Healthy Strawberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie (that tastes like a milkshake!)

If you haven’t ever tried a cottage cheese smoothie, get ready to have your mind blown. TRUST ME. The cottage cheese provides a super creamy and luxurious texture, not to mention loads of protein, resulting in a smoothie that tastes far more like an indulgent treat than a healthy snack. 

Cottage cheese protein smoothie (ditch the chalky powders!)

I often whip up smoothies as healthy snacks or breakfasts, but if I don’t add some sort of protein, we’re all starving an hour later. I don’t like protein powders, which I find universally chalky and/or overly sweet, and my kids aren’t big fans of nut butters (oh, the travesty!). I decided to experiment with cottage cheese in our smoothies, and wahoo!! (That’s my excited voice.) The cottage cheese gives the smoothies a huge protein boost, and, better yet, it creates a milkshake-like texture. Talk about a win-win! These strawberry smoothies are hands-down my kids’ favorite new “treat.”  (Read: healthy snack, but don’t tell.)

What kind of cottage cheese should I use in smoothies?

You can either use a plain cottage cheese (such as Hood Country Style Cottage Cheese), or one that’s fruit-flavored. In this version I go for Hood Cottage Cheese with Strawberry to double up on the strawberry flavor (it’s also one of Juni’s favorite snacks on its own). As you might know by now, I consider cottage cheese a refrigerator staple, and I’m so happy to have partnered with Hood Cottage Cheese on this post (don't miss these other two cottage cheese favorites: one-pan vegetarian breakfast strata and easy ratatouille toasts!).

How do I make a cottage cheese smoothie?

This version is made with just a few ingredients, which all get blitzed up right in the blender: 

• Milk of choice
• Banana
• Hood Cottage Cheese with Strawberry
• Frozen strawberries
• Vanilla extract

Since I use Hood Cottage Cheese with Strawberry I don’t have to add any additional sweeteners (!!), but if you use a plain cottage cheese, you can sweeten the smoothie to taste with honey or with a scoop of strawberry jam. 

Make it into a milkshake

You can serve the smoothie just as it is, but to take it over the top I like to dress it up with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream and a sprinkle of crumbled freeze-dried strawberries (the kind you buy in bags at the store). It’s a seriously delicious snack that will make you feel like a kid at an ice cream parlor. Which is pretty much my idea of heaven.

Tips for making smoothies:

• When adding ingredients to the blender, it’s best to add the liquid first. The liquid will help the other ingredients to circulate around the blade. 
• I’m in love with my Vitamix, which allows me to make thick smoothies and smoothie bowls, but any blender will work for this smoothie. If the smoothie is too thick to move around the blade, scrape the sides and add a touch more milk. 
• Hood Cottage Cheese with Strawberry provides an extra boost of strawberry flavor and sweetness in this smoothie, but if you use a plain cottage cheese, sweeten the smoothie to taste using honey or strawberry jam.
• For other smoothie ideas, don’t miss these superfood smoothie bowls and these Blueberry Spinach Smoothie Bowls.

Thank you to Hood Cottage Cheese for sponsoring this post! I was compensated for this post, but all opinions and recipes are mine alone. Thank you to all of the companies who keep From Scratch Fast cooking!

Other smoothie recipes you might like:

• Chocolate Protein Smoothie Bowls
• Low Sugar Green Smoothie
• Superfood Smoothie Bowls
• Blueberry Spinach Smoothie Bowls

Other cottage cheese recipes to try:

• Whipped Cottage Cheese Veggie Dip
• Healthy Summer Tartines
• Vegetarian Breakfast Strata
• Roasted Ratatouille Toasts

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Healthy Strawberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie

By Nicki Sizemore

This healthy, high protein smoothie ditches chalky protein powders for cottage cheese! The cottage cheese provides an unbelievably creamy texture that tastes like a milkshake. I use Hood Cottage Cheese with Strawberry to double up on the strawberry flavor, but you could use a plain cottage cheese instead. If so, sweeten the smoothie to taste using honey or strawberry jam. To take these smoothies over the top, dollop them with unsweetened whipped cream and crumble a few freeze-dried strawberries over top.

Servings: 2 smoothies

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 5 minutes mins

Equipment

• blender

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk of choice
• ½ medium banana
• 1 cup Hood Cottage Cheese with Strawberry
• 2 cups frozen strawberries
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Feel free to splash in some more milk if desired (I like it thick!).

Notes

• When adding ingredients to the blender, it’s best to add the liquid first. The liquid will help the other ingredients to circulate around the blade.
• If you use a plain cottage cheese, sweeten the smoothie to taste using honey or strawberry jam.
• I use a Vitamix to make this smoothie, but any blender will work! If the smoothie is too thick to move around the blade, scrape the sides and add a splash more milk.

Loved this recipe? Check out @nickisizemore for more!

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cottage cheese smoothie, healthy smoothie recipe, high protein smoothie recipe

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