Cottage Cheese Cookies are fudgy and soft double chocolate cookies made with cottage cheese and unsweetened cocoa powder. I came up with the recipe years ago as a way to use up cottage cheese my kid wouldn't eat. You can make the cookies with low fat or regular cottage cheese. Fat free cottage cheese probably works, but will give you a slightly less rich cookie. I don't buy fat free cottage cheese so I haven't tested it yet.
What I have played around with is the type of cocoa powder. For my my first batch I used extra dark cocoa powder from Hershey's, which is Dutch process. Since then I've used other varieties of Dutch to make the cookies extra dark. Natural cocoa powder also works and will give you a slightly lighter colored double chocolate cookies.
Cottage Cheese Cookies Need Chocolate Chips!
Throwing in a good amount of not-too-sweet dark chocolate chips adds sweetness and richness the cookies needed to make them a dessert fit for any chocolate cookie. Yes, they are a cakey cookie, but the chocolate chips make the texture more interesting. As for the powdered sugar, it covers up the little flecks of cottage cheese that show up.
Latest Batch
I just made another batch of these and still love them. The recipe makes 28, but I made these last ones slightly larger and got about 24. The little flecks for cottage cheese show up in the cookie, so I threw in some white chips. Dried cherries are also a great addition.
In other news, the Berger Cookies are now in the freezer and they do freeze quite well! I'm going to serve them at a party tonight. Too bad none of the attendees are from Baltimore.
Recipe
Dark Chocolate Cottage Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, weigh or measure by volume with a light hand (don't pack cups) (170 grams)
- ¼ cup unsweetened extra dark or Dutch cocoa powder (20 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup small curd cottage cheese (120 grams)
- 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter (75 grams)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (65 grams)
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed (70 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (or chunks, as many asy ou want)
- A little powdered sugar for dusting or throw in some white chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil. You can also bake at 350, but it will take a little longer.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cottage cheese for about a minute. Add the butter and both sugars and beat for another 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and add egg and vanilla, beating just until mixed.
- With a mixing spoon (or using the lowest speed of a stander mixer fixed with a paddle), gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Using a tablespoon measure, scoop up dough and arrange balls of dough (they'll be sticky -- not perfectly round) on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake on center rack for 10 minutes at 375 or about 14 minutes at 350 until cookies appear set. This could be another 5 minutes. It will depend on the size of the cookies and how cold the dough is.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool. After about 5 minutes or when the cookies are warm rather than very hot, sift some powdered sugar over them. This covers up the little flecks of cottage cheese.
Anna says
I'm so glad to hear you like this one, and thank you for the tip on using coconut oil!
Rose Bartz says
Really like this recipe. Have made several times. I like to chop small, shaved unsweetened coconut and sliced almonds to fold in with the dark chocolate chips. So good. I use coconut oil instead of butter too.
Anna says
Thanks for the review, Rose! I am going to bake a batch today and add a new photo.
Rose Bartz says
Have already made twice. Last time added chopped shaved coconut and chopped almond slices. Chopped small. Really good. I bake til judged done. Maybe another 5 min. Really good!
beth says
Congrats on the release of your first cookie cookbook .I cannot wait to see all of your wonderful cookie recipes! Everything I make from Cookie Madness comes out utterly delicious! I love the concept of a daily cookie. Best Wishes.
beth
Paula B. says
I'm always on the lookout for new chocolate cookie recipes and this one looks decadent. How about some peppermint bark in them for Christmas, yum!
Chewthefat says
I've used Greek yogurt in various cookie recipes, but never cottage cheese! BTW, if you are looking for a way to use up cottage cheese in a way that disguises the fact that it is cottage cheese, this recipe looks intriguing--I am going to try it soon...
http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/croatianserbmaincourses/r/burekcheese2.htm
Hershey's Special Dark is my go-to dutch processed cocoa powder of choice, and I always get comments on how fantastically rich and black it makes the final product.
Cookie Sleuth says
Great tip on the powdered sugar! I know Mr. Sleuth would not eat them if he could see the cottage cheese. The cookies look great!
Karen says
These cookies look and sound absolutely terrific! I agree with the cottage cheese lasting a very long time before it is past it's edible stage. My favorite recipe for using cottage cheese is Cottage Cheese Dill Bread.
Martha in KS says
One more tip - when I went to Weight Watchers I learned to make mock sour cream by putting cottage cheese in the food processor. It can be substituted for sour cream in recipes.
Martha in KS says
The thing I like most about cottage cheese is that it lasts almost forever (or so it seems) especially unopened. When I think I don't have anything to pack in my lunch, there's always cottage cheese & canned fruit. And for quick "lasagna" boil some pasta, throw in spaghetti sauce & cottage cheese, and mozzarella if you have it.
Rebecca says
I wish you'd posted this 3 days ago - I just had to eat an entire container of cottage cheese by myself since it was past it's "best by" date. Cookies would have been much more palatable!
Sue says
I've never been wild about cottage cheese, but something tells me I'd like these cookies!
Darlene says
With the cottage cheese and dark chocolate, these cookies should be classified as health food! Seriously, they look moist and scrumptious. Good job camouflaging the flecks of cottage cheese.
Lisa Ernst says
This is an intriguing idea. I don't eat cottage cheese, but my husband used to eat it all the time (then got tired of it, like Fuzz). The cookies look good and they get that extra kick of protein from the cottage cheese, along with plenty of chips. I guess I'll have to enjoy these only visually.....
Alton says
This recipe appeals to me because I am always buying cottage cheese and never using it all. Now I can make cookies to go with my Weight-Watcher salad!