Fudgy brownies with more protein and less sugar. Cottage cheese brownies are a healthier sweet treat that taste delicious. You’ll also love my cottage cheese chocolate mousse, cottage cheese muffins, and cottage cheese banana bread.
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If you’re looking for the perfect healthy sweet treat, you’re going to want to save this recipe for cottage cheese brownies.
This recipe took many, many rounds of testing to get right. That’s because traditional brownie recipes use a lot of fat and sugar to get that crackly top and fudgy texture. My dietitian version tastes just as good but with less of those ingredients that leave you feeling blah.
You’ll love this healthy brownie recipe that uses cottage cheese for extra protein and less fat. This recipe also uses less sugar than many other brownies, so you can support blood sugar better.
Why you’ll love cottage cheese brownies
- Fudgy and chocolatey — these cottage cheese brownies are delicious and decadent
- Easy — a simple recipe you can whip up when a craving strikes
- Hidden nutrition — picky adults and kids would never guess these brownies have a nutritious boost
What makes these healthy?
These cottage cheese brownies are dietitian-designed to be nutritionally balanced while still tasting great.
I used minimal added sugar, less oil, and added cottage cheese to add nutrition and minimize super calorically-dense extras.
Compared to traditional brownies, this recipe has:
- More protein
- Less fat
- Healthier fats (we used olive oil, not butter!)
- Less added sugar
It’s the perfect healthier recipe that actually tastes good.
Why bake with cottage cheese?
Cottage cheese is one of my favorite baking ingredients as a Registered Dietitian because it’s packed with protein and low in calories and fat.
When used in baking, cottage cheese gives moisture and structure. It helps you make yummy baked goods without using excess oil, butter, or sugar. I love it!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make cottage cheese brownies:
- Eggs
- Low fat cottage cheese — you can use a higher fat percentage if needed, but don’t use non-fat
- Light olive oil or avocado oil — you could substitute melted butter
- Maple syrup — it’s important to use a liquid sweetener for texture
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Instant espresso powder — leave this out if you can’t find it
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Baking powder
- All purpose flour
- Mini chocolate chips
Want even less added sugar? Try sugar-free chocolate chips instead of regular.
How to make cottage cheese brownies
Position oven rack to the middle and pre-heat to 350 F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Add eggs, cottage cheese, and oil to your blender. Blend until smooth, about 10 seconds.
Pour blended cottage cheese mixture into a large bowl. Add maple syrup and whisk until completely smooth.
Add cocoa powder, espresso powder, vanilla extract, salt, and baking powder. Whisk until smooth and clump-free.
Add flour and stir until combined. Try not to over-mix or your brownies might be tough.
Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan. If needed, use a spatula to spread batter to reach the edges. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Bake for 18-25 minutes or until the top is shiny and the edges look firm. Let them cool completely in the pan before slicing and baking.
Expert tips
- Don’t over-mix. Be careful not to over-mix your batter, or your brownies may be tough and cakey.
- Don’t over-measure flour. Make sure to use the spoon and level method to measure flour to avoid using too much. Too much flour will lead to a cakey and dry brownie.
- Don’t over-bake. Just like with regular brownies, you’ll lose the fudgy texture and moisture if you bake your brownies too long. It’s better for them to be slightly underdone than slightly overcooked.
Storing leftovers
- Slice your cottage cheese brownies.
- Transfer to an airtight container.
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge or on the counter. Gently heat in the microwave to enjoy warm, if desired.
More healthy sweet treats
Black bean brownie bites
Chocolate chips protein muffins
Banana peanut butter oat bars
Cinnamon crunch banana bread
Gluten-free blender pumpkin bread
Chocolate Greek yogurt
Chocolate peanut butter protein bars
Common questions
I would highly recommend blending your cottage cheese for the best texture. If you don’t have a regular blender, try blending cottage cheese with an immersion blender in a tall glass/container, before whisking with eggs and oil.
Yes, you can use regular chocolate chips instead of mini if needed. They simply won’t distribute quite as well!
Yes, if you don’t have instant espresso powder or don’t like it, you can leave it out. All this does is add a bit of depth of flavor to the cottage cheese brownies. Just make sure you’re using instant espresso powder so it properly dissolves.
If you’re planning to eat the cottage cheese brownies on the first day, they’ll be good to stay on the counter. If you want to eat them within 3-4 days, I recommend storing in the fridge. For longer storage, slice your brownies and freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost on the counter for a few hours before eating.
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Cottage Cheese Brownies
Equipment
- 1 9×9 inch pan
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup 2% fat cottage cheese
- ¼ cup light olive oil, or avocado oil
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips, I used semi-sweet
Instructions
- Position oven rack to the middle and pre-heat to 350 F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add eggs, cottage cheese, and oil to your blender. Blend until smooth, about 10 seconds.
- Pour blended cottage cheese mixture into a large bowl. Add maple syrup and whisk until completely smooth.
- Add cocoa powder, espresso powder, vanilla extract, salt, and baking powder. Whisk until smooth and clump-free.
- Add flour and stir until combined. Try not to over-mix or your brownies might be tough.
- Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan. If needed, use a spatula to spread batter to reach the edges. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes or until the top is shiny and the edges look firm. Let them cool completely in the pan before slicing and baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! I added some flakey sea salt on top.
Yum, what a great addition! Thanks so much for your review.
I just made these. Sooooo good and easy. Thank you.
Woohoo, I’m so glad you loved them! Thank you!
Could I use honey instead of maple syrup? Thank you ❤️
I haven’t tested with honey, but usually another liquid sweetener should work just fine! Just can’t say for sure 🙂
What are the measurements
There’s a “Jump to recipe” button at the top of the page, right under the post title. Click that, and it will take you to the recipe card with all measurements and detailed instructions! 🙂
Have you tried using alternate flours in this recipe? Such as Almond or Coconut flour…
I have not tested with any alternative flours unfortunately. But please let me know if you do!
hello do you think coconut oil (melted) could replace the olive oil?
thank you
absolutely, yes!