This Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream is SO delicious and has the same creamy texture as traditional ice cream, but is made with nutrient-rich ingredients. It's a high-protein dessert made with fresh strawberries, cottage cheese, graham crackers, honey, and vanilla extract. All blended and frozen to create the perfect dessert.
As a dietitian, I love when I can use a nutrient-rich ingredient like cottage cheese to make a delicious treat like this homemade ice cream. When I saw cottage cheese ice cream popping up on my social media feed, I knew I had to put my own spin on it and experiment with different flavor combos. And this Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream made with cottage cheese became a quick favorite! I hope it becomes a favorite for you, too! 😊
This recipe is perfect for when you have a sweet tooth to satisfy, and still want to get in some protein and nutrition. If was inspired by my other healthy desserts, 4 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies and Date Snickers.
Jump to:
- Video of How to Make Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
- Variations of Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
- Equipment
- Storage
- Expert Advice
- Registered Dietitian tip
- FAQ
- More Nourishing Dietitian Recipes:
- Perfect for Pairing
- Looking for Nutrition Education from a Dietitian?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Video of How to Make Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
Watch this video of how to make cottage cheese ice cream that I hope is helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients - just 5 ingredients is all you need!
- Easy - all it takes it blending the ingredients and freezing the mixture in a loaf pan! No ice cream maker or fancy equipment needed.
- Nutrition - this Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream provides nearly 20 grams of protein per serving. It also contains probiotics for gut health, antioxidants to support brain health, and vitamin C for immunity.
- Taste - the cottage cheese mixture seriously makes super creamy ice cream. Even if you're not a fan of cottage cheese recipes, you will love this! It doesn't taste like cottage cheese at all.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
*This Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream is made with fresh ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full ingredient list and recipe.
- Cottage Cheese - this is the main ingredient in this easy recipe and when it comes to type of cottage cheese, I highly suggest using full-fat cottage cheese. I use Good Culture brand of cottage cheese that contains live, active cultures. You can use low-fat cottage cheese or nonfat cottage cheese if you prefer. It will just have more ice crystals but it will have less saturated fat if that is something you watch for.
- Strawberries - I love using natural ingredients to sweeten desserts and strawberries do the trick here!
- Graham Crackers - to add more flavor and texture, add graham crackers to the ice cream base and more on top of the mixture. I use Simple Mills brand Honey Cinnamon Sweet Thins.
- Honey - honey adds more sweetness to this high-protein treat. You can use your sweetener of choice. Pure maple syrup or agave syrup work work!
- Vanilla Extract - to tie all the flavors together.
How to Make Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
*Below are the instructions for how to make Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream with some process shots that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
- Step 1: Combine the cottage cheese, half of the strawberries, half of the graham crackers, honey, and vanilla extract in a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until it has a creamy consistency, about 1-2 minutes. Push down the sides as needed.
- Step 2: Add the ice cream mixture to a loaf pan or other freezer-safe container. You can even store it in the cottage cheese container.
- Step 3: Mix in the rest of the chopped strawberries and crushed graham crackers. Freeze for at least 4 hours.
- Step 4: Remove from freezer and let it thaw 10-15 minutes to let it soften before serving.
Variations of Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
One of my favorite things about a cottage cheese ice cream is you can make different variations based on your preference. Below are some ideas, but feel free to get creative!
- Nutty- add peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or chopped nuts for more flavor and texture.
- Chocolate - add chocolate chips or use chocolate graham crackers if you're a chocolate fanatic.
- Deluxe - to give this delicious dessert even more of a Strawberry Cheesecake cottage cheese ice cream vibe, add a tablespoon of cream cheese, some vanilla bean paste, and double up on the graham cracker crumbs.
- Citrus - brighten it up with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or orange juice.
Equipment
All you need is a high-speed blender or food processor and a loaf pan or other freezer-safe container. You can use an immersion blender instead, it just won't be quite as creamy.
Storage
- Freezer: Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Cover with plastic wrap if your container doesn't have a lid.
- For serving: Take it out of the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving to let it soften.
Expert Advice
- For the most creamy consistency and smooth texture, use whole milk cottage cheese. Low fat cottage cheese or fat-free cottage cheese will result in more ice crystals.
- Let it thaw about 10 minutes before serving. This will make it easier to scoop!
- Chop the strawberries into relatively small pieces so they get distributed evenly.
Registered Dietitian tip
Cottage Cheese contains 14 grams of protein per 0.5 cup serving! Protein can help you feel full for longer and supports hormone health.
But many people don't realize that cottage cheese also contains probiotics. Probiotics are great to incorporate into your diet for a healthy gut. Some cottage cheese brands are pasteurized and therefore do not contain live probiotics. Look for the words "live, active cultures" on the label! I use Good Culture brand.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, this strawberry cottage cheese ice cream is a nutrient-rich option and has nearly 20 grams of protein per serving, less added sugar, and less saturated fat than traditional ice cream. It also contains probiotics for gut health and several other nutrients including phosphorus and selenium from the cottage cheese. The strawberries provide vitamin C, manganese, and potassium and honey provides antioxidants.
I use the Good Culture brand and do whole-fat for this recipe. Good Culture products don’t contain gums or thickeners and they have live, active cultures.
You can find it in the dairy aisle at the grocery store. You can also grab it on Amazon.
More Nourishing Dietitian Recipes:
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream:
Looking for Nutrition Education from a Dietitian?
Here are some of my educational posts you may enjoy:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram….I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream (Viral Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk cottage cheese (440g) or low-fat, I use Good Culture brand
- 1 cup strawberries, chopped about 8 large strawberries
- 12 Simple Mills Sweet Thin Graham Crackers (30g) or your favorite graham crackers
- 2 tablespoon honey (30 ml)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract (10 ml)
Instructions
- Combine the cottage cheese, half of the strawberries, half of the graham crackers, honey, and vanilla extract in a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until it has a creamy consistency, about 1-2 minutes. Push down the sides as needed.
- Add the ice cream mixture to a loaf pan or other freezer-safe container. You can even store it in the cottage cheese container.
- Mix in the rest of the chopped strawberries and crushed graham crackers. Freeze for at least 4 hours.
- Remove from freezer and let it thaw 10-15 minutes to let it soften before serving.
Video
Notes
- For the most creamy consistency and smooth texture, use whole milk cottage cheese. Low fat cottage cheese or fat-free cottage cheese will result in more ice crystals.
- Let it thaw about 10 minutes before serving. This will make it easier to scoop.
- Chop the strawberries into relatively small pieces so they get distributed evenly.
- Freezer: Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Cover with plastic wrap if your container doesn't have a lid.
- For serving: Take it out of the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving to let it soften.
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