Dean has a cookie dough obsession and earlier in our relationship I made him a chickpea-based cookie dough alternative and he thought it was disgusting, so I’m redeeming myself with this one!
The “cookie dough” base is made from a combo of cottage cheese, almond butter, almond flour, and (optional) protein powder to create a fudgy consistency that’s packed with protein. The coconut sugar and vanilla give it a cookie dough-like flavor. Chocolate gets melted and mixed with a touch of olive oil to thin it out. One serving (one bar) has about 8g of protein along with a lot of fiber and healthy fats. It’s a great hot weather satiating snack or post meal treat!
Ingredient highlight
Cottage cheese! is essentially curdled milk that is made by acidifying milk which makes the curds separate from the whey, giving it a creamy, chunky texture. It is a great vegetarian source of protein with just one cup of cottage cheese giving you 25g of protein. Look for brands that add live active cultures for some added digestion benefits (Good Culture brand is the best!).
Servings 10 bars
Prep Time 15 minutes Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup almond flour or meal*
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 1-2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 scoop protein powder of choice (optional, this is what I use)
For the chocolate:
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tsp olive oil
- *I don’t buy almond flour, I just add raw almonds to my blender and blend it up into a fine meal. Either works!
- Note: ~ you could skip the chocolate topping and, instead, stir chopped up dark chocolate/chocolate chips into the batter before freezing. Make sure you chop up the chocolate so it blends in better.
- Pro tip! ~ When slicing frozen treats, run your knife under hot water to get it warm, then dry it and slice. It will slice through much more easily.
Instructions
- In a medium/large bowl, add the cottage cheese almond flour and butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, salt, and protein powder (if using). Use an electric mixer to mix until smooth and fluffy, starting at a low speed.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (or use a glass tupperware container). Alternatively, you can make these in a regular or mini muffin tin lined with muffin cups (this saves the time and the step of slicing). Transfer the “cookie dough” into the loaf pan and spread it into an even-ish layer
- In a microwavable bowl, add the chocolate chips and microwave in 20 second intervals until melted, stirring after each time. Stir in the olive oil until smooth. Pour over the cookie dough and gently spread it into an even layer. Top with flaky salt, if you’d like. Transfer to the freezer overnight or for at least 6 hours.
- Remove from the freezer and let it sit out for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board (keep the parchment under) then slice into 10 bars. The bottoms may melt a bit, so place them back in the freezer (with parchment under) to re-solidify, then you can stash them away in a container or bag in the freezer.
- For the best texture, remove a bar from the freezer, place it chocolate-side-down so it doesn’t stick, and let it sit at room temp for anywhere from 5-15 minutes (the longer you wait, the softer it will get).
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Make the bars!
Substitutions:
- To make dairy-free/vegan, use this “cookie dough” recipe instead. I actually tested this recipe using that cookie dough base and it was very good, but I preferred the creamier cottage cheese version.
- To make nut-free, use tahini in place of almond butter and ground up pumpkin seeds in place of almonds.
- Substitute almond butter for peanut butter for a peanut butter cookie flavor.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- For the best texture, remove a bar from the freezer, place it chocolate-side-down so it doesn’t stick, and let it sit at room temp for anywhere from 5-15 minutes (the longer you wait, the softer it will get). They are a bit too hard to eat right out of the freezer and if you let them sit out too long, they’ll get very soft – which isn’t a bad thing, it’s just different and a bit more messy!
Excited to try this. Is the 8 grams of protein with or without the protein powder
That’s with the protein powder. Without it, it’s about 6g per bar.