TikTok's Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Is Better Than We Expected

Whether it's wrapping a Costco hot dog with pizza or adding marshmallow fluff to Coke, I'm one of the first to be skeptical of TikTok recipes and hacks. Viral cottage cheese ice cream recipes have made the rounds on TikTok recently as a high-protein, "healthier" alternative to the average scoop.

As a gym goer and exercise fan, looking for high-protein food alternatives is a tiring and sometimes disappointing journey. However, making regular ice cream at home usually requires a significant list of ingredients and sometimes special equipment. Plus, when there's an opportunity to enjoy a treat while also working toward a protein goal, it's hard to pass that up without at least a taste test.

Here's what it's like to swap out your usual frozen dessert for something with a little more curd in it. If dairy doesn't destroy your stomach, this may be the high-protein treat you've been looking for.

Aside from the added protein intake, one of the most enticing things about cottage cheese ice cream is the minimal amount of effort it takes to make it. At its most basic level, cottage cheese ice cream requires cottage cheese (duh), a sweetener like honey or syrup, and whatever mix-ins or toppings you'd like.

For example, to make a strawberry cheesecake variety, I used cottage cheese, honey, and frozen and fresh strawberries. To finish it off, I topped the mixture with crumbled graham crackers. Other options include adding peanut butter and chocolate chips to resemble a Reese's flavor or making a "salted caramel" version with honey, salt, vanilla, and dates.

Throw all of these basic ingredients in a blender, pour it into whatever container you want, and allow the mixture to set and freeze for around four hours. Using frozen ingredients like strawberries can help to speed up the process since the mixture will already be cold.

As previously mentioned, for my personal taste test, I went for a strawberry cheesecake version. To test the ease of this viral recipe (and since most TikTok creators don't include measurements in their videos), I eyeballed it all.

In retrospect, actual measurements would have improved the taste, but regardless, the cottage cheese ice cream tasted wonderful. The tang coming from the cottage cheese was a bit strong, so in the future, I would add more honey or strawberries to balance it out. Overall though, the ice cream was creamy, tangy, and lightly sweet. I added more graham cracker crumble to my scoop to help cut the flavor of the cottage cheese. Even with the cottage cheese dominating the mixture, I can see the potential of this viral recipe. The possibilities for different combinations make this the kind of food hack that could suit many tastes and satisfy a lot of cravings. 

The ease of making the ice cream only adds points to its score. Whether you're a gym rat or not, the added protein could be a bonus. Plus, making traditional ice cream at home can be a complicated process, with or without an ice cream maker in your kitchen.