These easy Cottage Cheese Brownies are the perfect wholesome indulgence! Indulgent thanks to the fudgy texture and rich, chocolatey flavor, with a side of wholesomeness from cottage cheese and whole wheat flour. So good!
If you’re still on the fence about cottage cheese, I have just the solution: cottage cheese brownies, my friend. They’re rich, they’re fudgy, and I give you my word, you will never ever guess that they’re made with cottage cheese. Like my Cottage Cheese Pancakes and Whipped Cottage Cheese, these brownies sneak a little extra protein in, but the curds are blended smooth, so you get the nutrition without the cottage cheese texture!
Why These Cottage Cheese Brownies Are the Perfect Treat
You might say I have a weakness for brownies: Vegan Nutella Brownies, Almond Butter Brownies, and Chocolate Brownie Energy Bites are just a few of the recipes I've developed over the years. But these cottage cheese brownies are my current favorite! Here’s why I’ve had them on frequent repeat lately.
- Rich and fudgy. Making these brownies with olive oil and cottage cheese makes them fantastically fudgy and decadent.
- Easy to make. Mix the wet ingredients in a blender, then stir this into the dry ingredients with the chocolate chips. There’s nothing to it!
- Extra protein and whole grains. These cottage cheese brownies aren’t exactly a protein bar, but they do work in more protein than the typical brownie thanks to the cottage cheese and whole wheat flour. And the flour also makes them a whole grain treat! (You'll also love these Zucchini Protein Brownies!)
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick list of the ingredients you’ll need to make cottage cheese brownies. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Eggs – Let these come to room temperature before you start the recipe.
- Cottage cheese – I like to use full-fat cottage cheese for extra richness.
- Olive oil – Or another oil you like for baking, like avocado oil.
- Almond milk – Make sure it’s unsweetened and unflavored.
- Vanilla extract
- Whole wheat flour – You can use regular whole wheat or white whole wheat flour, which has a lighter texture.
- Cocoa powder – Natural cocoa powder adds classic brownie flavor, while Dutch process is more intensely chocolatey.
- Coconut sugar – Regular white sugar is fine too, but coconut sugar has a nice caramel note.
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Chocolate chips – For extra decadence. Chopped chocolate from a bar also works.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Brownies
This recipe is a cinch! Here’s a step-by-step guide to the process.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease a 9×9 baking pan.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Add everything to a blender and blend until completely smooth, with no curds remaining.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl.
- Finish the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Bake. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool the cottage cheese brownies for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips and Variations
Here are a few more notes on this cottage cheese brownie recipe.
- Stir the cottage cheese before using it. Sometimes the liquid and solids separate in the container of cottage cheese; stir it to reincorporate everything before measuring it for the recipe.
- Underbake them slightly. This is what will give your cottage cheese brownies that perfect fudgy texture! The toothpick should be mostly, but not completely, clean when you pull it out.
- Make them crunchy. If you love nuts in your brownies, you can fold in chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Sprinkle on some sea salt. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt when the brownies are fresh out of the oven adds an awesome contrast in flavor and texture!
How to Store Cottage Cheese Brownies
- Room temperature: You can keep these brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. Be sure to let them cool completely before closing them in the container or they’ll get mushy.
- Refrigerator: For longer storage, you can refrigerate these cottage cheese brownies for up to 7 days. Wrap them individually or store them in an airtight container. I recommend letting them come to room temperature before serving.
- Freezer: Freeze these brownies for up to 3 months; I like to wrap them individually and then place the wrapped brownies in a freezer bag to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the fridge or warm in the microwave to serve.
More Must-Try Brownie Recipes
Cottage Cheese Brownies
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×9 baking pan and set aside.
- Blend togehter the wet ingredients in a blender until smooth.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix together to form a batter. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it out using a spatula until it fills the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 18 – 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean. (the less you bake, the fudgier they will be!)
- Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Nutrition
