Cottage Cheese Bread Has 50% More Protein — And It's Super Easy to Make at Home
Cottage cheese is having a surge in popularity, with folks turning it into ice cream, dips and more. But cottage cheese bread? You bet! It ups the protein, lowers the carbs and makes for a delicious slice you can use for toast, sandwiches and more. Keep reading to learn the benefits of baking with cottage cheese, get a simple 2-ingredient cottage cheese bread recipe and see our favorite ways to enjoy it.
The ingredients in cottage cheese bread
Many recipes for this bread combine cottage cheese with other ingredients like almond flour and eggs to form a batter. You can also simply mix cottage cheese with powdered egg whites for a super-quick version. The cottage cheese acts as a binding agent to help everything come together in dough form. Afterward, the mixture is baked in a loaf pan until it's golden brown on top and the center is tender.
How cottage cheese bread differs from other breads
Cottage cheese isn't the first bread-baking ingredient that comes to mind. But it's a great binding agent that holds the dough together similar to butter and even all-purpose flour. The end result is cheese-based bread with a soft and springy texture and slightly tangy flavor compared to commercial white breads.
Along with its unique taste, cottage cheese bread has a nutritional advantage over other kinds. The average slice of cottage cheese bread contains 135 calories, 1 gram of saturated fat, 23 grams of carbs and 6 grams of protein. This is significantly better than the 157 calories, 27 grams of carbs, 3 grams of saturated fat and 4 grams of protein found in a slice of homemade white bread. (Click through to learn how cottage cheese protein can help you lose weight effortlessly and how protein can ward off an afternoon slump.)
How does this happen? Well, Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES, LDN, CPT, registered dietitian and author of Belly Fat Diet For Dummies, shares three ways that cottage cheese creates a healthier and tastier loaf of bread.
1. It reduces the bread’s saturated fat content.
Palinski-Wade notes that cottage cheese tames the bread's saturated fat and calorie content. In fact, a ½-cup serving of this superfood contains approximately 110 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat. "For those looking to cut carbs to improve blood sugar, this can be very beneficial, as diets high in saturated fat are linked with increased insulin resistance," she says.
Related: How to Make Ezekiel Bread At Home: Easy Recipe For This Super-Healthy Bread
2. It lowers the carb content.
Although refined flour gives bread an easy-to-chew texture, it spikes its carbohydrate content. Luckily, Palinski-Wade says you swap these flours for cottage cheese to whip up light and fluffy bread without guilt. "Using cottage cheese to make bread is an easy way to cut out refined flours to reduce the overall carbohydrate content of the bread," she notes.
Related: The White Bread That’s Actually *Good* For You: Why Docs Recommend Sourdough
3. It boosts the protein content.
According to Palinski-Wade, adding cottage cheese to the dough "boosts the protein content, allowing the bread to have less impact on blood sugar while promoting fullness." Keep in mind that not all cottage cheese brands are created equal. That's why she suggests using Daisy 4% Cottage Cheese (Buy from Walmart, $3.78) as it only contains three ingredients and provides a whopping 13 grams of protein per ½ cup.
These are just a few benefits of making bread using cottage cheese, and for more, click through to read our stories on the digestive perks of eating cottage cheese, how it helps kickstart fat loss and additional ways to add it to your daily diet!
How to make cottage cheese bread
For cottage bread that only needs a couple of ingredients, try this viral recipe from nutrition blogger Bethany Cameron. It simply involves folding fluffy egg whites and whipped cottage cheese together before baking it in a loaf pan. The end result is a bread that's light and airy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Yum!
Cottage Cheese Bread Made Using 2 Ingredients
Ingredients:
1 cup powdered egg whites (Buy from Amazon, $12.47)
1 cup cultured cottage cheese
Directions:
Active: 10 mins
Total time: 40 mins + cooling time
Yield: 1 loaf (around 12 slices)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Using hand or electric stand mixer, whip egg white powder with 1 cup water until stiff peaks form, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Place cottage cheese in blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth, around 1 minute. Gently fold blended cottage cheese into egg white fluff.
Transfer to parchment-lined lined bread loaf and bake about 30 minutes. Bread should be puffed up and golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan about 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling. Slice and enjoy.
Note: Cameron uses powdered egg whites instead of liquid whites as you don't need to separate them from the yolks. However, if you don't have it on hand, separate around 8 large eggs or enough to equal 1 cup. Omit the water, whip as normal and proceed with the recipe.
Standard Cottage Cheese Bread
Unlike traditional bread recipes, preparing cottage cheese bread doesn't require any kneading or lengthy rise times. Just follow this recipe shared by Carol-Ann Robert, RD, registered dietitian at TeamNutrition, to make a homemade loaf in under 2 hours.
Ingredients:
1½ cups almond flour, like King Arthur Almond Flour (Buy from Shop.KingArthurBaking.com, $10.95)
½ cup cottage cheese, like Daisy 4%
4 eggs
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Directions:
Active: 10 min.
Total time: 1 hr, 45 min.
Yield: 1 loaf (at least 12 slices)
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In bowl, mix almond flour, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, beat eggs, then add cottage cheese and melted coconut oil. Mix until smooth.
Incorporate dry mixture into wet ingredients and mix well until the batter is smooth.
Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth top.
Bake until the bread is golden and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Once baked, remove bread from oven and let cool in pan for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
Slice and enjoy!
Note: Homemade bread is best when eaten within 2 to 3 days. So be sure to click through for our story on how to store bread to ensure it doesn't go stale.
What to do with cottage cheese bread
Cottage cheese bread is tasty enjoyed on its own or toasted and smeared with butter, cream cheese or jam. Our favorite way to use this bread? Slice and fill it with nourishing ingredients to make a lower-carb, high-protein sandwich. Below, you can find our top three sandwich recipes that work well with sliced cottage cheese bread and will become staples in your lunch rotation!
Double-Decker Clubs
Prep an extra batch of our easy from-scratch red pepper hummus to use as a dip for veggies or chips.
Ingredients:
12 slices cottage cheese bread
1 (15.5 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
¼ cup sesame tahini
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
¼ tsp. salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
¼ cup chopped drained roasted red peppers
2 small tomatoes, sliced
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
1⅓ cups fresh pea shoots or alfalfa sprouts
Directions:
Active: 30 min.
Total time: 30 min.
Yield: 4 servings
Grill or toast bread. In food processor, combine chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, salt and cayenne pepper; process until smooth.
In medium bowl, combine 1 cup hummus with roasted red peppers. Dividing evenly, spread red pepper hummus over 1 side of each of 4 slices of bread; top each with 1 bread slice. Spread with remaining plain hummus. Top with tomatoes, avocado and pea shoots. Cover with remaining bread slices. If desired, secure with toothpicks.
Chicken ’n’ Veggie Sandwiches
To ensure even cooking and tenderness, we pound the chicken to an even thickness before grilling.
Ingredients:
3 Tbs. + 2 tsp. olive oil
1½ Tbs. balsamic vinegar
4 (5 to 6 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 red pepper, seeded, quartered
1 medium red onion, sliced
8 (½" thick) slices cottage cheese bread
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 cups baby arugula
Directions:
Active: 20 min.
Total time: 30 min. + grill prep time
Yield: 4 servings
Prepare grill for medium-high direct-heat cooking. In small bowl, combine 3 Tbs. olive oil and balsamic vinegar; reserve.
Place each chicken breast half between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using meat mallet or can covered with foil, pound each breast to ½" thickness.
In medium bowl, toss chicken with remaining 2 tsp. olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Coat pepper and onion pieces with cooking spray. Transfer peppers and onions directly to grill grate. Grill, flipping once, until just tender, 3 to 5 min. per side. Grill chicken, flipping once, until no longer pink in center, 4 to 5 min. per side. Grill bread, flipping once, until grill marks appear, about 1 min. per side.
Brush one side of each bread slice with dressing. Slice pepper pieces. Fill bread with chicken, peppers, onions, tomatoes and arugula.
Salmon Watercress Sandwiches
These smoky sandwich stacks feature crisp cucumber, vibrant watercress and lemon-flavored cream cheese for extra zing.
Ingredients:
1 lemon
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temp.
16 thin slices cottage bread, toasted or grilled
1 cup microgreens or watercress
8 oz. smoked salmon
1 cup diced seedless cucumber
Directions:
Active: 20 min.
Total time: 20 min.
Yield: 4 servings
Grate 1 tsp. zest and squeeze 2 tsp. juice from lemon. In bowl, combine cream cheese, lemon zest and juice. Spread one side of 12 bread slices with cream cheese mixture.
For each sandwich, place ¼ cup microgreens on one bread slice, spread side up. Top with bread slice, spread side up, 2 oz. smoked salmon, then bread slice, spread side up, and ¼ cup diced cucumber. Cover with plain bread slice. Cut diagonally into 4 sections.
For more delicious ways cottage cheese can help you stay healthy:
Top Doc Shares How Cottage Cheese Protein Is Helping Women over 50 Lose Weight
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
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