This treat is definitely a “trust the process” kind of recipe. Why? The main ingredient is cottage cheese…
Why Cottage Cheese?
Cottage cheese is packed with protein, low in fat (if you get low fat/skim cottage cheese), and has a creamy texture when blended. When I looked at the nutrition facts of the cottage cheese I used in this recipe, I found that there is 12 grams of protein for every half cup! Compared to traditional ice cream, that’s a huge increase in protein per serving.
Calcium’s Role and Sources
Cottage cheese is part of the MyPlate dairy group. Dairy has calcium, a nutrient that helps our bodies maintain healthy teeth and bones.
Most Americans get their calcium through the dairy food group, but what about people that can’t have dairy or choose not to have dairy? The good news is that there is calcium in other food products too!
Some food products naturally have calcium, and others are fortified, meaning that calcium is added to them during their manufacturing process. Here’s a list of food products with calcium:
- Fortified plant-based alternatives to milk, such as almond milk and soy milk
- Fortified juices, such as calcium fortified orange juice
- Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, turnip greens, and bok choy
To learn more about dairy, here is MyPlate‘s article on dairy and it’s health benefits, and to learn more about other food sources of calcium check out this article from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Cottage Cheese “Ice Cream”
I was skeptical of this recipe to say the least, but it turned out so good! The cottage cheese when blended with fruit and honey turns into a sweet, creamy treat, similar tasting to cheesecake. I added mint to this recipe to make it taste fresh and light, but you can choose to leave the mint out if you’re not a fan.
This recipe has so many possibilities, and while making this I thought of other variations. As a general rule of thumb to maintain texture and flavor, there should be 1 cup of cottage cheese to every 2 cups of frozen fruit. Here are some other flavor ideas:
- Chocolate banana (frozen banana and cacao powder)
- Peach Mango (frozen peaches and mango)
- Raspberry lemon (frozen raspberry with lemon juice)
Recipe
I hope that you enjoy this unique recipe and have fun experimenting with different flavors! This dessert is quickly becoming one of my favorite alternatives to a bowl of ice cream. To see how this recipe is made, check out our Instagram or Facebook.
Enjoy creating!
-Captain Create
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