Cottage Cheese Cookies
Soft, thick, and secretly high in protein, these Cottage Cheese Cookies are everything you love about classic chocolate chip cookies with a nourishing twist. You cannot taste the cottage cheese at all, but you will notice the ultra moist texture and rich flavor, especially if you use brown butter.
These cookies stay tall and bakery style thick, making them perfect for anyone who loves a soft center with lightly golden edges.
Why Add Cottage Cheese to Cookies
Cottage cheese adds:
- Moisture without extra oil
- Natural protein
- Tender texture
- Slight richness without heaviness
When blended until smooth, it fully incorporates into the dough and behaves similarly to sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, melted or browned
⅔ cup coconut sugar
½ cup cottage cheese, blended until smooth
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 ½ cups gluten free flour, see note
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt
1 cup mini dark chocolate chips
Ingredient Notes for Best Results
Butter
You can use melted butter for a classic flavor or brown butter for a deeper caramelized taste.
Cottage Cheese
Blend until completely smooth and creamy. This prevents lumps and ensures even texture.
Flour
Use a high quality gluten free 1 to 1 flour blend if gluten free. If not gluten free, all purpose flour works perfectly.
Chocolate Chips
Mini chips distribute more evenly, giving chocolate in every bite.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Cookies
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter and coconut sugar. Stir until combined.
Then, add in the blended cottage cheese, vanilla extract, and egg. Stir until combined.
Mix in the gluten free flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Stir together. The dough should resemble normal cookie dough.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto the lined pan.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are just very barely light brown.
Finally, remove these cottage cheese cookies from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 15 minutes before carefully removing.
Texture Guide
These cookies do not spread much. They stay tall, thick, and soft.
If you prefer slightly flatter cookies, gently press the dough balls before baking.
Melted Butter vs Brown Butter Comparison
| Butter Type | Flavor | Texture | Spread |
| Melted Butter | Classic sweet | Soft and thick | Minimal |
| Brown Butter | Nutty and caramel-like | Slightly chewier edges | Slightly more spread |
Brown butter adds depth and richness without extra sugar.
Protein Boost Comparison
Approximate protein per cookie depending on ingredients.
| Version | Estimated Protein |
| Standard chocolate chip cookie | 1 to 2 grams |
| Cottage cheese cookie | 3 to 5 grams |
Exact values vary based on flour and cottage cheese brand.
Troubleshooting
Why are my cookies not spreading?
These cookies are designed to stay thick. For more spread, flatten slightly before baking.
Why are my cookies dry?
Be sure to measure flour properly. Spoon and level instead of scooping directly.
Can I taste the cottage cheese?
No. Once blended and baked, it disappears into the dough.
Storage
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 months.
Variations
Add chopped walnuts or pecans
Use white chocolate chips
Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt
Replace chocolate chips with dried blueberries
Frequently Asked Questions
No chilling required, but chilling for 30 minutes creates slightly thicker cookies.
Full fat gives the best texture, but low fat works well.
Use dairy free butter and dairy free cottage cheese alternative.
Expert Tips for Bakery Style Cookies
Slightly underbake for soft centers
Use mini chocolate chips for even distribution
Brown the butter for deeper flavor
Cool the cottage cheese cookies completely before storing
You May Also Like
- Avocado Brownies: another dessert recipe with clean ingredients
- Protein Brownies: get more protein in with these high protein brownies
- Almond Flour Brownies: another favorite sweet treat recipe
- Oreo Brownies: a fun way to switch up the classic brownie recipe
- Small Batch Brownies: just a little something sweet
If you make this cottage cheese cookie recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along! For more sweet treats, check out these Dessert Recipes.
Get the Recipe: Cottage Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted or browned
- ⅔ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup cottage cheese, blended until smooth
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour, see note
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup mini dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter and coconut sugar. Stir until combined.
- Then, add in the blended cottage cheese, vanilla extract, and egg. Stir until combined.
- Mix in the gluten free flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Stir together. The dough should resemble normal cookie dough.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto the lined pan.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are just very barely light brown.
- Finally, remove from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 15 minutes before carefully removing.
Notes
- If you are not gluten free, feel free to use all purpose flour.
- You can use melted butter or brown butter. For these photos, I used brown butter.
- Blend the cottage cheese until fully smooth and creamy.
- The dough should be very similar in texture and color to normal cookie dough.
- These cookies don’t spread too much while baking. They remain tall and thick.
- Store any leftovers for up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
2 Comments on “Cottage Cheese Cookies”
My cookies dough is much browner and very liquid, less thick than in your pictures and description. Is there something Im doing wrong? Used great value almond flour and great value organic coconut sugar. Help
Finally a cookie that doesn’t suck!
I’ve tried a few cottage cheese cookies and these hit the spot without tasting off.
Now, I tried a few different changes to up the protein and lower the calories.
1. 1/3 c monkfruit sugar
2. 1/2 c vanilla protein powder in lieu of 1/2 c of flour
They came out browner than the recipe and just a smidge dry around the edge, but I think I could have baked them just a little less and I knew that was going to be a problem with using the protein powder. However, my kids and husband still loved them!
Next time I’m going to half the butter, up the cottage cheese, and an egg to help aid in more moisture but full flavor.
What a great original recipe though and if you’re adventurous, take this as a jumping point.