Cottage Cheese Ice Cream – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Creamy, sweet, and slightly tangy cottage cheese ice cream tastes so much like cheesecake ice cream, you’ll do a double take! With three times the protein, it’s a new staple in our freezer.

I’ve dressed this batch of ice cream up with a berry swirl and graham cracker pieces throughout, but the options are nearly endless. I’m already playing a couple of new flavors.

How to Make Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

Wondering what cottage cheese ice cream tastes like? Well, you aren’t alone in that. When I first saw cottage cheese ice cream popping up online, I immediately put it on my list to try.

The viral cottage cheese ice cream that we’ve seen popping up all over the internet is about as basic as food recipes can be. Combine cottage cheese and a bit of maple syrup or honey in the blender. Blend until smooth and then freeze for an hour or so, until firm enough to scoop.

As far as this ice cream lover is concerned, that is not ice cream. It’s “okay” as a healthier alternative to a lot of other snacking, but it just tasted like frozen cottage cheese to me. Not horrible, but also, not ice cream. Sorry.

Best Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

However, the idea behind it (at least the part that interested me most) was the boost of protein when adding cottage cheese to ice cream. So, naturally, I had to play with that idea a bit more.

This cottage cheese ice cream? This is creamy, sweet cheesecake-flavored ice cream happiness! And the added bit of protein, increased from the usual 3 grams to 12 grams of protein per serving, makes me grin with every sweet bite.

I found that adding some fruit, a squeeze of lemon, and a bit of sugar (vs honey) helped balance the salty, tangy cottage cheese flavor. I’m a great big fan of cottage cheese, as my daily breakfast bowls attest, but straight-up cottage cheese ice cream needed some tweaking before it passed my ice cream test.

Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Now, let’s talk about how to really take this up a notch. I had multiple people taste the plain berry ice cream and it was well-received. The common consensus is that it tastes like cheesecake, as the tang of the cottage cheese remains present in the final ice cream.

That got me thinking. Why not make it taste even more like cheesecake? My first attempt with plain crushed graham crackers was a bit unappealing. They softened quite a bit and there wasn’t much “crust” flavor to it.

However, with a bit of butter and a sprinkling of sugar, the crust crumbles are incredible. After freezing the crumbs for just long enough to make sure they won’t soften and melt into the ice cream as soon as they’re added, this ice cream is a huge win!

Ice Cream Variations

If you don’t have fresh or frozen fruit on hand, this can be made with a quarter cup of your favorite jam in place of the fruit. I’ve tested that and it works nicely, even resulting in a slightly softer ice cream.

I’ve made this ice cream with less sugar and I’ve made it with a bit more. I like the tanginess of the less sweet ice cream. If you prefer a more traditional ice cream sweetness, you may want to use a bit more sugar. Taste the ice cream mix before freezing it and add more sugar at that point, if desired.

Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

Ice Cream Ingredients

• cottage cheese
• fresh berries
• sugar
• fresh lemon juice
• vanilla extract

OPTIONAL Cheesecake Swirl Ingredients

• graham crackers
• butter
• light brown sugar
• berries
• sugar

The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Recipe

Combine the cottage cheese, fruit, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in the blender. Blend until completely smooth.

Pour into the ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When finished churning, serve immediately for soft serve ice cream or transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer until ready to serve.

Cheesecake Swirl Instructions

To make the add-ins, melt the butter in a small bowl. Add the brown sugar and stir to melt. Add the graham cracker pieces and stir to coat.

Spread the crumbs out on a paper plate and PLACE IN THE FREEZER until ready to use.

Combine the berries and sugar in a small bowl and smash together. Set aside at room temperature while the ice cream is churning.

To assemble the ice cream, transfer about a third of the churned ice cream to a freezer safe container.

Scatter about a third of the frozen graham crumbs over it and drizzle with a few spoonfuls of smashed berries. Repeat the layers twice more. Place in the freezer until set.

Due to the very low fat content, after a few hours in the freezer, this will be a VERY firm ice cream. It will require a not-insignificant (at least 20-30 minutes) amount of time at room temperature before you’ll be able to scoop it.

I recommend taking the ice cream out of the freezer about half an hour before you plan to serve it. Just be patient and the wait will be worth it. I promise.

As you’ve likely caught on to by now, I especially enjoy unusual ice cream flavors. I shared Dr Pepper Ice Cream last week, it’s an ice cream that blends the nostalgia of a fountain drink with the indulgence of freshly churned ice cream. The creamy texture balances perfectly with the unique soda taste.

With over 70 ice cream recipes here to choose from, there’s sure to be an ice cream for everyone! If you’re new to making ice cream, the best and easiest vanilla ice cream is a great place to start.

These are my favorite inexpensive containers for storing ice cream. They’re perfect for gifting (who doesn’t love homemade ice cream?) storage, re-using, etc. I write the flavors on the lids with a sharpie and it washes off with dish soap.

I have more ice cream scoops than I can keep track of at this point and I definitely play favorites. This ice cream scoop does the best job ever of cutting through firm ice cream and still delivers a pretty scoop. It gets bonus points for being one of the least expensive scoops I own as well.

Don’t miss our Ice Cream Maker Review for all the information you need to find the BEST Ice Cream Maker for your needs. Spoiler alert – our top-rated machine under $50 just might surprise you. It sure surprised me!