This cottage cheese cake is light, creamy, and soft. It tastes similar to classic cheesecake but it is made with cottage cheese. The cake only needs 3 ingredients and doesn’t require any flour, butter or oil. It is easy to make and stores well.
A slice of cottage cheese cake on a small white plate

This is an easy dessert to make when you want a lighter version of cheesecake. It is creamy and tangy like cheesecake, but is made with cottage cheese instead of cream cheese. It also is high protein.

Ingredients

  • Cottage cheese
  • Eggs
  • White chocolate

Cottage cheese: This cheesecake works best with a high protein 4% cottage cheese. Avoid using low fat cottage cheese which is more watery.

Eggs: Eggs are needed for creating the structure of the cake.

White chocolate: The cake is sweetend with white chocolate. The cake does not have a white chocolate flavor but the white chocolate adds sweetness and helps the cake set up. You can use real white chocolate or white baking chips. If you prefer other types of chocolate, I do have a version made with dark chocolate.

How to Make Cottage Cheese Cake

  • The eggs and cottage cheese are blended until smooth.
  • The white chocolate is melted until smooth and then blended with the cottage cheese mixture.
  • The batter is poured into your prepared cake pan.
  • The cake is baked in a water bath until set. I recommend letting the cake firm up for a few hours in the fridge before serving.
  • You can add frosting or fruit to the cake before serving. I added whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberries.

A cottage cheese cake with whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberries

Texture

The cake has a creamy soft texture similar to regular cheesecake, except it is lighter and fluffier than regular cheesecake.
A bite taken from a slice of cheesecake

Expert Tips

  • Baking the cake in a water bath helps it bake more evenly and smoothly. You can also bake without a water bath, but the cake will be more souffle-like and will rise quite high and sink down as it cools.
  • Make sure the cottage cheese and eggs are brought to room temperature, otherwise the melted chocolate will seize when it is added in.

Taking a slice from a cottage cheese cake

More Cottage Cheese Recipes

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5 from 4 votes

3 Ingredient Cottage Cheese Cake

A lighter, creamy high protein cottage cheese cake made with cottage cheese. It is just 3 ingredients and no flour, butter or oil required.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups (300g) 4% high protein cottage cheese, brought to room temperature
  • 4 large eggs, brought to room temperature
  • 1 cup (177g) white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease the interior of a 6-inch round cake pan. Make sure to use a one-piece one and not a springform pan. The cake batter is very thin and will leak in a springform pan. Try to use one that is 3 inches tall. Line the bottom with a parchment round and also line the sides with strips of parchment paper.
  • Add cottage cheese and eggs to a blender and blend until cottage cheese is smooth and there are no egg streaks. Make sure your cottage cheese and eggs are brought to room temperature before blending. If they are still cold, when you add in the melted chocolate, it will cause the chocolate to seize.
  • Add chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 20 second intervals, stirring in between with a spatula, until the chocolate is smooth. Let the chocolate cool slightly, about 3 minutes.
  • Add melted chocolate to the blender and blend until you have a smooth batter that is uniform in color, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed to help everything blend evenly.
  • Transfer the batter to your prepared cake pan. Place the cake pan in a slightly larger baking pan, such as a 9 inch square pan. Fill the outer pan with room temperature water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake batter, creating a water bath for the cake.
  • Place the cake with its water bath in the oven. Bake for about 50-55 minutes or until cake is set in the center.
  • Remove cake from the oven and out of the water. Allow it to cool completely. It will deflate a little as it cools. I also recommend letting it sit in the fridge for a few hours to help the flavors develop better. To remove cake from the pan, gently loosen the sides with a thin spatula. Then carefully flip the cake pan upside down onto a plate and the cake should slide out. Then flip the cake onto another plate to make it right side up again. If desired, frost cake before serving. Cut the cake with a sharp knife. Store uneaten cake in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Cottage cheese note: This recipe works best with a high protein cottage cheese that contains between 13 to 14 grams of protein per 1/2 cup (110g) serving. High protein cottage cheese will absorb more liquid and prevent your cheesecake from being too moist. You also want to avoid using low fat cottage cheese which is too watery.
  • Baking pan note: The cake is baked in a solid one piece cake pan, not a springform pan because the batter is very thin and will leak in a springform pan. I used this 6 inch cake pan.* I recommend a pan that is 3 inches tall because the cake batter does rise high initially before sinking back down and if your cake pan is too short, the batter may spill over. If your cake pan is shorter, you can make the parchment paper lining the sides of the cake pan to extend 1-2 inches above the cake pan so that the cake batter won't spill out.
  • White chocolate note: I've made this with both white baking chips and real white chocolate bars. If using white baking chips, use a premium brand and a fresh new bag because some of the cheaper brands and older white baking chips do not melt well. I like using Nestle for white baking chips.* For white chocolate, I tested with Whole Foods white chocolate.*
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Optional whipped cream frosting:
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 2-3 tbsp sugar
    • Add heavy cream and sugar to a mixer and mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add a thin layer of frosting over cake and transfer the rest to a piping bag to pipe on the surface of the cake. Garnish with fresh berries.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 199kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 181mg, Sugar: 16g, NET CARBS: 16
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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