It’s a question that gets asked frequently, can I use cottage cheese for cheesecake?
Clearly, cream cheese is the way to go when it comes to making the perfect cheesecake.
However, surely cheese is cheese, and therefore you could easily substitute another soft cheese.
If this is the case, would cottage cheese do the trick?
Or are you simply asking for trouble trying to create a cheesecake from cottage cheese?
Let’s find out.
You can definitely use cottage cheese for cheesecake. However, due to its high moisture content, you should pass the cottage cheese through a sieve in order to remove some of the moisture. That being said, cottage cheese alone would make your cheesecake crumbly. But, you can overcome this by adding an equal amount of heavy fresh cream.
1. 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 obviously sounds ideal for cheesecake.
Now, even though it’s fine to use cottage cheese, there are a few things you’ll need to do in order 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 definitely less fattening and has a high protein and calcium content, so this is perfect for those of who wish to eat a healthier cheesecake.
However, the addition of heavy double cream obviously 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.
2. Are There Other Cream Cheese Alternatives For Cheesecake?
Cottage cheese is clearly 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 definitely 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
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 in order 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.