This cottage cheese ice cream recipe may sound strange, but trust me, it works! Blend cottage cheese with sweet dates, honey, and nutty tahini, then swirl in pistachio cream to take it to the next level! It's a creamy, high-protein ice cream that tastes way better than anything at a fancy ice cream shop.
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This rich, sweet, and nutty treat draws inspiration from Middle Eastern flavors, in the same way this Mediterranean overnight oats recipe does.
Blending high-protein cottage cheese, sweet honey, naturally caramel-like dates, and nutty, slightly savory tahini creates a rich, balanced flavor that's unexpectedly indulgent and intriguing. It's perfect for those who like their ice cream with a twist.
If you like the idea of using cottage cheese in recipes for added protein, be sure to try this high protein mac and cheese and this creamy rigatoni recipe.
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This delicious cottage cheese ice cream recipe is simple and only requires a handful of ingredients (most of which you probably already have in your pantry).
- You'll find no preservatives in this recipe; it's made from scratch with whole ingredients like dates, tahini paste, raw honey, and pistachios.
- Cottage cheese is considered a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids (WebMD).
- There are 25 grams of protein in 1 cup of cottage cheese!
- You don't need an ice cream maker or a Ninja Creami to make this recipe, just a food processor, blender, or a Vitamix for a smoother texture.
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cottage Cheese: For creamier cottage cheese, choose full-fat.
- Sweetener: To sweeten our cottage cheese, we'll be using a good-quality honey. Choose raw honey when available.
- Fruit: Medjool dates, which are softer than Deglet Noor. Another option is to purchase date paste or use this date paste recipe.
- Spices: Cardamom powder, cinnamon powder, and a pinch of salt.
- Flavoring: Vanilla extract and tahini paste.
- Add-Ins: I decided to swirl in some pistachio paste at the last minute; great decision. It's optional, but I highly recommend it. You'll need approximately ¼ cup.
- Toppings: Ground pistachios, almonds, or walnuts (or your favorite nut) and chopped dates.
*See recipe card for complete list of ingredients & quantities.
🍦 How to Make Viral Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
Step 1: Add pitted dates to a small bowl and pour a cup of boiling water over them. Allow to soften for 15-10 minutes, then remove skins and pits.
Step 2: Add cottage cheese, tahini, peeled dates, cardamom, vanilla extract, and honey to a Vitamix or food processor and blend until smooth.
Pro Tip: If you prefer chunkier textures, you can stir a few chopped dates into the mixture once smooth; however, dates tend to get hard when frozen, so they may be hard to chew.
Step 3: Pour the cottage cheese mixture into a bowl, ceramic dish, or loaf pan and swirl some pistachio cream into it using a chopstick (optional). Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours.
Pro Tip: For a softer texture, don't freeze for an extended period.
Prepare Topping
Step 4: Meanwhile, toast pistachios for a few minutes in a hot skillet, then add to a small food processor. Add cardamom, cinnamon, and sugar and pulse a few times until ground.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Serve this creamy, high-protein ice cream sprinkled with the ground pistachios and chopped dates. If you want to be extra naughty, add some crumbled halva and drizzle with date molasses, honey, or maple syrup!
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
Cottage cheese ice cream is smooth, creamy, salty, and a little tangy, surprisingly similar to frozen yogurt.
Cottage cheese is a great alternative for cream, eggs, and other fatty ingredients typically used to make ice cream. Cottage cheese can be blended until smooth and sweetened with honey and other fresh fruit such as bananas, mango, strawberries, raspberries, and dates.
Cottage cheese has high water content, which forms ice crystals that make the texture harder than regular ice cream.
To prevent your cottage cheese ice cream from freezing, try churning it with an ice cream maker to incorporate air into it. If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can stir the ice cream periodically as it freezes.
Although you can use low-fat cottage cheese in this recipe, you will have a much creamier texture if you use full-fat cottage cheese.
🤷🏻♀️ Pro Tips
- Use full-fat cottage cheese for the best creaminess.
- Freeze in a shallow container for faster freezing.
- Stir halfway through freezing if not using an ice cream maker.
- Let it thaw for 20-30 minutes before scooping, depending on how long it was frozen.
- Store cottage cheese ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
🥮 More Date Recipes
If you enjoy this high-protein ice cream recipe, check out these other delicious date recipes.
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add pitted dates to a small bowl and pour a cup of boiling water over them. Allow to soften for 5-10 minutes, then remove skins and pits.
- Add cottage cheese, tahini, peeled dates, cardamom, vanilla extract, and honey to a Vitamix or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pour cottage cheese mixture into a bowl, ceramic dish, or a loaf pan and swirl some pistachio cream into it using a chopstick (optional). Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 4 hours.
- Meanwhile, toast pistachios for a few minutes in a hot skillet, then add to a small food processor. Add cardamom, cinnamon, and sugar and pulse a few times until ground. Serve ice cream topped with chopped nuts and dates and a drizzle of date molasses.
Nutrition
Notes
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- If you prefer chunkier textures, you can stir a few chopped dates into the mixture once smooth; however, dates tend to get hard when frozen, so they may be hard to chew.
- For a softer texture, don't freeze for an extended period.
- Use full-fat cottage cheese for the best creaminess.
- Freeze in a shallow container for faster freezing.
- Stir halfway through freezing if not using an ice cream maker.
- Let it thaw for 20-30 minutes before scooping, depending on how long it was frozen.
- Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Ginny says
I just made this ice cream. Yum! I used pecans in my
ice cream. I love this, it tastes so good. Definitely a keeper❤.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Ginny, thank you so much for the review, enjoy!
Theresa says
This is truly a divine flavored treat that I do not have to feel too guilty for enjoying. I left out most of the suggested honey and it's still a perfect blend of sweet and savory and deliciousness. I used a muffin tin with liners as the shallow container and after freezing they pop right out (with a little help from a spoon) and into a small serving bowl ready to eat. The recipe amount is enough for 12 muffin tins at about 3/4 full.
For the pistachio cream I used home-made oat milk instead of cream and avocado oil instead of coconut oil, all as a preference and with great tasting success. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
Hilda Sterner says
Wow, Theresa, I LOVE all your suggestions, especially preparing it in a muffin tin, genius! Thank you so much for leaving a detailed review! 🥰
Allie Sterner says
OMG! This is such an awesome and unique recipe. It's creamy, "cheesecakey", and exotic all at the same time. Who knew Tahini ice cream would be such a delight? I highly recommend you try it for an exotic twist on a high-protein dessert.
Hilda Sterner says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Kathy Fisher says
I wouldn't have believed it had I not tasted it. It is so good. Tasty, healthy and very refreshing. Yummy. Tahini and cardamom are a perfect combination with the dates. I so enjoyed fresh dates from Ehrlich's Date Garden all those years I lived close to Yuma. Now I'm a fan of almost anything with dates. I love Hilda's date shakes too. Thanks for this recipe.
Hilda Sterner says
I'm with you, I love the date shakes, but this cream cheese ice cream is a pleasant surprise!
Kelly Methey says
Cottage Cheese Ice Cream? Who knew?
This ice cream was creamy and delicious! The flavor was really good, the pistachio cream was a fantastic addition.
I’m a new fan for sure.
Hilda Sterner says
And so easy to prepare! Thanks for the review!
Hilda Sterner says
We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!