Creamy Cottage Cheese Frosting is a light, no butter, protein-packed twist on traditional frosting. Perfect for topping cakes, cupcakes, and more!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Everyone loves my Greek yogurt frosting, and since cottage cheese is all the craze right now, I decided to give it a try in frosting form. This cottage cheese frosting recipe is creamy, thick enough to spread, and makes any healthy dessert even healthier.
While it’s not the kind of frosting you’ll be able to pipe into fancy swirls, it’s perfect for spreading over cakes, cupcakes, or even your favorite loaf like this cottage cheese pumpkin bread.
I love that this frosting with cottage cheese is lower in fat and calories than traditional frosting but still rich and satisfying, thanks to its boost of protein.
It’s a high protein recipe that fits right in with all my other favorite cottage cheese recipes – simple, wholesome, and actually delicious.
Ingredients for Cottage Cheese Frosting
- Cottage cheese: Go with 2% or 4% cottage cheese for the perfect texture and rich flavor. Fat-free varieties can turn out too thin.
- Cream cheese: Be sure to let it soften first so it blends smoothly.
- Powdered sugar: Swerve, confectioners or icing erythritol all work well and are made from natural ingredients. Regular powdered sugar works too.
- Pure vanilla extract: Adds flavor and sweetness without any extra sugar.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Frosting
- Drain cottage cheese: Place it in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and let it drain for about 20 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Blend ingredients: Add all four ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Chill frosting: Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up before spreading.
Tips for Best Results
Here’s how to get the creamiest cottage cheese frosting.
- Rinse the cottage cheese: If the brand you use is salty or you are sensitive to its taste. I do it for this tiramisu and it works wonderfully.
- To help drain better: Give it a few stirs in the mesh sieve.
- If it’s too thin: Stick it in the fridge for a few hours and it’ll thicken. Alternatively, you could add more powdered sugar or softened cream cheese.
- Follow the recipe: Use powdered sugar instead of regular sugar, drain the cottage cheese, soften the cream cheese, and don’t use liquid sweeteners, they just don’t work.
How to Use It
Spread cottage cheese frosting on top of cupcakes, a simple cake like healthy zucchini cake or healthy carrot cake, or put it on any quick bread. It can also lighten up desserts like carrot cake cheesecake.
I don’t think it’s thick enough for layering, but the recipe makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes or a 9×13-inch sheet cake.
How to Store
Keep in the fridge for up to a week. Give it a quick whisk after storing before spreading.
More Frosting Recipes to Try
Cottage Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cottage cheese, 2% or 4%
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the cottage cheese to a fine mesh sieve or strainer set over a bowl. Let it drain for 20 minutes to remove excess liquid, stirring a few times.
- Once drained, add the cottage cheese to a food processor along with cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer into a bowl, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until it firms up.
- Use for spreading on quick breads, cakes and cupcakes.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate for up to a 1 week. I don’t recommend to freeze it.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup or any liquid sweetener will not work.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s a really yummy option, used it on my pumpkin pecan spice muffins. We like cottage cheese so I can’t say if someone hate cottage they would have a different experience ,
But this icing was really good. It taste like cream cheese icing just not as deep rich sweetness. Flavor is totally there. Def a brilliant option to lessen the caloric intake.
That’s great to hear! Sounds like a perfect lighter alternative — still delicious with that classic cream cheese flavor, just less sweetness. I do know what you mean about the cottage cheese.