Home › Recipes › Cookies & Snacks
Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

By Snejana Andreeva
on Mar 27, 2023, Updated Jun 14, 2024

Prepare to be 🤩 amazed by this 3-ingredient Cottage Cheese Ice Cream, which is incredibly delicious and packed with protein ! This treat is a nutritional powerhouse! I’ll be honest—I’m not too fond of cottage cheese on its own, but when it’s whipped, blended, or mixed into a recipe like this, it becomes an absolute game-changer. Inspired by my friend Lainie Kates , this recipe took the internet by storm. Whether you enjoy it as a dessert or a post-workout treat, this protein-packed delight won’t disappoint!
- Why You’ll Love Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
- How to Prepare Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
- Nonna’s Tip 🍧
- Variations and Substitutions for Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
- Similar Recipes
- Best Served With
- Common Questions
- Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Recipe
Why You’ll Love Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
You’ll love this 3-ingredient Cottage Cheese Ice Cream for its simplicity, high protein content, and delicious taste. It’s perfect for a post-workout snack or guilt-free 🍧 dessert. Even if you’re not a fan of cottage cheese, you’ll be amazed by its creamy transformation in this frozen treat. This easy-to-make recipe offers so many flavor possibilities because you can choose any 🍌 fruit you like! Enjoy a nutritious and satisfying treat any time of day!
How to Prepare Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
🥣 Blend all ingredients using a food processor , blender , or stick blender .
🍁 Sweeten to taste (I use maple syrup).
🧊 Transfer to a cottage cheese container or a freezer-safe container.
⏲️ Stir every hour until frozen to your liking.
❄️ If the ice cream gets “icy,” re-blend for a smoother texture, or enjoy as soft-serve.
🍓 Enjoy your Protein Cottage Cheese Ice Cream!
Nonna’s Tip 🍧
Be sure to use full-fat cottage cheese because low-fat cottage cheese becomes too icy.

Variations and Substitutions for Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
- Try your favorite fruit combinations , such as a mix of berries (strawberries, blackberries, and 🫐 blueberries) or a tropical blend (pineapple, mango, and coconut).
- Instead of maple syrup, use your preferred sweetener, such as agave nectar, stevia, honey 🍯 or monkfruit.
- Add some chia seeds for a different texture and more fiber.
- Mix in some chocolate chips or nuts before ❄️ freezing.
- Add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg for some spice.
Similar Recipes

Banana Ice Cream with Magic Shell
10 mins

Iced Coffee with Vanilla
6 mins

Watermelon Shaved Ice (Viral)
10 mins

Healthy Chocolate Pudding
8 hrs 10 mins
Best Served With
- Traditional ice cream toppings such as sprinkles, 🥥 coconut, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, nuts, etc.
- A hard shell, such as in my Magic Shell Ice Cream Bowl
Common Questions
Please use full-fat cottage cheese as low-fat will become too icy.
If you don’t like cottage cheese, this is the perfect treat for you because you won’t be able to taste it!
Feel free to use any fresh fruits of your choice. You can make this any flavor you enjoy.
You can use honey, maple syrup, or agave. Use any sweetener you like and taste and adjust.
Be sure to stir it once every hour so that ice crystals don’t form, or you can leave it and re-blend after it’s frozen.
I left mine for 4 hours but keep an eye on it. Leaving it too long can result in an icy texture, so you may have to wait for it to thaw.
A New Recipe Card!!
- Check off each step in instructions!
- Add ingredients to your shopping list!
Video
Equipment
- ▢ Large Food Processor
- ▢ Blender
- ▢ Mixing Bowls
- ▢ Measuring Cups + Spoons
- ▢ Oven Safe Pyrex Dish
Ingredients
- ▢ 500 grams full fat cottage cheese (do not use low-fat) , one medium tub
- ▢ fruits of choice , I used 7 strawberries + 1/4 banana
- ▢ drizzle sweetener of choice, to taste , I used maple syrup
Instructions
- ▢ Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, blender, or bowl using a stick blender.
- ▢ Make sure to measure with your heart and add as much or as little sweetener as your heart desires. I used 2 tablespoons of maple syrup but I am leaving that up to you.
- ▢ Pour the mixture back into the cottage cheese container or a freezer-safe container with a lid. I prefer to stir it every hour until it is frozen or to your liking.
- ▢ If the ice cream becomes too icy, you can re-blend it after it’s frozen for the perfect texture if you wish. You can also enjoy it as soft-serve.
- ▢ Enjoy as is for the perfect protein packed treat!
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
Equipment
- Large Food Processor
- Blender
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups + Spoons
- Oven Safe Pyrex Dish
Ingredients
- 500 grams full fat cottage cheese (do not use low-fat) one medium tub
- fruits of choice I used 7 strawberries + 1/4 banana
- drizzle sweetener of choice, to taste I used maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, blender, or bowl using a stick blender.
- Make sure to measure with your heart and add as much or as little sweetener as your heart desires. I used 2 tablespoons of maple syrup but I am leaving that up to you.
- Pour the mixture back into the cottage cheese container or a freezer-safe container with a lid. I prefer to stir it every hour until it is frozen or to your liking.
- If the ice cream becomes too icy, you can re-blend it after it’s frozen for the perfect texture if you wish. You can also enjoy it as soft-serve.
- Enjoy as is for the perfect protein packed treat!
Video
Nutrition
Cottage Cheese Ice Cream https://themodernnonna.com/cottage-cheese-ice-cream/ March 27, 2023
Home › Recipes › Cookies & Snacks
Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

By Snejana Andreeva
on Dec 15, 2022, Updated Nov 08, 2023

My lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies melt in your mouth . This recipe is one of those recipes that you’ll need to triple, because it’s THAT good. 🍋Whether you’re a lemon lover or simply looking for a unique and delicious cookie, these Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies are a must-try. They’re perfect for any occasion, from a casual afternoon tea to a fancy dessert spread.
- Why You’ll Love Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
- How to Prepare
- Nonna’s Tip 🍋
- Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies Variations and Substitutions
- Other Holiday Recipes
- More Holiday Cookies
- Common Questions
- Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Why You’ll Love Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
These lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies are ideal for anyone who cannot tolerate 🥚 eggs as they are completely egg-free . The dough takes 5 minutes to whip up, so these cookies are easy enough for anyone who is not even a baker. They’re only 5 ingredients , which you probably already have on hand. I can honestly say that this is one of those cookie recipes that you cannot get enough of.
How to Prepare
🥣 Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer and bowl to cream butter and cream cheese for about 2 minutes until smooth.
🍋 Add sugar and lemon extract and mix until smooth . Then add flour, and mix until a sticky dough forms. Scrape down the sides to fully incorporate any remaining flour.
🧊 Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
🥄 Remove dough from the refrigerator, use a small ice-cream scooper to portion the cookies, rolling each in a touch of flour to prevent sticking.
🍓 Place rolled cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper . Flatten each with your thumb, creating an indent, and add a teaspoon of preferred jam/preserve to the center.
🔥 Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are light and golden brown .
❄️ Allow the cookies to cool completely and optionally dust with icing sugar. They can be stored at room temperature for up to a week.
Nonna’s Tip 🍋
You MUST refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour and you have to use a touch of flour to roll each one as they will stick.

Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies Variations and Substitutions
- Try adding a decorative topping like chopped nuts or a sprinkle of coarse sugar for holiday decoration.
- I have not tried this recipe with gluten-free flour , but feel free to experiment with a gluten-free 1-1 replacement and let me know how it goes!
- Instead of lemon extract , you could try almond, vanilla, orange or another you have on hand.
- Feel free to experiment with different jams or preserves , for example, you could use strawberry, raspberry, apricot or even marmalade.
- You could try dairy-free or vegan alternatives to the butter and cream cheese if you or your guests have allergies.
Other Holiday Recipes

Antipasti Christmas Wreath
10 mins

Holiday Butter Board
20 mins

Holiday Candy Cane Prosecco
5 mins

Holiday Cheese Board
20 mins
More Holiday Cookies
Looking for an even fancier-looking cookie? Try my puff pastry cookies .

Easy Gingerbread Cookies
3 hrs 23 mins

Italian Amaretti Cookies
25 mins

3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies
20 mins

Shortbread Butter Cookies
27 mins
Common Questions
Feel free to use any jam or preserve you enjoy. I love fig or apricot but you are more than welcome to use any you have on hand.
The lemon extract is optional so don’t worry if you don’t have any on hand. You can also use pure vanilla extract, or almond extract, or leave them plain. Or, if you don’t have pure lemon extract, but still want the flavor, you can also use the zest of a lemon in the recipe.
You MUST refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour and you have to use a touch of flour to roll each one as they will stick.
Feel free to freeze the cookie dough tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and shape as usual.
The cream cheese and butter must be softened in order for the cookies to bake correctly.
You can use salted or unsalted butter. I have made them with both and both results are delicious.
While 1 cup of flour weighs 160g in my kitchen, it might weigh anywhere from 120 to 180g in your kitchen and there’s a few reasons for that. The weight of ingredients may vary due to the brand of ingredients, the brand and style (wet vs dry) of measuring cups and spoons, and the technique for measuring into cups: scooping and leveling versus spooning the ingredients into the cup measure. For best results, go by the weight listed in the recipe.
A New Recipe Card!!
- Check off each step in instructions!
- Add ingredients to your shopping list!
Video
Equipment
- ▢ Measuring Cups + Spoons
- ▢ Mixing Bowls
- ▢ Baking Sheet
- ▢ Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- ▢ ½ cup cream cheese , softened
- ▢ ½ cup white sugar
- ▢ 1 stick softened salted butter
- ▢ 1.5 teaspoons lemon extract , optional if you don’t have any on hand
- ▢ 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour , + 2 extra tablespoons for rolling the balls
- ▢ 18 teaspoons jam , I used fig preserve
Instructions
- ▢ In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together for about 2 minutes or until smooth. You can also use a hand-held mixer and a bowl as well.
- ▢ Once creamy, add the sugar and lemon extract and mix until smooth. Add in the flour and mix until a sticky dough forms. If there’s any flour on the sides, you can scrape it down and mix again until fully incorporated.
- ▢ Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. After an hour, take out the dough, remove the plastic and use a small ice-cream scooper to scoop out the cookies. I scoop each cookie, roll it in a touch of flour as it will stick to your hands if you don’t.
- ▢ Repeat this step for all 18 cookies. Place each rolled cookie onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press each one down with your thumb to make an indent. Add a teaspoon of any jam/preserve you like to the middle.
- ▢ Preheat the oven to 350F and bake until the edges are light and golden brown. This should take 13-15 minutes depending on the oven.
- ▢ Let them cool completely and optionally dust with icing sugar. These are perfectly stored at room-temp for up to a week.
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.