m using the organic protein co whey protein in vanilla.
Never thought of using cottage cheese like this before. I was skeptical because I don’t like the taste, but mixed in with the chocolate I can’t even tell it’s in there! Great idea 🙂
I’ve had similar comments on Instagram, but like you said you really can’t taste the cottage cheese 🙂 Glad you liked it Ellie xx
Ellie
I often add cottage cheese to my smoothies. So I’m totally down with this. Just wondering what the Tahini adds and what kind of oats. What do the oats add? Here to for, I’ve used Chia with a chocolate protien drink to make pudding. But I see that the cottage cheese has more protien. I’m currently on a low calorie higher protien diet. So that is why I’m asking. Thanks for sharing and I will be looking for more of your high protien breakfasts.
Hi Lisa 🙂 The tahini adds healthy fats & antioxidants and the oats add fibre. Both make this recipe a balanced/well-rounded meal if you’re having it for breakfast, which is how I usually eat it. If you’re making it as a snack/dessert, feel free to leave out the oats and tahini. It’s an easy recipe to change to your likes/preferences 🙂
Can you use a protien shake in place of milk?
Hi Pam 🙂 the recipe already has added protein powder in it, so I wouldn’t recommend using a protein shake.
Weird that this is labelled as vegan when it’s clearly not
It’s not labeled as Vegan.
Funny how people brag about it nowadays when they can’t even tell the difference between vegetarian and vegan…
This is really good and a start to getting my husband to eat cottage cheese. lol I did find I had to add about 1/3 c water because it was so thick that it wouldn’t blend up. I also doubled cocoa powered. But it turned out great! Made six small servings for desserts.
Yum!!! Thank you. I used quinoa instead of oats and added chia seeds, raspberries and cherries on top… Breakfast shouldn’t taste this good 😉
Ohh I need to try quinoa next time – what a great idea 😀 Glad you enjoyed it Victoria xx
hi so looking forward tyo trying this already but if i can squeezre my quinoa in then amazin! did you cook the q first lol or did you put it in raw? sorry for the silly queestion hha
LOVE this! The taste really gives me chocolate cheesecake vibes :). Will definitely be putting this in my morning breakfast rotation – such a tasty way to start your day off with lots of protein & fiber!
So glad you enjoyed it Jenn 😀 It really is a great and easy balanced breakfast that tastes like a dessert 🥰
Ok, so I never ever leave reviews, but rely on them- shameless- I know. But I HAD TO leave a review here. This recipe is everything! I came across it looking to use up a brand of cottage cheese I bought on a whim and wound up hating. I was skeptical this recipe would keep me feeling full until lunch- it not only did that but tasted amazing. This is a new staple for me and a super fan of this site! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it Lissette and thank you for leaving your feedback 🥰 I find that cottage cheese is one of those foods that you either love or hate. I don’t like the tastes, but it’s such a great high protein food, so I love to find new and tasty ways to include it in my diet. Thanks again for taking the time to leave a lovely comment 😀 xx
Help! Every protein powder has a different size ago. Can you please give grams?
Hi Amanda 🙂 Protein scoops won’t vary enough for it to make a difference to the recipe, but the protein I used has a serving size of 30g per scoop, so I used 60g protein powder for the whole recipe. Hope that helps 🙂 xx
So good! For a dessert I left out the oats and I added some honey 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it 😀 I used flavoured protein powder, so it was sweet enough for my liking and didn’t feel the need to add honey. Of course it’s always good to adjust a recipe to your taste 🙂
Agree needs a little honey !otherwise very easy and good nutrition -anywhere posted the full nutritional value ?
I used a flavoured protein powder which was already sweetened, so I didn’t feel the need to add extra sweetener 🙂 glad you enjoyed it with a bit of honey 🥰
Oh and the nutritional breakdown is right under the instructions 🙂
Hi! Just made these and I’m so excited to try them out. Can they be frozen?
Hi Mariel 🙂 You can freeze them, just make sure they’re thawed completely before serving 🙂
O my! I love this recipe! Even though I am not a cottage cheese fan, I had about half a tub I had to use up. I used cashew butter, threw in two medjool dates, and oat milk. Dressed it up with mango chunks and cocoa nibs. YUMMY!
Cottage cheese doesn’t seem to be for everyone 😅 to be honest, I don’t like the way it tastes on it’s own, but it works really well in some desserts like this one. So glad you enjoyed it 🥰 xx
Perfect for a high protein dessert! I left out the oats, added more cocoa powder. I agree using flavoured protein made it sweet enough. Texture is perfect. Tastes like chocolate cheesecake. I served with cherries 🍒
So glad you liked it Kat 😀 and cherries are a great addition – obsessed with them at the moment xx
I threw in chia seeds and used carob powder. I used only one scoop of protein powder. It still tasted awesome
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed it Kathy 🙂 xx
I made this and it’s really tasty! Creamy and rich and you can’t even really taste the cottage cheese.
Question–is it estimated 410kc for the combined 2 servings, or 1 serving is 410kc? I’m sort of new to ‘calorie counting’ to stay in a deficit and was a little confused. Thank you!
Hi C 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it! The other flavours work really well in masking the flavour of the cottage cheese 🙂 and the nutritional breakdown is per serving. You can omit the chocolate topping for a lower calorie version. Hope that answers your question xx
Absolutely love this! Just wondering how long they last in the fridge and are they freezable?
Hey Taylor 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it! It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. I haven’t tried freezing it, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I imagine it would change the taste and texture.
So delicious! As a vegetarian, I’m always looking for creative ways to include more protein. Not being a fan of cottage cheese, I was a little skeptic but this is a total winner! I’ve already made it twice and plan to have it on the “go to” breakfast rotation. Thanks so much 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it Sara 😀 I’m the same – not the biggest fan of cottage cheese unless mixed with other flavours. Blending it also makes the texture so much more enjoyable! 🙂 Thank you for your feedback xx