12 Easy, Protein-Packed Cottage Cheese Recipes

It’s popular, it’s versatile, and it makes everything — whether dips or pancakes — more delicious and satisfying.

If you, like the rest of the world, have become more intentional about how much protein you consume, you may already have a container (or two) of cottage cheese in your fridge.

With about 13 grams of protein per half-cup, highly popular cottage cheese is an easy, versatile way to work more protein into your diet. (The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 1.2 to 1.6 g protein per kilogram of body weight per day, which translates to 20 to 30 grams per meal for many people.) And, in a number of the recipes below, it’s also a master of disguise, getting blended into dips and pasta sauces, whisked into eggs, pancakes and baked goods for moisture and heft.

Some notes before you shop: Cottage cheese can be a surprising source of sodium, so look for lower-sodium versions if your salt intake is a concern, and if you’re worried about your saturated fat, most recipes work well with reduced-fat varieties. If gut health is important to you, look for brands that use live and active cultures, rather than gums and thickeners, which are processed additives.

1. Spinach Egg Bites

Ready in: 45 min

Think spanakopita, but in egg bite form. Eric Kim packs these fluffy spinach-scallion bites with cottage cheese, which does the work of feta — but has more protein. Prep them once to have breakfasts and snacks all week long, or serve them alongside a simple summer salad and a piece of crusty bread for a light meal.

Recipe: Spinach Egg Bites

2. Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Ready in: 20 minutes

The cottage cheese in Vaughn Vreeland’s pancakes is virtually undetectable, keeping the texture light and spongy without any of the tang you might expect. Leftovers freeze and reheat well, making them a great candidate for meal prep.

Recipe: Cottage Cheese Pancakes

3. Cottage Cheese Egg Bites

Ready in: 40 minutes

Make Naz Deravian’s egg bites when you want a recipe that pays you back all week. Cottage cheese, blended into the egg mixture, is the secret to their soft, custardy texture and makes them more filling. Load them up with whatever vegetables and cheese you have on hand, and stash them in the fridge or freezer for grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks on busy mornings.

Recipe: Cottage Cheese Egg Bites

4. Herby Cottage Cheese Dip

Ready in: 30 minutes

Blended into a dip, cottage cheese is just as creamy as sour cream, but with a higher protein payoff, which means it’ll keep you full longer. Yossy Arefi’s vibrant dip does double duty: Use it as a sandwich spread, or stir it into scrambled eggs for a satisfying, herby breakfast.

Recipe: Herby Cottage Cheese Dip

5. Creamy Cottage Cheese Basil Pasta

Ready in: 35 minutes

Ali Slagle’s beloved pasta dish is your higher-protein answer to summery pesto. Serve it as a side, alongside grilled fish or chicken, or as the main event, with the remaining baby spinach tossed into a fresh salad or quick sauté on the side.

Recipe: Creamy Cottage Cheese Basil Pasta

6. Cottage Cheese Bread

Ready in: About 2 ½ hours

Carolina Gelen’s pillowy white sandwich bread proves that cottage cheese can do just about anything. Here, you get the tender texture you’d expect from white bread without skimping on protein. Use it for sandwiches and avocado toast all week, or slice it thick for weekend French toast.

Recipe: Cottage Cheese Bread

7. Strawberry-Basil Cottage Cheese Bowls

Ready in: 30 minutes

A generous pinch of black pepper is what ties together Ali Slagle’s five-star recipe, keeping the strawberry topping balanced between sweet and savory. Use mint for basil or almonds for pistachios if that’s what you have on hand.

Recipe: Strawberry-Basil Cottage Cheese Bowls

8. Everything Bagel Cottage-Cheese Dip

Ready in: 10 minutes

This dip swaps the cream cheese for cottage cheese, with all the same everything-bagel flavor and more staying power. It’s ready in minutes, and keeps in the fridge for up to two days, handy for whenever you need a snack. Scoop it up with whole grain crackers, raw veggies, or spread it right onto a toasted bagel.

Recipe: Everything Bagel Cottage-Cheese Dip

9. Cottage Cheese Pasta With Tomatoes, Scallions and Currants

Ready in: 30 minutes

Variations of cottage cheese and noodles dishes abound in Eastern Europe, which was the inspiration for this Melissa Clark recipe. This version includes a delightful mix of tomatoes, mint, currants and cinnamon.

Recipe: Cottage Cheese Pasta With Tomatoes, Scallions and Currants

10. Tomato and Cottage Cheese Salad

Ready in: 20 minutes

Amelia Rampe’s recipe is a nice change of pace from Caprese salad, and more substantial, thanks to cottage cheese. The salad is topped with a homemade everything bagel-style seasoning, but you can swap in store-bought if you’re pressed for time. Serving vibrant heirloom tomatoes and toasted bagels on the side makes this an easy, showstopping brunch, or a no-cook summer meal on its own.

Recipe: Tomato and Cottage Cheese Salad

11. Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Ready in: 50 minutes

In this smart recipe from Naz Deravian, everything comes together in the blender or food processor, which means easy prep and clean up. Oats are blitzed first, then cottage cheese and the rest of the ingredients are added and blended until smooth. Her recipe makes enough to freeze, so future-you gets pancakes, too.

Recipe: Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Pancakes

12. Tahini-Honey Cottage Cheese Bowl

Ready in: 10 minutes

Add Ali Slagle’s creamy bowl to your rotation for a low-effort breakfast that can be scaled down to one serving and works with any seasonal fruit. With touches of sweet, savory, rich and crunchy, you’ll see why one reader wrote, “I can’t stop making this.”

Recipe: Tahini-Honey Cottage Cheese Bowl