Can I Use Cottage Cheese For Cheesecake? (Explained!)

Can You Use Cottage Cheese Instead of Cream Cheese in Cheesecake?

Cottage cheese is perfectly acceptable to use for cheesecake.

Admittedly, cheesecake is typically made from cream cheese, but in truth, you can use a wide variety of soft cheeses to get the job done (more on this in a moment).

That being said, there’s likely to be a difference in taste with the final product.

A prime example of this is that cream cheese is generally quite rich and tangy, whereas cottage cheese has a sweet, mild flavor.

That being said, this sounds ideal for cheesecake.

Now, even though it’s fine to use cottage cheese, there are a few things you’ll need to do to produce that perfect cheesecake.

Firstly, cottage cheese contains much more moisture than cream cheese.

Therefore, you will need to drain some of this moisture out, which is best done by simply placing the cottage cheese in a sieve.

You can also place the cottage cheese in a cheesecloth, which allows you to press and squeeze the liquid out too.

However, once most of the moisture has been removed, you may find that if you use the cottage cheese as is, then the final product is likely to be crumbly.

So, I would suggest that after straining the moisture out, you place the cottage cheese in a food processor for a minute.

This will produce an almost perfect soft cheese that is ideal for cheesecake.

Furthermore, you will also need to add an equal amount of heavy cream, which once more will ensure that your cheesecake doesn’t end up being crumbly.

Now, using cottage cheese instead of cream cheese has certain health benefits too.

Cottage cheese is less fattening and has a high protein and calcium content, so this is perfect for those who wish to eat a healthier cheesecake.

However, the addition of heavy double cream increases the fat content.

So, you could be left with a choice of a healthy but crumbly cheesecake or a full-fat, all-singing, all-dancing cheesecake.

I certainly know which one I would prefer.

Are There Other Cream Cheese Alternatives For Cheesecake?

Cottage cheese is a great alternative to cream cheese when it comes to making cheesecake.

However, as I’ve mentioned, there are various kinds of cheese you could use in place of cream cheese.

So, let’s take a look at a few of these now:

• Mascarpone – I guess if you’re going all out for taste, then mascarpone is the best alternative to cream cheese. That being said, this will be the most unhealthy replacement, although mascarpone is very similar to cream cheese, including in flavor.
• Ricotta – Ricotta cheese is extremely similar to cottage cheese, although it contains slightly less moisture. Furthermore, ricotta won’t provide such a sweet taste as cream cheese, so expect your cheesecake to have a different flavor.
• Greek Yoghurt – While Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute for cream cheese when making cheesecake, it typically requires you to add some cream cheese for additional creaminess and sweetness. However, this is once more a much healthier way to make and enjoy cheesecake.

Easy Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Recipe

My Final Thoughts

So, as you can see, you definitely can use cottage cheese for cheesecake.

However, due to its high moisture content, you will need to strain the cottage cheese.

That being said, simply using strained cottage cheese immediately afterward will potentially leave your cheesecake too crumbly.

So, it also makes sense to put your cottage cheese through a food processor to produce a beautiful soft cheese perfect for a cheesecake.

Finally, even though cottage cheese is far healthier and contains less fat than cream cheese, you should add heavy double cream to cottage cheese to get the right consistency for your cheesecake.

And if this is your favorite dessert, read my article on using cream cheese spread in cheesecake.

Do you modify your dishes to suit health considerations?

Let us know in the comments below!