Cottage Cheese Brownies
If you haven’t already joined the cottage cheese party (where have you been?!) then I hope today’s recipe might just convince you to give it a try! These moist, gooey, totally more-ish chocolate brownies have been such a huge success with regular SV readers over the past few years, and trust me, they work.
The base comes together quickly in a blender—cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and butter—then gets mixed with cocoa powder and flour before being folded with chocolate chips. They bake up soft in the center with set edges, and once cooled, slice into perfectly chocolatey squares that taste like a classic brownie. Just a little healthier and higher in protein!
Don’t miss more of my cottage cheese favorites whilst you’re here. I think you’ll love also love my cottage cheese chocolate muffins, cottage cheese chocolate mousse, cottage cheese blueberry muffins, cottage cheese blueberry pancakes, blueberry cottage cheese popsicles, and cottage cheese chocolate chip cookies!
Ingredients
There’s a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post! Do make your way through the coming sections, as I’m sharing extra tips and guidance, as well as serving ideas and variations that you might want to try.
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Cottage cheese: The secret ingredient! Once blended, it adds moisture, protein, and richness without making the brownies taste like cottage cheese. Full-fat gives the fudgiest texture, but low-fat works too.
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Eggs: Help bind everything together and give structure.
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Granulated sugar: Sweetens the brownies and helps create that classic shiny top.
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Vanilla extract: Rounds out the chocolate flavor.
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Melted butter: Adds richness and keeps the texture soft and fudgy.
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Dutch-processed cocoa powder: Gives a deeper, smoother chocolate flavor and darker color.
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All-purpose flour: Provides structure so the brownies hold together when sliced.
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Sea salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate.
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Baking soda: Helps lift the batter slightly so they’re not too dense.
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Chocolate chips: Add melty pockets of chocolate throughout. A few extra on top never hurt.
How To Make Cottage Cheese Brownies
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper or lightly grease it with nonstick spray.
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Add the cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and melted butter to a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth. No lumps!
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In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking soda.
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Pour the blended cottage cheese mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
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Fold in the chocolate chips.
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Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips over the surface if you’d like.
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Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still looks slightly soft. Let them cool for at least 25–30 minutes before slicing so they can firm up properly.
Storage Tips
Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days if you want them to last a little longer.
They also freeze well for up to 2 months. Just let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth so you don’t have visible curds in the batter. If you notice a few small ones, they mostly melt into the brownies as they bake.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder gives a deeper, richer chocolate flavor, which really makes a difference here.
The center should look slightly soft when you take them out of the oven. Not runny, just soft! They’ll continue to set as they cool, so don’t skip the 20–30 minute cooling time before slicing. That’s what gives you clean cuts and that perfect fudgy texture.
Variations
Add chopped walnuts or pecans for a little crunch, or swap the chocolate chips for dark chocolate or even white chocolate. If you really want to deepen that fudgy chocolate flavor, stir in about 2 teaspoons of espresso powder with the dry ingredients. It won’t taste like coffee, it just makes the chocolate richer! You can also frost the cooled brownies or drizzle melted chocolate or peanut butter over the top for something a little extra.
Serving Ideas
These brownies are perfect on their own, but they’re even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top! If you want something a little lighter, serve them with a fresh berry salad and a dusting of powdered sugar for contrast. They’re also great with a hot cup of coffee or tea, or a cold glass of milk.
Cottage Cheese Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup melted butter slightly cooled
- ½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper or lightly grease it with nonstick spray.
- Add the cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and melted butter to a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth. No lumps!
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking soda.
- Pour the blended cottage cheese mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips over the surface if you’d like.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still looks slightly soft. Let them cool for at least 25–30 minutes before slicing so they can firm up properly.
Once you try these cottage cheese brownies, I think you’ll be converted! These are a reader favorite for a reason, and I hope that you’ll love them too. If you try them at home, please do leave a comment and a star rating below (it helps other readers!), and tag me on Instagram @slimmingviolet and #slimmingviolet.
