These Blueberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie Bowls are a delicious way to enjoy protein-packed cottage cheese for breakfast or a snack.
Simply blend cottage cheese with blueberries, coconut cream, and honey to create a smooth, flavorful base. Then, top with granola, toasted nuts, and fresh berries for the perfect mix of creamy, crunchy, and sweet!
Before You Start Cooking
- Use a high-speed blender: For the smoothest texture, a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix) works best when blending the blueberry cottage cheese mixture.
- Check the sodium: Use reduced-sodium cottage cheese to avoid an overly salty flavor in this sweet smoothie bowl recipe.
- Let it chill (optional): The blended cottage cheese thickens slightly as it sits, so I like to make it ahead and refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight) for an even more luscious texture.
How to Make Blueberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie Bowls
You can use any variety of cottage cheese for these smoothie bowls—whole or low-fat, small or large curd. Whole milk versions whip up slightly creamier, but honestly, every low-fat container I’ve tried has blended up smooth and creamy too.
The main thing to watch for is salt. Some brands of cottage cheese can be quite salty, which doesn’t always work well in a sweet smoothie bowl.
For this recipe, I recommend using reduced-sodium cottage cheese to keep the flavors balanced. I’ve had good results with Breakstone’s 2% Reduced Sodium (200 mg sodium per ½ cup) and Friendship’s 1% No Salt Added (55 mg sodium per ½ cup).
That said, salt is a flavor enhancer. If you go with no-salt-added cottage cheese, I suggest adding a pinch of kosher or fine sea salt when blending so the mixture isn’t bland.
Brands with higher sodium—like Good Culture, Daisy, and Hood (typically 300–400+ mg per 1/2 cup)—were too salty for my taste in this sweet recipe. I save those for savory dishes instead.
Step 1: Blend the Blueberry Cottage Cheese
Add the cottage cheese, fresh blueberries, honey, and coconut cream to your blender canister. The coconut cream adds richness, a bit of body, and a subtle hint of coconut to the whipped mixture.
Tip: Canned coconut cream often separates in the can—that’s totally normal. When I get it home, I like to pour the whole can into a container and whisk it until smooth. It’ll keep well in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Start your high-powered blender on low and then gradually increase to high, blending for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the mixture is creamy and smooth—similar to the texture of yogurt. The finished color should be a pale purple with tiny flecks from the blueberry skins.
If needed, stop and scrape down the sides or use the blender’s tamper to help everything blend evenly. If the mixture still isn’t catching in the blades, add an extra teaspoon of coconut cream to loosen it up. (You might need to do this if working with drier cottage cheese brands.)
After blending, give the blueberry cottage cheese mixture a taste. Some cottage cheese brands are tangier than others, and blueberries can vary in sweetness depending on the season. If needed, blend in a little extra honey to your liking.
Step 2: Assemble Your Cottage Cheese Smoothie Bowls
Divide the blueberry cottage cheese mixture between 2 or 4 bowls, depending on how filling you’d like each serving to be. Then, top with any combination (or all) of the following:
- Granola: Store-bought or homemade both work. I’ve been into Made Good’s Crispy Light Cocoa Crunch Granola lately {affiliate link}. For a homemade recipe, try my Cherry Almond Granola—just leave out the dried cherries if you’re making it specifically for these bowls.
- Mixed Berries: Add sliced strawberries, extra blueberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries for a delicious blend of juicy berry flavor and texture.
- Nuts: Chopped toasted walnuts are my favorite, but pecans, almonds, or pistachios are also great.
- Pepitas: These antioxidant-rich hulled pumpkin seeds can be sprinkled raw onto your smoothie bowl. (If you have extra on hand, try making my Spiced Pepitas recipe for a savory, crunchy snack.)
Variations
- Other Sweeteners: Instead of honey, you can use maple syrup, agave, or another sweetener of your choice. Adjust the quantity as needed, since sweetness levels can vary.
- Other-Berry Blended Cottage Cheese: When blending the cottage cheese, you can substitute chopped fresh strawberries for the blueberries. Raspberries and blackberries also work, but keep in mind that they’re seedier and will add more texture to the final mixture.
- Vanilla: Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste when blending for a subtle, warm vanilla flavor.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can blend the blueberry cottage cheese up to 3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, just spoon it into a bowl, add your favorite toppings, and you’re all set for a quick breakfast or snack.
The whipped cottage cheese thickens up a bit as it chills, which I really like—it gives the texture a little more body. I usually make it a few hours ahead or the night before so it’s ready to go.
Before serving, give it a quick stir. If you see a little blueberry juice on top after it’s chilled, that’s normal—just mix it back in.
More Healthy Berry Recipes
- Spinach Berry Salad
- Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa
- Wheat Berry Salad with Mixed Berry Vinaigrette
- Strawberry Salsa
Blueberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cups reduced-sodium cottage cheese (see note)
- 1/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut cream (see note)
- 2 tablespoons honey , plus additional to taste
- 1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries , divided
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries , chopped or sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/4 cup fresh blackberries
- 1/2 cup granola
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Add the cottage cheese, coconut cream, honey, and 1 cup of blueberries to a high-powered blender (such as a Vitamix). Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute, gradually increasing to high speed, until the mixture is smooth with no visible curds. Stop the blender and scrape down the sides or use your blender’s tamper as needed to keep things moving (see note).
- Taste and adjust sweetness, blending in more honey if desired.
- Divide the blended mixture between 2 to 4 cereal bowls. Top with granola, pepitas, toasted walnuts, and fresh berries, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About our recipes
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
