Old-Fashioned Cottage Cheese Cheesecake

Quick Summary: This old-fashioned cottage cheese cheesecake is a lighter, high-protein take on the old-fashioned baked cheesecake, made without cream cheese. You mix drained cottage cheese with sour cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and a little almond flour, pour it over a cookie crust, and bake it (no water bath needed). Blending the cottage cheese until smooth is the key to a creamy filling with no visible curds. It bakes in about 35 to 40 minutes and is finished with an optional blackberry sauce.

What is cottage cheese cheesecake?

Cottage cheese cheesecake is a baked dessert that swaps the usual cream cheese for cottage cheese, giving a lighter, protein-rich filling with a slightly tangy flavor. It is one of the oldest styles of cheesecake, common in old-fashioned and Eastern European home baking long before cream cheese versions took over.

Once the cottage cheese is blended smoothly, the result tastes and slices like a classic baked cheesecake, with a soft, creamy center and no grainy curds.

What cottage cheese should you use?

For the creamiest result, use full-fat cottage cheese and blend it until completely smooth in a food processor or blender. This breaks down the curds so the baked filling is smooth and creamy rather than grainy, and no one will guess the cheesecake is made with cottage cheese. Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese also works and gives a lighter, higher-protein cake.

Draining the cottage cheese first is important. Let the excess liquid drain through a fine-mesh sieve so the filling sets properly and does not turn watery. For a firmer, old-fashioned texture, you can use pressed cottage cheese or farmer's cheese.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Kid-friendly: once blended into the filling, the cottage cheese is almost unnoticeable, so it is an easy way to introduce it to picky eaters.

• Easy to make: with simple ingredients and no water bath, this one-bowl recipe comes together fast (use a food processor or blender for the smoothest filling).

• High in protein: cottage cheese makes this cheesecake lighter and higher in protein than a classic cream cheese version, so it even works as a special breakfast with blackberry sauce.

• Perfect for any occasion: this warm, cozy cottage cheese dessert is a comforting alternative to a traditional birthday cake.

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; you can also use low-fat or fat-free options.

• Sour cream: To make your cheesecake creamier, opt for full-fat sour cream; a low-fat alternative will work as well.

• 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.

Equipment

You only need a few basic tools to make this cottage cheese cheesecake:

• 7-inch (18 cm) springform pan
• Fine-mesh sieve or colander and a cheese cloth (to drain the cottage cheese)
• Food processor or blender (for a smooth filling)
• A large mixing bowl and a hand whisk
• Heavy-bottomed saucepan (for the blackberry sauce)

How to make cottage cheese cheesecake

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the cottage cheese in a large fine-mesh sieve, strainer, or colander lined with a cheese or mesh cloth and let the excess liquid drain.

Step 2. Meanwhile, grease a 7-inch (18 cm) leakproof springform pan and line it with parchment paper on the bottom and sides.

Step 3. To make a cookie crust, place crushed cookies and melted butter in a bowl and mix until combined. 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.

Step 4. To make the cottage cheese 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). For the smoothest, curd-free filling, blend everything in a food processor or blender until completely smooth.

Step 5. Pour the cottage cheese mixture into the prepared pan (photo 3) and bake the cheesecake for 35-40 minutes (photo 4).

Step 6. 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.

Step 7. To make the 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.

Step 8. 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.

Step 9. Bring the saucepan to a 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, 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 by hand, use the back of a tablespoon to press it through a fine-mesh sieve. Working in small batches helps.
4. Don't overbake cheesecake: it is ready when its center is still wobbly. It will firm up as it cools.
5. Let the baked cottage cheesecake cool down before cutting it with a sharp knife.

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 the cottage cheese for full-fat cream cheese for a smooth, 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-fashioned 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 biscuits, rich tea biscuits, or other cookies of your choice.

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

• Cottage cheese yogurt cheesecake: Enjoy a creamy, delicious cheesecake by swapping sour cream for 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.

Storing & freezing

Store your cottage cheesecake refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, please leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

Recipe FAQ

Is cottage cheese cheesecake the same as old-fashioned cheesecake?
Yes. Before cream cheese became common, many old-fashioned and vintage cheesecakes were baked with cottage cheese. This recipe is the traditional, baked cottage cheese cheesecake, just made a little easier.

Can you taste the cottage cheese in the cheesecake?
No, not if you blend it. Once the cottage cheese is blended smoothly and baked, the curds disappear, and most people cannot tell the cheesecake is made with cottage cheese instead of cream cheese.

Do you have to blend the cottage cheese?
For a smooth, creamy filling, yes. Blend the drained cottage cheese in a food processor or blender until no curds remain. If you prefer a more rustic, old-fashioned texture, you can leave it slightly textured.

Can you make cottage cheese cheesecake without cream cheese?
Yes. This cheesecake uses blended cottage cheese and sour cream instead of cream cheese, which makes it lighter and higher in protein.

Is cottage cheese cheesecake high in protein?
Yes. Cottage cheese is naturally high in protein, and using low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese gives an even higher-protein, lower-calorie cheesecake.

Do you need a water bath?
No. This baked cottage cheese cheesecake does not need a water bath. Just bake it in a greased, lined springform pan until the center is set but still slightly wobbly.

How do you know when it is done?
The cheesecake is done when the edges are set, and the center still has a slight wobble, about 35 to 40 minutes. It firms up as it cools, so avoid overbaking.

Can you make it crustless?
Yes. Omit the cookie crust for a crustless cottage cheese cheesecake, which also makes a great high-protein breakfast.

Where can you buy cottage cheese?
You will find fresh cottage cheese in the dairy section of most grocery stores. Look for pressed cottage cheese or farmer's cheese near the specialty cheese or deli area for a firmer, old-fashioned texture.

Love French desserts? Try these next!

• French Cherry Clafoutis
• French Lemon Cream Tart
• French Chocolate Ganache Tart
• French Madeleines
• Pistachio Financiers

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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.