This Blueberry Cheesecake Cottage Cheese Ice Cream recipe is an ultra creamy, delicious, frozen treat made with only 5 ingredients. Enjoy this viral sensation as a high protein dessert with over 20 grams of protein per serving!
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This post is sponsored by California Giant Berry Farms. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help Fit Mitten Kitchen bring you new recipes!
Want to cool down with more blueberry recipes? Try my Homemade Blueberry Popsicles, Blueberry Banana Smoothie and Watermelon Blueberry Salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Good source of protein with over 20 grams per serving!
- No ice cream maker required!
- Creamy texture, delicious flavor and a healthy summer treat!
- Customize it based on your favorite ice cream flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
All it takes is a few simple ingredients to get in on the cottage cheese ice cream trend. The base is made with only cottage cheese and honey – but the fun part is creating your own flavor. Here’s what we need for this blueberry cheesecake version:
- fresh blueberries – we need 1 cup fresh blueberries, or about 1/2 pint, for the homemade blueberry sauce. Raspberries, blackberries or diced strawberries would all be delicious, too.
- lemon juice – to add some tang and brightness to the blueberries.
- cottage cheese – look for full fat cottage cheese, usually labeled small curd. This will result in the richest, creamiest texture. If you can’t find full fat, low fat or fat free will work, it just won’t be as creamy. Good Culture, Organic Valley, Nancy’s and Friendship Dairies are all great brands.
- honey – you can’t make ice cream without a little bit of natural sweeteners. Honey adds a subtle floral flavor, but maple syrup or agave syrup would both work great, too.
- graham crackers – for crunch and to amplify that cheesecake aspect. Go for your favorite gluten free graham crackers, if you prefer.
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
How to Select the Best Blueberries
When shopping for blueberries at the grocery store, seek out berries that are:
- Deep blue in color with a light, silvery powder (called bloom)
- Naturally plump with smooth skin
- Firm and dry, with no signs of fuzz, mold or mushy berries
While peak blueberry season in the United States is between early June and early August during the summer months, California Giant has amazing national and international growers to provide us with the best berries year round. They also share some great information on blueberries in regards to selecting, storing, washing, freezing and more, on their site, found here.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
This ice cream with cottage cheese requires nothing more than some homemade blueberry sauce and a quick whiz in the food processor. Here’s how to do it:
1
Make the Blueberry Sauce
Cook down the blueberries and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until berries begin to burst, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat to cool.
2
Make the Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
Add the cottage cheese and honey to bowl of food processor with the S-blade. Process until completely smooth. Then, pulse in graham crackers a few times until combined.
3
Transfer to Loaf Pan
Add about half of the cottage cheese mixture to an 8×4 inch loaf pan (or use a freezer-safe bowl).
Dollop spoonfuls of the blueberry sauce sporadically over the surface (leaving a couple tablespoons for the end).
Then, add the remaining cottage cheese mixture and blueberry sauce. Swirl everything gently with a fork or butter knife, and top with more graham cracker crumbs.
4
Freeze Ice Cream
Cover the loaf pan tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 4 hours, and up to overnight.
Remove from freezer and let the container thaw for about 5-10 minutes, or until scoop-able. Scoop with an ice cream scoop into your favorite bowl an enjoy this high protein, healthy treat!
How to Serve
Nothing says viral cottage cheese ice cream more than some creative ways to serve it. Some of my favorites include:
- Bowl / Cone: Keep it classic by scooping into a bowl or ice cream cone!
- Mix In’s / Toppings: Go crazy with mix ins or toppings, like more graham crackers, dark or white chocolate chips, fresh blueberries or a drizzle of honey.
- Ice Cream Sandwich: Sandwich it between your favorite cookies, like Chocolate Chip Cookies or Chocolate Cookies.
- Sundae: Create a homemade ice cream sundae or banana split with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, caramel and whipped cream.
Flavor Variations
Since the ice cream base is really only cottage cheese and honey, you can really have fun with this recipe as different variations are endless. For some inspiration, you could try:
- Strawberry Cheesecake: Swap out the blueberries for fresh strawberries, dice into small pieces and proceed with the recipe to make strawberry cottage cheese ice cream.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip: Omit the blueberry sauce, and add a scoop of peanut butter powder or natural peanut butter along with chocolate chips.
- Vanilla: Add 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract for a classic vanilla flavor.
How to Store
Freezer: For longer storage, transfer the cottage cheese ice cream to a freezer safe airtight container and store for up to 2 weeks. For extra precaution, you can place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent the formation of ice crystals.
Thaw: The ice cream has a thicker texture than regular ice cream, so it needs at least 5-10 minutes (if not longer) to thaw on the kitchen counter. This will make it easier to scoop and provide a creamier texture. Thaw time will be dependent on how long you’ve frozen the container and also what your room temperature is.
Recipe Tips & Notes:
- Use your favorite kitchen appliance. While I used the food processor, you could also blend the cottage cheese mixture in a high speed blender or in a bowl with an immersion blender.
- Store in the cottage cheese container. Use the tiktok hack just like Lainie Cooks and store in the cottage cheese container to save yourself some dishes
- The ideal freeze time is 4 hours. This makes the ice cream frozen yet scoop-able. But if you are freezing for an extended period, thawing to room temperature will take longer.
- Higher protein content means portion control. I find this homemade protein cottage cheese ice cream to be so thick and rich, a small portion goes a long way. Plus, with over 20 grams of protein per serving, it doesn’t spike your blood sugar and will satisfy that ice cream craving.
More Frozen Treats Recipes You’ll Love:
If you make this Blueberry Cheesecake Cottage Cheese Ice Cream recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too. Xx Ashley
Blueberry Cheesecake Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 (24 ounce) tub full-fat, small curd cottage cheese , 3 cups
- ¼ cup honey
- ¾ cup crushed graham crackers, plus more for topping (about 4-5 sheets)
Instructions
- Make the blueberry sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook down blueberries with lemon juice until berries begin to burst, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat to cool.
- Make the cottage cheese ice cream: Once the blueberry sauce has cooled, add cottage cheese and honey to bowl of food processor and process until completely smooth. Pulse in graham crackers a few times until combined.
- Transfer to pan: Add about half of the cottage cheese mixture to an 8×4 loaf pan (or use a freezer-safe bowl) and dollop in spoonfuls of the blueberry sauce (leaving a couple tablespoons for the end), then add the remaining cottage cheese mixture and blueberry sauce. Swirl everything gently with a fork and top with more graham cracker crumbs.
- Freeze: Cover loaf pan tightly and freeze for at least 4 hours. Remove from freezer and let the container sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, or until scoopable. Enjoy!
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