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These soft, chewy Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies are a protein-packed twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie. Made with creamy cottage cheese, almond flour, and chocolate chips, they’re wholesome but still taste just like the cookies we all grew up loving.
There’s always cottage cheese in my fridge and I’ve been have fun creating recipes with them. The cottage cheese make these cookies soft, a little chewy, and perfectly tender in the middle with crisp edges. No one even had time to guess the secret ingredient, they just vanished from the tray. You can easily make these cottage cheese chocolate chip cookies gluten free, lower in sugar, or add vanilla protein powder for a protein boost.
If you love fun, flavorful cookies with a healthier twist, you might also enjoy my Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies, soft Banana Bread Cookies, or these chewy Gluten-Free Monster Cookies.
Recipe Overview
Before You Get Started
A few helpful tips before you dive in:
- Let the butter, egg, and cottage cheese come to room temperature so that everything mixes smoothly and evenly.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough. An hour is good, but overnight is even better for flavor and texture.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to keep them the same size so they bake evenly.
- Give each cookie a gentle press before baking since they won’t spread much on their own.
- Pull them out when the edges look set but the center still looks a little soft. They’ll finish on the pan as they cool.
Common Questions
Not at all! It melts right into the dough and just makes the cookies extra soft and tender.
Yes – blending the cottage cheese with the butter and sugar gives the dough a smooth base and prevents little curds.
Any kind work! I like using sugar-free milk chocolate chips, but semi-sweet or dark are also great.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here’s how to get perfect results every time:
1️⃣ Blend the wet ingredients
Add the cottage cheese, softened butter, vanilla, and sugar to a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
✏️ Make sure your ingredients are at room temp (but not melted), cold butter or cottage cheese can cause the mixture to stay lumpy.
2️⃣ Whisk in the egg
Transfer the blended mixture to a mixing bowl and whisk in the egg until fully combined.
3️⃣ Add dry ingredients and fold in chocolate chips
Add the flour and baking soda, and use a spatula to gently fold everything together until a soft dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips, making sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour (to overnight).
4️⃣ Scoop onto baking sheet
Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each one.
✏️ For even baking, try to keep all the cookies the same size – about 2 tablespoons of dough per scoop works well.
5️⃣ Flatten the cookies
Use clean hands to gently press each dough ball down into a thick, round cookie shape.
✏️ These cookies don’t spread much on their own, so flattening helps them bake evenly and hold their shape.
6️⃣ Bake and cool
Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the oven and let them cool right on the pan.
✏️ For softer cookies, pull them at 8 minutes – if you like a bit of crisp around the edges, go closer to 10-12 minutes.
Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese, at room temp
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup white sugar, or light cane sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temp
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup chocolate chips, I use LILI’s milk chocolate style, they’re sugar free!
Instructions
- Add the 1/2 cup cottage cheese, softened 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 cup white sugar to a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer the blended mixture to a mixing bowl and whisk in the 1 large egg until fully combined.
- Add the 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon baking soda, and use a spatula to gently fold everything together until a soft dough forms. Fold in the 1 cup chocolate chips, making sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour (to overnight).
- Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each one.
- Use clean hands to gently press each dough ball down into a thick, round cookie shape.
- Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the oven and let them cool right on the pan.
Notes
Tips
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- Use room temp butter, egg, and cottage cheese for smooth mixing.
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- Blend the wet ingredients to avoid curds from the cottage cheese.
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- Chill dough for at least 1 hour (overnight is even better).
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- Scoop evenly and gently flatten each cookie before baking.
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- Bake 8 mins for soft cookies, 10-12 for firmer edges.
Storage and Freezing
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- Store at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
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- Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw at room temp before serving.
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- Reheat in microwave (10-15 sec) or low oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Variations & Tips
→ Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder to the batter for an easy protein boost.
→ Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend or oat flour to make these cookies gluten-free.
→ Swap white sugar for coconut sugar or your favorite 1:1 baking sweetener to lower the sugar.
→ Stir in chopped walnuts, pecans, or shredded coconut for extra texture and flavor.
→ Make them kid-friendly by using mini chocolate chips and scooping smaller cookies.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
- Reheating: Warm in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or in a low oven until soft and heated through.
More cottage cheese recipes
If you’re as hooked on cottage cheese treats as I am, you’ll love these other high-protein, feel-good recipes:
- Cottage Cheese Banana Bread
- Cottage Cheese Brownies
- Berries Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
- Cottage Cheese Chocolate Mousse
- Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough
- Cottage Cheese Pancakes
- Cottage Cheese Cheesecake
- Cottage Cheese Waffles
