Easy Cottage Cheese Cheesecake

Classic cheesecake gets a healthy twist with this healthy cottage cheesecake recipe. Enjoy a delicious cookie crust with a silky, creamy cottage cheese filling and a luxurious blackberry sauce.

Baking with cottage cheese is a winning choice for health-conscious bakers. Not only is it packed with high protein and calcium content, but it is low in fat and carbs.

Jump to:

• Why you should try this recipe
• Ingredients
• Recipe variations
• How to make cottage cheese cheesecake
• Expert Tips
• Storing and freezing
• Recipe FAQ
• Love cottage cheese desserts? Try these next!
• Recipe card
• Comments

So this easy and quick cheesecake without cream cheese, but made with blended cottage cheese instead, is perfect for those looking to pamper themselves guilt-free.

Interestingly, the subtle saltiness of cottage cheese compliments the flavors of this easy cheesecake recipe saving you from the need to add a pinch of salt.

Why you should try this recipe

• Healthier cheesecake. Due to low calories and high nutritional profile, this cottage cheese cake, sometimes spelled like this, is a healthier alternative to classic cheesecake.

• Brings a nutrient-pack food to kids. While cottage cheese is on a list of foods that kids dislike, cottage cheese in baking is almost unnoticeable. So don't pass this opportunity to introduce cottage cheese to your kids' diet.

• Easy cheesecake recipe. With simple ingredients and no water bath required, this one-bowl recipe (with a food processor or blender option) is easy to make.

• Makes a special breakfast. Choose a no crust cheesecake version (see below) and make it for breakfast. Serve it with blackberry sauce to upgrade it to an extra-special morning treat.

• Perfect for any occasion. This cottage cheese dessert is warm and cozy and is a delicious alternative to a traditional birthday cake. Cottage cheesecake brings so much comfort to the table.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Cookies: Use digestive biscuits, graham crackers, or gluten-free alternatives. Crush them with your hands, use a food processor, or place cookies in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

For an easy cheesecake base, try using store-bought regular graham cracker crumbs. Or turn those biscuit scraps from Medovik Tort into a delicious cookie crust.

• Butter: The recipe calls for unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature.

• Cottage cheese is the key ingredient. For the best results, choose full-fat cottage cheese, but you can replace it with low-fat or fat-free options.

• Sour cream: To make your cheesecake creamy, opt for full-fat sour cream, although a healthier low-fat alternative will also work.

• Almond flour: use almond flour (not almond meal) or replace it with hazelnut meal.

• Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. Take them to the counter about 30 minutes before you start.

• Sugar: The recipe calls for granulated or caster sugar.

• Vanilla extract: Choose the most flavorful Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla extract or replace it with an alcohol-free vanilla flavor. 

• Blackberry: Use fresh or frozen blackberries to make the berry sauce. Let the frozen berries defrost, collecting the juice. You can replace blackberries with raspberries if desired.

• Cornstarch is used as a thickener to make the blackberry sauce.

Recipe variations

You can create the perfect cottage cheesecake for any occasion with numerous variations and ingredient substitutions.

• Cheesecake with cottage cheese and cream cheese: Swap half of the cottage cheese in your cheesecake with full-fat cream cheese for a smooth and creamy twist.

• No crust cheesecake. Omit the cookie crust and make a crustless cottage cheese cheesecake in no time.

• Farmer cheesecake (aka dry curd cottage cheese cheesecake): Enjoy a delicious Eastern European twist on old fashion cheesecake with cottage cheese.

Just omit the cookie crust and replace cottage cheese with store-bought or homemade farmer's cheese to create a traditional Ukrainian cheesecake called Zapekanka.

• Gluten-free cottage cheesecake. Replace wheat cookies or biscuits with gluten-free digestive, rich tea biscuits or other cookies of your choice.

• Lemon cheesecake with cottage cheese: Add half of the lemon zest to the cheesecake filling to bring a tangy note.

• Cottage cheese yogurt cheesecake: Enjoy creamy and delicious cheesecake by switching out sour cream with Greek yogurt.

• Low carb cottage cheese cheesecake: Instead of full-fat dairy products, use fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese and sour cream.

You can cut back on the sugar or choose your favorite sweetener instead. If you are looking for a sugar-free cottage cheesecake recipe, try this diabetic cheesecake.

• Single serving cheesecakes: Make mini cottage cheese cheesecakes using individual ramekins. Just don't forget the softened butter for greasing them.

• Play with add-ins. Add raisins or chocolate chips to the cheesecake filling and bake as directed in the recipe.

• Mix and match cheesecake toppings. Serve your cheesecake with fresh fruit, homemade berry compote, store-bought cherry pie filling, chocolate shavings, melted chocolate, streusel topping with caramel, etc.

How to make cottage cheese cheesecake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C. Place cottage cheese in a large fine-mesh sieve, stainer, or colander lined with a cheese or mesh cloth. Let the excess liquid drain.

Meanwhile, grease a 7-inch (18 cm) leakproof springform pan and line it with parchment paper on the bottom and sides.

To make a cookie crust, place crushed cookies with melted butter in a bowl and mix. With the flat bottom of a glass or the back of a tablespoon, press the crust into the bottom of a springform pan (photo 1). Set it aside.

To make the cottage cheesecake filling, transfer the drained cottage cheese to a large mixing bowl. Combine cottage cheese with sugar, sour cream, vanilla extract, and whole eggs with a hand whisk. Fold in almond flour and gently mix again (photo 2).

Pour the cottage cheese mixture into the prepared pan (photo 3) and bake cheesecake for 35-40 minutes (photo 4).

Take it from the oven and let it cool down (still in the pan) to room temperature for a couple of hours. Or chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

To make blackberry sauce, place blackberries with one tablespoon of water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Cover it with a lid, and cook over low-medium heat for about 7-8 minutes. Blackberries will fall apart and release juice.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water. Remove the cooked blackberries from the heat, and add the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly.

Bring the saucepan to heat and cook, frequently stirring, on low for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.

If it seems too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water, mix, and heat again. Pass the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the berries.

To serve, spoon the blackberry sauce over the individual slices and decorate with fresh berries.

Expert Tips

1. To recalculate ingredients for a springform pan of a specific size, please, use this simple cake pan converter.
2. Use a food processor or a blender to mix the cheesecake ingredients from start to finish if preferred.
3. To sieve cottage cheese manually, use the back of a tablespoon to pass cottage cheese through the fine mesh sieve. Working in small batches helps.
4. Don't overbake cheesecake: it is ready when it's center still wobbly. It will firm up as it cools.
5. Let the baked cottage cheesecake cool down before cutting it with a sharp knife.

Storing and freezing

Store your cottage cheesecake refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze cottage cheesecake? Wrap it with plastic film and aluminum foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. To thaw, please leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

Recipe FAQ

Love cottage cheese desserts? Try these next!

• Diabetic Cheesecake

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.