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Table of Contents
- No-Bake Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Cups
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Health Benefits of Cottage Cheese
- Ingredients For Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Cups
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to make No-Bake Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Cups
- Rachel’s Tips for the best result
- How to Serve No-Bake Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Cups
- Storage Instructions for Make Ahead Cheesecake Jars
- Recipe FAQs
- More Healthy Dessert-Like Snacks You’ll Love:
- No-Bake Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Cups Recipe
No-Bake Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Cups
These No-Bake Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Cupsare creamy, fluffy, and naturally high in protein, making them the perfect make-ahead after-school snack for the kids or healthy dessert! Made with just 5 ingredients these easy cheesecake cups are a delicious treat you can enjoy anytime.
If you love easy no bake desserts, you may also love our Chocolate Cherry Yogurt Clusters!
Is it dessert or a high protein snack idea for after school/workout? We think these delicious little cups are BOTH! Delicious, creamy, and satisfying, perfect to pull out of the fridge after a hard workout or when the kids get home from school.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Are you ready for summer!? I sure am! And this cottage cheese cheesecake dessert is the perfect treat you are gonna want to make all summer long. It is easy, high in natural protein, and ultimately a fantastic healthy alternative to regular cheesecake. Here are a few more reasons you are going to love this recipe:
- Higher Natural Protein: Cottage cheese contains around 83% more natural protein than traditional cream cheese, meaning this cheesecake recipe is higher in protein without using any protein powders!
- No Bake: This is such an easy cheesecake recipe! You get all that wonderful sweet and creamy flavor without having to do the baking!
- Easy: Once you mix the ingredients together, the blender really does all the work. Then it is just a matter of letting them set up in the refrigerator…which is completely hands off time!
- Healthy: Like all of the recipes on our site, we try to use only whole food ingredients so there are no additives like extra sugar, dyes, or preservatives. This particular recipe is also naturally high in protein, gluten free, and uses natural sweetener.
- Budget Friendly: Let’s talk about cost for a minute. A block of cream cheese can cost up to 50% more than a tub of cottage cheese of the same size. So I say take cottage cheese cheesecake to your next get-together instead of spending the extra money on a traditional one.
- Satisfying: I love including protein and healthy fat in our snacks, treats, and desserts because both protein and fat are very satisfying macronutrients. When we feel nicely satisfied, we’re less likely to overeat.
- Customizable: Add a squeeze of lemon or lime, some dark chocolate chips, or drizzle with our healthy caramel sauce to personalize these dessert cups.
Looking for more easy grab-and-go, naturally high protein snacks? Then you may want to try these High Protein Egg White Bites, Greek Yogurt Chocolate Muffins, or this Blueberry Cottage Cheese Bake.
Health Benefits of Cottage Cheese
It’s been up and down the food popularity scale over the years … but it’s always held a top spot on many “healthy foods” lists.
It’s low in calories and fat, naturally high in protein, packed with calcium, and full of nutrients. It’s also a solid source of vitamin B12, selenium, riboflavin, phosphorus, and folate.
FUN FACT: Nearly 70% of the calories in cottage cheese come from the casein protein, which includes all of the essential amino acids the body needs for muscle growth & repair.
Plus, it’s slow to digest, so it can keep you feeling full for hours after you eat.
It’s also versatile; eaten alone, with fruit and nuts as a snack, or in recipes.
Many varieties also contain gut-friendly probiotics. Be sure to check the label. My ABSOLUTE favorite brands are “Nancy’s Organic” and “Good Culture”.
Other things to look for on the label: If possible, choose an organic brand from grass-fed cows, with only a few other ingredients.
Ingredients For Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Cups
These simple ingredients come together to make a creamy, no-bake cheesecake without using cream cheese.
Makes 4 Servings
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries
- 8 Tbsps raw honey, divided
- 2 Tbsps chia seeds
- 3 cups cottage cheese
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and instructions.
Variations and Substitutions
- Ingredient swaps: Instead of honey you could use maple syrup however, it will give these cheesecake cups a maple flavor.
- Low sugar: Sweetness is a personal preference. If you prefer less sugar, you could lessen the amount of honey used or try this recipe with a different natural sweetener you prefer.
- Dairy Free: I have not tried this, but you could experiment with making this cheesecake recipe with cashew nuts, coconut cream, coconut yogurt, or vegan cottage cheese.
- Flavor variations: For Cheesecake flavor variations you may want to try adding chocolate, lemon, lime, or a nut butter. Here is one of best cheesecake flavors, No-Bake Lemon Berry Cheesecake.
- Boost protein even more: For extra protein you could also blend some protein powder into your cottage cheese mix like we did in this high protein cheesecake recipe, but you will probably want to use less honey because most protein powders are already quite sweet. “Just Ingredients” is my current favorite brand.
- Healthy Toppings: Top these no-bake cheesecake cups with fresh fruit, dark chocolate shavings, healthy granola for a bit of crunch, or nut butter/seed butter for extra protein and a nutty flavor.
How to make No-Bake Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Cups
Step 1. Place your frozen berries, 2 tablespoons of raw honey, and the chia seeds in a high speed blender.
Step 2. Blend on low until mostly smooth. We want this more of a jam/jelly consistency not runny. Stop a few times and scrape the sides of the blender. Divide the fruit mixture equally into your 4 individual serving cups.
Step 3. Place the cottage cheese, 6 tablespoons of raw honey, and your vanilla in a high-speed blender.
Step 4. Starting on low speed, blend until smooth and creamy. Again, you’ll have to stop and scrape the sides of the blender a few times. Blend just until creamy, but don’t over blend as we don’t want it runny.
Step 5. Top the fruit mixture with equal amounts of the cottage cheese “cream” then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight to set up a bit.
Step 6. Top with berries or other toppings you love and serve. These are best consumed within about 24 hours.
Enjoy!
Love, Rachel
Rachel’s Tips for the best result
- You’ll need to plan ahead and make this a day before serving, because it’s best after sitting overnight or at least an hour in the fridge.
- Make your cottage cheese smooth by using a high speed blender and blending it on a low setting until smooth. You will need to scrape the sides occasionally.
- The sweetness factor here is a very personal taste preference, so you may want to use more or less raw honey, depending on YOUR family’s specific taste preferences.
- Use this powerful blender or one similar to it, to make sure the cottage cheese turns out smooth for the cheesecakes.
- These cheesecake-filled jars will keep longer in the refrigerator if you use jars with air tight lids like these.
- A sprinkle of fresh lemon or lime zest on top would add another level of fresh flavor to these.Try it!
For more easy cottage cheese recipes try our High Protein Roasted Tomato Soup with Cottage Cheese, Chocolate Chip PB Cottage Cheese Ice Cream, or Jalapeno Poppers Cottage Cheese Wraps.
How to Serve No-Bake Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Cups
While these tasty no bake cheesecake cups make the perfect snack or after workout treat, they are also a great healthy dessert after a healthy meal. Here are a few balanced meals we think you would really enjoy before this no-bake dessert.
High protein chicken meals are a great choice here! A few of our favorites are Healthy Pineapple Chicken Bowls with Quinoa (Easy High Protein Meal) and Waldorf Chicken Chopped Salad.
Healthy meal bowls you could try are Asian-inspired Meal Prep Bowls and Super Flavorful Shrimp Power Bowls.
Here are some light dinner recipes that may be good so you can fully enjoy dessert afterward: Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Chicken + Shrimp Lettuce Wraps.
Storage Instructions for Make Ahead Cheesecake Jars
These are best consumed within about 24 hours. We don’t recommend freezing these individual cottage cheese cheesecakes since it would change the texture of the cottage cheese.
Recipe FAQs
How do I make my cottage cheese smooth for cottage cheesecake cups?
You will want to use a high powered blender, then start on low, scraping the sides of the blender as needed, and blend until mostly smooth.
Is cottage cheese cheesecake high in protein?
Yes cottage cheese is higher in natural protein, containing about 83% more natural protein than cream cheese due to casein protein.
Can I make this no-bake cheesecake ahead of time?
You can these no bake cottage cheese cheesecake cups up to 24 hours ahead of time.
Can I add protein powder to this recipe?
Absolutely! I recommend using Just Ingredients protein powder and then reducing the amount of honey in the recipe since the protein powder is already sweetened.
Is this recipe good for weight loss?
These cheesecake cups can be a part of a healthy balanced diet – even if weight loss is your current goal. It’s especially helpful to keep your protein high. Protein helps us stay satisfied longer which is really important if you’re trying to lose weight. It’s also important to include some treats and foods you really enjoy throughout the week to avoid the all-or-nothing loop that can keep us on a never ending diet cycle.
More Healthy Dessert-Like Snacks You’ll Love:
- Coconut Lime Pie Protein Balls
- Rachel’s Favorite Summertime Pink Smoothie
- Chocolate Chip Protein Pancakes
- No Bake Chocolate Date and Quinoa Bites
- Cranberry Protein Energy Balls
- Easy Chocolate Protein Pudding
- Peanut Butter Oat Energy Bars (No Bake!)
- Protein Packed Banana Splits
- 4th of July Protein Parfaits
No-Bake Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Cups
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries
- 8 Tbsps raw honey, divided
- 2 Tbsps chia seeds
- 3 cups cottage cheese
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place your frozen berries, 2 tablespoons of raw honey, and the chia seeds in a high speed blender and blend on low until mostly smooth. (We want this more of a jam/jelly consistency not runny.)
- Stop a few times and scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Once smooth, divide your berry mixture equally between 4 serving cups.
- Clean your blender or use another blender cup.
- Place the cottage cheese, 6 tablespoons of raw honey, and your vanilla in a high-speed blender then starting on low speed, blend until smooth and creamy. (Blend just until creamy, but don’t over blend as we don't want it runny.)
- Again, you'll have to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl a few times.
- Top your berry mixture evenly with the cottage “cheesecake” cream.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight to set up a bit.
- These are best consumed within about 24 hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
