I think that anyone who trains regularly has figured out that their diet is just as important as the exercise they are undertaking. You can lift all the weights you want, but if you’re not fuelling your muscles then you’re missing out on half the equation. I’m not talking about artificially sweetened and flavoured protein bars or wonder powders either. I’m talking about the need for real fitness food. Think steamed fish, poached chicken breasts, hard-boiled eggs, tofu and tempeh, beans and seeds – all delicious and fantastic for your muscles. But what about dessert?
Cottage cheese and quark are ingredients that have now become fridge staples in our house. Why? Brilliant in both savoury and sweet recipes, both cottage cheese and quark are naturally low in fat and high in protein and calcium. While eating it off the spoon is an, ahem, acquired taste, I’ve been enjoying eating it on crackers with home-grown cherry radishes or whipping it into some banana pancakes or a bowls of oats in the morning. Cottage cheese is particularly great for after-dinner desserts though. Trust me on this.
Full of casein protein, it’s a very slow digesting protein to aid muscle building all throughout the night while you sleep. It’s a truly wonderful protein source for muscle repair with an extremely high biological value of around 85%. With 2 servings for this recipe, you’re getting around 16g of protein from a very delicious dessert. Cottage cheese is also pretty unique that it’s naturally low in carbohydrates, it’s the ultimate guilt-free pre-bedtime snack!
Just about any berry or fruit flavour will taste fantastic here – this dessert is as versatile as it is guiltlessly rich and velvety. Go on, try it with puréed fruit like overripe bananas, sugar-free fruit spread or some cacao and peanut butter (foodgasm!). If you want the mousse to be firmer, add more almond meal, leave out the apple juice or follow the extra handy cheats in the recipe instructions. If you want your berries to break down more, make sure to thaw your berries completely before you start processing the mixture in your blender.
- 250g cottage cheese
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp fresh apple juice (see notes)
- 1 tbsp almond meal
- optional sweetener - ½ tbsp coconut, rapadura or other unrefined sugar OR maple syrup
- 150g frozen berries, thawed slightly.
- Add cottage cheese, lemon juice, apple juice (if using) almond meal and sweetener (if using) to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Process until mixture is creamy and there are few lumps remaining.
- Add berries to mixture and pulse to combine or alternatively, pour mixture into a large bowl and fold through frozen berries to streak through mixture. Serve immediatel or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
For even an even thicker mousse, freeze blended mixture and freeze in a shallow container. Once frozen, re-blend until you reach a soft serve consistency and serve.
Comments 18
No biggy, but the ONLY things I like with cottage cheese are, first, pineapple tidbits or chunks, and if out of pineapple, canned Mandarin oranges. I really prefer just a carton of 2% cottage cheese and unfortunately I can eat a whole carton in the evening watching TV or while I’m on the computer. I really try to dish out one portion from the carton but crave plain cottage cheese the way some people crave chocolate. Just thought I’d mention it. My daughter cannot stand cottage cheese except mixed with garlic & rosemary in her lasagna in lieu of ricotta.
Author
I LOVE cottage cheese with pineapple too and in the middle of summer love to combine them in the form of pancakes or pikelets for breakfast, YUM! I’m not as brave as you in eating the whole carton Janie, but I’m building up to it the more I’m falling in love with cottage cheese My partner loves savoury dishes using it, like your daughter, but he really loved this dessert and asks for it often 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I don’t mean to sound like a suckup, but I saw this linked on your FB page and within 5 minutes of reading the recipe I was eating it!
I always have cottage cheese in the fridge and by luck bought berries last night (not frozen) – this was so yum my son and I ate the whole thing right now. Thankyou Ally!
Author
With such kind words, you can suckup to me anyway Alyssa! So happy you loved it, making a mousse is one of my favourite ways to guiltlessly indulge with cottage cheese!
Could I use coconut flour instead of almond flour to increase the protein/fibre even further? I’ve always got frozen berries for protein smoothies, next time I’m going to try this instead of a protein shake.
Author
Coconut flour is very thirsty, so I’d suggest using maybe 1/3 less than what I have in the recipe and see what the texture is like. What time do you normally workout Peter? As I have said in the post cottage cheese is the best protein to have before you go to bed for recovery.
What a healthy mousse! I like that sweetness of berries in this.
Author
Me too Natalie, I’m a sucker for berry desserts… Especially when I don’t have to feel guilty afterwards 🙂
Alison,
This recipe sounds fantastic and I for one cannot wait to try it.
One question though: what is that chocolate looking item pictured on top of the mousse? It looks super yummy.
Author
Thanks Kim, I love making these mousse desserts, they are always so delicious 😀 The chocolate item is actually one enormous frozen blackberry – you’re right though, it does look like some delicious chocolate topping!
Pingback: 30 Ways To Eat Cottage Cheese That Are Actually Delicious - funnybuzzfunnybuzz
Pingback: 20 Cottage Cheese Recipes That Breathe New Life Into This "Diet Food" | Muscle For Life
Pingback: 20 Cottage Cheese Recipes That Breathe New Life Into This “Diet Food” | Bodybuilding Central
Hi Ally– I just tried this with some modifications due to what I had in the house, and it didn’t work! So I’m hoping you can help me figure out what might work in the future, and where my downfall was. It ended up being very soupy… like a smoothie consistency.
I used non-fat cottage cheese (would that make a difference?);
I used a tablespoon of jam instead of apple juice;
A tablespoon of ground flaxseed instead of almond meal (I assumed this was a thickener, and thought the flax would do the trick);
I just pulsed in fresh berries in the blender at the end, instead of folding in semi-frozen ones– maybe this helps give the mousse body?
Finally, I processed it in the blender for a good couple minutes. Wondering if this is why it turned to soup.
Thanks for your thoughts! I’d love for this to be a go-to treat in my house.
Author
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work Andi! It may have been because of the low-fat cottage cheese, without the saturated fat content the texture may have changed drastically. Adding a frozen banana would improve the texture and give it a more mousse-y or soft serve texture again. I might test the recipe again with low-fat and see if I get the same result. using the frozen berries does help a little to firm it up as it helps the chill the mixture and make it thick, but it shouldn’t have been soupy in the first place 🙁
I will make again on the weekend and will report back! Sorry for all the hassle you went through 🙁
Andi, I tried the recipe first without sugar and then decided it needed sugar. When I blended it for a second minute is when it turned to soup. Try to blend it less than a minute.
To firm it up again you could also freeze the mixture in a shallow container, then re-blend the mousse mixture until it has a soft serve consistency.
I’ve recently also been using half the apple juice (or omitting it altogether) and then adding a banana for an even firmer result.
Surprisingly savory. The sweet and tart aspects played well against the cottage cheese. I made mine without the lemon or apple and was happy. My husband used the lemon and didn’t like it – but our blackberries we’re also very sour to begin with.