This cottage cheese chocolate mousse is an easy-to-make, high-protein indulgence you can feel good about eating!
Better-for-you chocolate mousses are a lifesaver. I make several of them, including chocolate yogurt, avocado chocolate mousse, and keto chocolate mousse. This cottage cheese version is higher in protein than the others. It's delicious, creamy, and just the thing when I want a sweet, chocolaty dessert but prefer to keep it high-protein and low-carb.
Ingredients and Substitutions
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Cottage cheese: Please use full-fat, small curd cheese.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Processed with alkali for a smoother chocolate taste.
- Vanilla extract: Other good options include almond, coconut, and orange extracts.
- Sweetener: I use stevia. You can substitute a powdered sweetener.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Add the ingredients to a food processor or blender bowl.
Blend for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth and fluffy, stopping once to scrape the sides with a spatula.
Chill for 30 minutes to thicken the mousse, then divide it between dessert cups and serve.
As soon as I saw your newsletter I knew I was going to make this recipe! I went to the store this morning to get cottage cheese (I had the other ingredients at home). Oh my, this is good. I ate it straight out of the food processor! Didn't even need chilling. I used 5 tablespoons of powdered allulose and it was perfect.
Ashleigh
Read more comments
As soon as I saw your newsletter I knew I was going to make this recipe! I went to the store this morning to get cottage cheese (I had the other ingredients at home). Oh my, this is good. I ate it straight out of the food processor! Didn't even need chilling. I used 5 tablespoons of powdered allulose and it was perfect.Recipe Tips
- Drain the cheese: If there's a small amount of liquid at the top of the cottage cheese when you open the container, carefully pour it out. The less water, the creamier the mousse.
- What blender to use: I use a food processor with a "high" speed setting. If using a blender, it needs to be a high-speed one, or the mixture will remain lumpy.
- Chilling the mousse for 30 minutes improves its texture and thickens it. You can eat it immediately - it will be light and fluffy - but it's better after a stay in the fridge.
- How long to blend: It's important to blend the mousse until it's very smooth and fluffy. How long you need to blend will depend on the appliance you use. In my food processor, on high speed, you can see that after 30 seconds, it's still lumpy:
After one minute, it's smoother but still not as smooth and fluffy as I'm going for:
And after two minutes, it's super smooth and fluffy - this is when it takes on a true mousse consistency:
Recipe FAQs
Nutritionally, they are similar. The main advantage of the cottage cheese mousse is that if you blend it long enough, it has a light and fluffy mousse texture. The disadvantage is that despite thorough blending, the occasional cottage cheese curd can stick around. Cottage cheese is also tangier and saltier than yogurt, so more sweetener is needed to counteract that. I initially wrote this recipe with 4 tablespoons of sweetener, but eventually decided that 6 tablespoons are needed (or the equivalent in stevia).
I use Daisy 4% small curd cottage cheese. It's delicious, thick, and creamy. If your cottage cheese is watery, it might affect the mousse's texture.
I don't recommend maple syrup. You can use a powdered sweetener or the equivalent in stevia. A granulated sweetener will have a grainy mouthfeel, so it is not recommended. Maple syrup will introduce too much liquid, but you can try honey as it's thicker. I only tested this recipe with stevia and with a powdered sweetener, so those are the only sweeteners I can recommend.
You can store this mousse in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Stir it again before serving. I don't recommend freezing it, as its texture will be negatively affected.
Serving Suggestions
I usually eat this mousse just as it is. It's delicious! But if you'd like to top it with something, here are a few ideas:
- Whipped cream, as shown in the photo below
- Fresh berries
- Chocolate chips and/or chopped nuts, as shown in the photo below
- Coconut flakes
- A drizzle of warm peanut butter
When I make this mousse for myself and don't try to make it fancy for the blog, I often divide the whole thing between two bowls, as shown below, and have one on the same day and one the next day.
Recipe Card
Cottage Cheese Chocolate Mousse
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups cottage cheese - 4% fat, small curd
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder - processed with alkali for a smoother chocolate taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - can also use almond, coconut, or orange extract
- 1 teaspoon stevia glycerite - heaping; equals 6 tablespoons of sweetener - see notes below
Instructions
- Add the cottage cheese, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and sweetener to a food processor or high-speed blender.
- Blend for 2 minutes on high, stopping once to scrape the sides with a spatula, until smooth and fluffy.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to thicken the mousse, then serve.
Notes
- I use Daisy 4% small curd cottage cheese. It's delicious, thick, and creamy. If your cottage cheese is watery, it might affect the mousse's texture.
- See the recipe tips in the post above the recipe card for a visual demonstration of the three stages of blending the mousse, from grainy (after 30 seconds), to smoother (after 1 minute), to super smooth and fluffy (2 minutes).
- Sweetener: You can use 6 tablespoons of powdered sweetener or the equivalent in stevia. A granulated sweetener could have a grainy mouthfeel. Maple syrup will introduce too much liquid, but you can try honey as it's thicker. If using honey, start with 5 tablespoons, as it's very sweet. I only tested this recipe with stevia and with a powdered sweetener.
- If there's a small amount of liquid at the top of the cottage cheese once you open the container, carefully pour it out. The less water, the creamier the mousse.
- I use a food processor with a "high" speed setting. If using a blender, it needs to be a high-speed one, or the mixture will remain lumpy.
- Chilling the mousse for 30 minutes improves its texture and thickens it.
- Despite thorough blending, the occasional cottage cheese curd can stick around. This is the main disadvantage of this recipe compared to chocolate yogurt. Cottage cheese is also tangier and saltier than yogurt, so more sweetener is needed. I initially wrote this recipe with 4 tablespoons of sweetener, but eventually decided that 6 tablespoons are needed (or the equivalent in stevia). The advantage of this recipe is that, thanks to using a food processor, it has a fluffy and airy mousse consistency that the yogurt does not have.
- Taste is subjective. Perhaps for you, 4 tablespoons of a sweetener (or the equivalent in stevia) are enough. You can start with 4, blend, taste, and see if you want to add more.
- You can store this mousse in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Stir it again before serving. I don't recommend freezing it, as its texture will be negatively affected.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Hettie says
True five-star recipe. Thanks!
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Hettie! I'm so glad you enjoyed this mousse.
Nancy says
Vered, I love this! Thank you for a delicious, healthy recipe! I used powdered allulose, and of course, I had to adjust the amount to taste, since it is about 70% the sweetness of sugar. I sprinkled chopped pecans and walnuts on top. I will be making this on repeat, and trying more flavors. My first thought is adding a little banana to sweeten it and flavor it. Then, cinnamon and anise and it will taste like my favorite New Mexico cookie flavor- biscochitos!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I love your ideas, Nancy! Sounds amazing.
Thank you so much for the review! I appreciate it.
Cathy says
This is absolutely delicious! My husband and I both loved it. Easy to make. Fabulous recipe that produces fabulous results. Thank you so much for this recipe. Keep up the great work!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thank you so much, Cathy! I'm honored that you made another one of my recipes. Many thanks for taking the time to write reviews!
Ashleigh says
Hi Vered,
As soon as I saw your newsletter I knew I was going to make this recipe! I went to the store this morning to get cottage cheese (I had the other ingredients at home). Oh my, this is good. I ate it straight out of the food processor! Didn't even need chilling. I used 5 tablespoons of powdered allulose and it was perfect.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this mousse, Ashleigh! Thank you very much for the review.
Nancy says
Hi! I bought allulose thanks to your comment! I used much less than you did, just tasting it, but I do think it could use more. It is so yummy!
George says
My wife loved it. I thought the texture was good, but it needed more sweetness. Drizzled mine with a small amount of lakanto syrup and that took it to the next level.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm glad you and your wife enjoyed this mousse, George! Thank you very much for the review.
Miranda says
Wow! I'm a chocoholic so I doubled the cocoa powder and sweetener. I can't believe how fluffy it becomes in the food processor! Thank you so much. Love all your recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Miranda! Thank you very much for the review.
Judy says
I enjoyed this! As a diabetic I just gave up all sweet foods for a year or more, and am now starting to try artificial or alternate sweeteners, and this looked appealing. I added some walnuts on top - think I would have struggled with the noticeable tartness from the cottage cheese without a topping, but the texture was excellent, and I used Splenda (the only sweetener I’ve bought, so far) but noticed zero graininess from it. Will make this again, and may try a small bit of almond extract with the vanilla. Wondered if you have made this with Greek yogurt, and if it’s thick enough to work, or are their other concerns? I think less tartness would appeal to me, but I did enjoy this.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked it, Judy! Thank you for the feedback - you are correct about the tanginess. I made it again today and decided that six tablespoons of sweetener are needed (or the equivalent in stevia), not four. I updated the recipe.
If you'd like to try yogurt, I recommend this recipe for chocolate yogurt. It's delicious and requires less sweetener, but it does not have a mousse consistency.
Melissa says
Had the ingredients so tried it. I liked it! I'm not low carb (but am trying to get more protein) so used powdered sugar. It set great and was delicious. You're right that you can taste the tang and salt from the cottage cheese, but for being healthy and having 26 grams of protein (I ate two servings lol) it's a great dessert.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this mousse, Melissa! Thank you very much for the review.
Cheryl Gafner says
Hi Vered!
Do you think Monk Fruit would make a good sweetener?
Your friend,
-Cher
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Cher,
Yes, if it's powdered like this one.
Ron says
I used the regular monk fruit sweetener, and it still turned out smooth and creamy. I used a blender. I think you just need blend it long enough.