Cottage Cheese Tiramisu is a lighter twist on the classic Italian dessert that packs 12 grams of protein and is not overly sweet!
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Once I tasted creamy cottage cheese pudding, I knew it would make amazing tiramisu! It tastes just like the classic mascarpone and heavy cream filling but is lower in fat and higher in protein.
Pure genius! Cottage cheese tiramisu is a decadent yet guilt-free healthy dessert. And after a bit of experimenting, I even got rid of the saltiness of cottage cheese, this recipe is a hit!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- High in protein: Every slice of healthy tiramisu has 12 grams of protein.
- Low in fat: Enjoy that rich flavor without the added saturated fats found in mascarpone and heavy cream.
- So easy to make: Prep time is a short 20 minutes with no raw eggs or baking hassle, just blend, layer and chill.
- Classic dessert everyone loves: I find that majority of people love tiramisu, maybe minus small kids! But it’s definitely one of those crowd pleasing desserts because “cream and coffee”!
Ingredients for Cottage Cheese Tiramisu
Just 7 simple ingredients go into making this cottage cheese tiramisu recipe.
- Cottage cheese: Any fat percentage cottage cheese will work for this high in protein tiramisu. When possible, choose organic cottage cheese.
- Milk: Any milk works, but to save on calories I like to use dairy-free milk such as unsweetened almond milk.
- Liquid sweetener: I opt for pure maple syrup or honey as my natural sweeteners.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds flavor to the cottage cheese mixture.
- Coffee: Use cooled strong coffee or espresso for dipping ladyfingers.
- Ladyfinger cookies: The main ingredient in tiramisu with a soft, cake-like texture. You can find them at most grocery stores or buy online.
- Cacao or cocoa powder: Dusted on top for a rich chocolate finish.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Tiramisu
This recipe is super simple! Blend, layer and chill. Here is a quick overview how to make cottage cheese tiramisu. You can also find full recipe card below.
- Rinse cottage cheese: Place cottage cheese in a fine mesh sieve, rinse with cold water to remove excess salt, and allow it to drain for a few minutes.
- Blend cottage cheese mixture: In a high-speed blender, combine cottage cheese, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth for about 2-3 minutes, pausing to scrape.
- Layer: One by one, dip 6 ladyfingers into cold coffee, ensuring they’re coated on both sides. Arrange them in a single layer in your loaf pan, add 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture on top, and level it with a spatula. Repeat for 2 more layers.
- Chill: Securely cover the loaf pan with tin foil and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight for better results. Sprinkle with cacao powder before serving, slice and serve.
Tips for Best Results
Before you dive into layering, here are some quick tips for the best tiramisu with cottage cheese results.
- Don’t skip rinsing the cottage cheese: It will make your cake taste less salty and much better. Simply use a fine mesh strainer and drain it thoroughly.
- Lady fingers size: Their sizes vary, so make sure to cut the second row with a serrated knife to fit your pan. Remember, the loaf pan widens as it gets taller, so cut each layer a bit longer. You can place them either vertically or horizontally.
- Use cold coffee: Brew it first thing and let it cool, I used my Nespresso machine. A more flavorful coffee or espresso is better, but strong drip coffee does the trick too. Speed up the cooling process by using a shallower bowl and popping it in the fridge.
- Quick dip: Dip ladyfingers one at a time. Just a quick dip on each side is enough not to over soak the cookies, which can make your tiramisu cake collapse.
- The longer you chill, the better: The cake will just hold its shape better and will be easier to slice, but after 4 hours it will still taste delicious.
As I always mention with my no bake desserts, patiently waiting for it to chill is the most challenging part.
How to Slice and Serve Tiramisu
Slicing layered desserts precisely can be a bit tricky. For the best results, use a sharp knife to cut your tiramisu into 6 even rectangular pieces, ensuring you wipe the knife clean between each cut.
I’ve found that a flexible silicone spatula works perfectly for lifting the slices.
How to Store
Store: Keep your tiramisu tightly covered and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It slices easier and tastes its absolute best when chilled!
Freeze: I haven’t experimented with freezing, and honestly, I’d advise against it. The texture might not be too enjoyable after thawing.
FAQs
No. By using the same mix of ingredients as in my cottage cheese pudding, and adding the extra step of rinsing the cottage cheese, the blend of maple syrup and vanilla works wonders in masking any salty undertones.
Ladyfingers, or “savoiardi” in Italian, are sweet, finger-shaped sponge cookies commonly used in desserts like trifles and tiramisu. When layered with cream, they adopt a delightful cake-like texture. They’re available in most large grocery stores, Italian markets, or online. Also, here are gluten free ladyfingers.
Feel free to choose any fat percentage cottage cheese for this high in protein tiramisu, the sodium content doesn’t matter since we will be rinsing it. Organic cottage is better. You can also use lactose free cottage cheese.
Yes, you can double the recipe and layer it in a 8 x 8 baking dish.
Absolutely! Cottage cheese tiramisu keeps well and can be prepared 1-2 days ahead of time.
More Cottage Cheese Recipes
More Cake Recipes to Try
Cottage Cheese Tiramisu
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 6 tablespoons milk I used unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup coffee cold
- 18 ladyfingers
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
Instructions
- Place cottage cheese into a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water to remove extra salt. Let drain for a few minutes.
- In a high speed blender, add cottage cheese, milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Process until smooth, about 2-3 minutes, pausing and scraping the walls of a blender with a spatula, if necessary. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Get 9 x 5 loaf pan and place cold coffee into another small bowl. Tiramisu will consist of 3 layer of 6 cookies each. Measure to make sure 6 cookies fit into a loaf pan and if necessary trim them to fit in. I had to do that.
- Dip 6 lady fingers one by one into cold coffee to make sure to coat on both sides. Place in a single layer in a loaf pan, top with 1/3rd of cottage cheese mixture and level it with spatula. Repeat with 2 more layers.
- Wrap the loaf pan tightly with tin foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or better if overnight.
- Place cacao powder into a small fine mesh sieve and sprinkle on top of tiramisu. Using a knife cut into 6 slices. To serve, use flexible silicone spatula. Serve tiramisu cold.
I have a potluck tomorrow for lunch. Is it safe to make it and leave it overnight?
Thanks
Phil
Totally, in the fridge covered. Gonna taste even better tomorrow.
I wonder if I can replace coffee with chocolate drink, to make a kid-friendly tiramisu?
Yes, I think so. Cooled off hot chocolate works too.