We like to make a weekend breakfast special. Our favorites are crepes, biscuits, buttermilk pancakes, sometimes cinnamon rolls. I wanted a healthier alternative that would still be satisfying and taste special enough, and this cottage cheese blueberry bake fit the bill.
I made it again recently without blueberries, adding vanilla for flavor and serving it with starwberries. It is delicious either way! It reminds me of a Russian cottage cheese bake that I grew up eating.
Here is what you need:
2 cups of cottage cheese (see note)
1 egg
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
zest of 1 lemon (can be replaced with 2 teaspoons of vanilla)
1 cup of blueberries (you can skip these if you are serving with fresh fruit)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine cottage cheese, egg, sugar, and lemon zest/ vanilla.
- Add flour, salt, and baking soda, and mix until combined. Don’t stir too much.
- Fold in blueberries.
- Transfer to a greased (I use oil spray) pie dish or a 8×8 baking dish.
- Bake for 30-35 minuts.
Notes:
My favorite cottage cheese for this is Good Culture brand (not sponsored), it has less liquid than other brands. If you are using a different brand, I recommend either adding 1-2 tablespoons more flour or straining the cottages cheese in a mesh sieve.
This cottage cheese blueberry bake also make a great snack with a cup of tea. It almost tastes like dessert but is definitely more nutritious than a slice of cake.
Such a unique idea, Mila! I just printed the recipe and can’t wait to give it a try. Sounds like the perfect pairing for the season’s fresh fruit!
Thank you, Blair! I like it as a snack too, it is very satisfying and healthy at the same time. Hope you like it!
I have a ton of apples to use – will this work w apples?
Sharon, I haven’t tried using apples. I am not sure if they will get soft enough – maybe slice very thin? I like the idea though. Please let us know how it turns out if you try.
I often put sliced/diced apples in a pan with a little water to steam (or bit of butter if you aren’t worried about extra calories) them into a soft consistency in a recipe that may not cook them enough. BUT, I also like to have a bit of crunchiness with apples.
I wonder if you could use oat flour?
Hi Denise! I haven’t tried it with oat flour but I think it will work well. I imagine it will have texture similar to baked oatmeal. I am now curious to try it myself, using oatmeal as opposed to oat flour (for more texture).
I’m curious about that too now. I tried it without changes and it’s very good.
There was another recipe using oatmeal and it was really good as well.
How about almond flour?
Did you try with almond flour because that was my question too.
Any ideas to use as substitute for the sugar?
I sometimes use Monk Fruit as sugar substitute. I think it would work well here!
I made this today with Kodiak protein pancake/waffle mix, hoping it is good.
Question….does it need kept in refrigerator?
Yes, needs to be refrigerated! A great idea to use protein mix. I’ll give it a try next time. Thanks for sharing!
I used Splenda and it worked just fine. I wanted it a little sweeter so I increased the amt of Splenda. The flavor is quite good. Texture, a little bit gummy but I still would make this again.
What is the nutritional info on this meal? Looks delightful!
Thank you, Marissa! According to VerywellFit calculator, a 1/8 portion has 82 calories and 6 g of Protein. But I could easily eat a larger portion of this 🙂
Thank you for adding servings and nutrition info
I bake all the time and this is one of my most surprised, delicious recipes I have discovered in a long time! I substituted fresh blackberries for the blueberries and I can not begin to describe how amazing it was. Easy, peasy and economical.
Thanks so much for your comment, Pat! I am very glad you enjoy it! I’ve been playing around with it too – I just tried making it with honey and liked that version as well.
How much honey did you use?
2 tablespoons – it was sweet enough for me.
Can I use almond flour?
Nancy, I haven’t tried it with almond flour but my feeling is it won’t set as well as with all-purpose flour. Oat flour (or oats) would work better if you want to avoid APF.
I made this morning using oat flour, unfortunately it didn’t turn out with a cake like texture. Maybe the blueberries we too big and moist. The top was getting pretty brown so I needed to remove from oven. It’s not set but the flavor is very good,
Thanks for your feedback, Nancy! It may help to cover the top with foil and let it bake longer if using oat flour.
I used almond flour and it’s done but soupy. Covered and baking longer.
I have only baked this with all purpose flour. Alternative flours do not have the same thickening qualities so you may have to experiment.
This recipe looks amazing and I have trouble getting enough protein each day.
How long will this keep as I may be the only one eating it.
Can it be frozen?
I am definitely going to make it soon and will write a true review.
Thanks, Lorna! I haven’t tried freezing it but I was the only one eating it for 4 days for breakfast. It got a bit soggy on the last day but I didn’t mind. I did use strawberries and raspberries this time and they exude more juice than blueberries. I’ll bake a bit longer next time when using strawberries.
Can you use coconut flour instead of all purpose?
Shawna, I’ve never baked with coconut flour. Please let me know how it works if you try. It does need a decent thickener, otherwise it will likely be too soft. I am sure it will still taste good though 🙂
I’m going to try it but I’ve read that you have to cut the flour by half since coconut flour absorbs so much moisture. I’m going to try it.
Oh my goodness…this is fantastic! I wasn’t sure what it would taste like and when I took my first bite, I was blown away. For a baked item to be so healthy with minimal sugar and flour compared to most “cake” recipes and loaded with protein from the cottage cheese, Iam thrilled. I need to increase my protein intake so this is perfect. My husband, who will not touch cottage cheese, loved it! I told him to taste it before I told him it had cottage cheese.
I made the recipe as published but did use the vanilla as I am not a fan of lemon. I had two pints of organic fresh blueberries, so I used fresh.
I had this for my dinner tonight and will be having it for breakfast tomorrow. My husband said “this would go good with a cup of coffee”. As you said Mila, it won’t last long enough for it go in the freezer!
Thank you Mila for your very quick response to my question above and for this wonderful recipe.
Since you recommended straining the cottage cheese, would it work to use dry cottage cheese? Or does it need some moisture besides the egg?
Hi Sheila, I wouldn’t add any liquids, it really should be a thick (but spreadable) batter or it turns out soggy in my experience. What kind of cottage cheese do you plan to use?
I realized I was out of baking soda so I subbed baking powder and it came out mushy. I will retry with baking soda but wanted to ask what the consistency should be? Is it like a scone or cake? Thank you! I love cooking with cottage cheese.
It is definitely on a softer side, not like a scone at all. Closer to soft cornbread texture. It is also looser right out of the oven but sets more solid once it’s cooled. If it is really runny, I’d try straining the cottage cheese and/or adding a couple more tablespoons of flour.
When substituting baking powder for baking soda, you need to triple the amount of baking powder. Hope this helps!
Thank you for this tip! I wanted to swap baking soda for baking powder, mainly because I like to rest batters overnight. I’ll try this week or next and report back 🙂
Can you puree the cottage cheese before adding the other ingredients?
I haven’t tried it for this recipe but I purée cottage cheese in an egg bites recipe and it works great for that. So I think it will work well here as well.
Thank you for adding servings and nutrition info
Sure thing!
Absolutely delicious and easy. I will be making this many days to come!
So glad you liked it 🙂
Would frozen blueberries be ok? I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Danita, I think they would work well but I’d definitely first defrost them and drain the liquid or it will be a soupy mess 🙂
Could you use dried blueberries??
I think that would be fine! You might want to reduce sugar a bit since dried blueberries are sweeter than fresh.
Hi Mila! Just came across your site for the first time today. I am excited to try this recipe. I clicked on the cottage cheese link, but it gave me a 404 code. My question is do you use 4% or 2% cottage cheese? I will definitely be trying this in the very, very near future! Thank you in advance!
Hi Erin, thanks for letting me know about the link. I updated it now. But to answer your question, I have used both 2% and 4%. I personally haven’t noticed any difference in the finished product. I do prefer the “Good Culture” brand, if you have it. “Daisy” is my next favorite (but I add a tablespoon more flour to it). Hope you give it a try soon!
Could blueberry pie filling be used?
I don’t think it will work here – too much liquid!
I just made this lovely recipe using coconut flour because it’s all I had on hand. wish me luck I’m pretty sure it’s not going to set for, but we will see!
Let us know how it turned out, Jamie! Would love to know!
I made this tonight and used one and a half teaspoons of almond extract, could have probably used 2 teaspoons. I did not put any fruit in it figured I would just put fruit on top of it after it baked. My picture doesn’t look like your cake, but it is delicious, especially with the almond extract.
That sounds so good, Fran. Good idea to add fruit after it’s baked. I’ll try almond extract next time. Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe! So delicious! I use 1% cottage cheese as it not watery at all. I’m going to make it again tomorrow. It’s my breakfast for the week! I use wheat flour and monk fruit. Yummy. Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe! So delicious! I use 1% cottage cheese as it’s not watery at all. I’m going to make it again tomorrow. It’s my breakfast for the week! I use wheat flour and monk fruit. Yummy. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing, Christie! Good to know that 1% works as well!
This looks very interesting and I would like to try it. Do you know what the amount of sugar, carbs, and fiber there are per serving? I’m diabetic and have to be careful of my carbs and sugar.
Hi Ginny, I looked it up in VeryWellFit calculator, and it came up with almost 11g carbs, 4.6g sugar per 1/8 portion. This is including blueberries. Without blueberries, it’ll have 3.3 g sugar. You can substitute another sweetener for sugar, if you like.
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
Thank you, Suzanne! Hope you like it.
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep freeze well?
I haven’t frozen it yet. I just keep it in the fridge throughout the week. It keeps well for several days.
Wondering if you can recommend a substitute for the egg? (Allergy issue here)
Sorry can’t be helpful here, Vicki. I’ve never tried using egg substitutes.
I used fat free cottage cheese so added the extra flour, used Monkfruit for sugar. I am on WW, the whole thing was 8 pts on WW. It came out great!
Thanks so much for sharing! Great to know those changes work well.
I just made this using King Arthur Measure for Measure flour and Daisy 4% cottage cheese. I didn’t see the note about adding more thickness or straining the cottage cheese. It came out really gooey, but the flavor is fabulous! I will make it again and i will try straining the cheese and either add more flour or use Bob’s Red Mill. But hubby asked for more!!
That’s awesome, Patty! Thanks for letting me know you and your husband still enjoyed it!
Very good recipe! Since I was zesting the lemon anyway, I added the juice of the lemon too — wasn’t sorry. Next time I think I’ll bake it in ramekins for cute presentation, which will also cut down on baking time.
Thanks for your comment, Resa! Baking in individual portions is a great idea!
How long did you bake in ramekins and what size were they please?
Thank you so much for this healthier version! I needed to make it even more healthy, so I used less sugar and added a little honey, used less flour and added oatmeal, added cinnamon for blood sugar, and then fresh pecans (only because my husband has been shelling pecans we picked up at an orchard).
Mine is in the oven now.
Like so many others I am working to increase my protein intake. Cottage cheese has been a go to. Thus recipe was appealing and was delicious. Just a suggestion. Toss the berries in some of the flour to help suspend them in the batter. I ended up with a jammy layer in the bottom of the pan. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for sharing your tip, Cathryn. Glad you liked the recipe!
I made this according to directions and it was very runny. I baked another 20 minutes, it was brown on the outside and runny inside. I did strain cottage cheese. Maybe it needed more flour, definitely didn’t work.
Sorry it didn’t work for you. May need more flour depending on how juicy the berries are.
I need help!
The first time I tried this, I didn’t see I was supposed to strain the cottage cheese. So I made it again that day with the same container of cottage cheese. But when I tried to strain it, it wouldn’t strain any liquid off.
Should I squeeze it in a cheese cloth? No fluid came from straining.
The second round, I did add 3 tbsp flour, and it was still pretty wet inside and deflated. It’s very flat now. I must be doing something wrong! I loved the flavor so much of both, so I really want it to work. What’s the inside consistency supposed to be like?
When I strain it, I just stir it around in the sieve, no cheesecloth. It won’t release too much liquid. Maybe a couple of tablespoons. Adding flour is a good alternative. It is not supposed to rise like cake. If it is really wet (not just soft) in the middle, it needs to bake more. You can cover it with foil if it starts getting too brown. I hope this helps!
I made this as soon as I saw the recipe. I am gluten intolerant so immediately substituted flour for Bobs Red Mill 1-1….1/2 C plus 1 heaping tbsp, , added 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp Xanthum gum, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 1/4 C blueberries. I also added 10 minutes of baking time. I covered it with foil for the final 10 minutes. It turned out perfectly. It wasn’t soggy or runny but perfectly set, was nicely browned on top and really yummy. I will definately be making this often. Thank you for a recipe that is easy and fast to make and satisfies the sweet tooth with very little sugar…..and accepts substitutions .
Thanks for sharing, Lynda!
I made this cottage cheese bake using old fashion oats in place of flour and maple syrup. It was outstanding. This new cottage carve is really hitting the spot
That’s great to know, thank you for sharing!
This is my second time making this healthy n delicious breakfast/snack ….It is so easy n everyone absolutely love its!!!!
Thanks for your feedback! So glad to hear it!
I was so excited to make this and went by the recipe to a T, even used the recommended cottage cheese but sadly it was gooey. I kept adding more time to the baking but it didn’t help. My blueberries were big so maybe they added too much juice.
It is possible that the blueberries added too much juice. Sorry it didn’t work out.
I was excited to try this recipe and had everything in the house (including Good cottage cheese). I cooked the bread an extra 10 minutes but it had a custard consistency right out of the oven. I ate it anyway – the taste was excellent. Not sure why it came out gooey especially because I didn’t add fruits. Hoping it forms up in the fridge.
I have had this recipe in my try pile for a while. I tried it today and it is very good. I went with vanilla and used blueberries I froze last summer along with about a half cup of blanched almonds. The inside texture was interesting, kind of like custard like. I will try oats as someone asked about next time I make it. I actually found Good Culture cottage cheese at my grocery, I never noticed it before. I am also wondering about a savory version maybe with ham and zucchini or asparagus, or just savory herbs.
I made this, but to help with the soupy texture some mentioned, I made a few changes. I used regular Daisy 4% cottage cheese, but did not strain it. I added an extra egg, so used 2 instead of one. I used 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour and 1/4 cup of coconut flour as both of those flours need extra moisture. And I used 1 cup of frozen blue berries, straight from the freezer. I substituted monkfruit allulose for the sweetener. Everything else stayed the same. The result was a very firm , bread pudding like texture after it cooled. It was not real sweet, so if you want something sweeter, I would suggest adding more sweetener. But it was sweet enough for me. Nutritionally, per 1/8 portion, it had:
131 calories
5.2 net carbs
8.8 g protein
486mg sodium
4.3g total fat
I will definitely make this again! It wa very good!
Unfortunately, this recipe was a dud for me. I didn’t think my cottage cheese was especially liquid, but it turned out way too gooey in texture, even with extra time in the oven. It is also not very sweet at all, so probably would take a bit of an acquired taste.
I tried this recipe, tweaked as suggested by other gluten sensitive readers, and loved it!
Thanks for this healthy recipe and thanks to all that share their experiences, it helps us all.
I was looking forward to this recipe, it looked so delicious but I tried 2 separate times and both times it came out really gooey? I did use frozen blueberries, but usually when I bake with frozen it doesn’t change the consistency? Not sure, any suggestions
Hi Amber! Frozen blueberries will add extra moisture. The amount of flour as specified is not enough to balance that out. I suggest to either switch to fresh blueberries or increase flour by another quarter cup at least, maybe more. I personally prefer to avoid extra flour so I don’t bake this with frozen berries.
Thank you very much!! I will try that
Just made this and eating it now- so good!! I love that it’s not overly sweet. I did use vanilla instead of lemon and substituted fresh raspberries since that’s what I had. I patted them dry and even lightly floured them to keep them from sinking/staining. It browned up beautifully. I had a glass pie plate and noticed the bottom was not quite done so I put it back in the oven for another 5. It did end up a little squishy inside but not unable to be cut. Delicious!! Will make again. (BTW Good Culture is the only brand I buy… so much better than any other)
Raspberries sound like a great substitution. Thanks for the tip about flouring them!