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Life Currents
Home » Lemon Cottage Cheese Pudding

Lemon Cottage Cheese Pudding

April 29, 2024 by Debi 8 Comments

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Lemon Cottage Cheese Pudding dessert is creamy and decadent, made with simple ingredients like cottage cheese, cream cheese, and lemon, and won’t sabotage your diet. It’s low in calories, high in protein, and low in sugar.

All you need is 5 simple ingredients and a food processor or blender to create a light and lemony mousse dessert that’s bursting with happy flavor. This could also be served as a great breakfast or brunch addition as well!

two small ramekins filled with lemon pudding that's topped with lemon zest a spoon on one of the dishes, and a cut lemon in the background.

We appreciate you

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Whipped Cottage Cheese Recipes

These no cook cottage cheese recipes are so simple to make and so delicious.

Cottage cheese is great if you’re on a low carb or keto diet. I’ll be honest, I don’t follow those diets, I simply love cottage cheese. And the fact that you can transform the humble curds and whey into a fantastic dessert amazes me!

If you’re a fan of cottage cheese, you’ll also enjoy my other cottage cheese recipes:

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I also created a post with lots of high protein cottage cheese recipes. And my latest, the edible Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough recipe!

And no matter how you enjoy cottage cheese, one thing’s for sure, its protein-packed goodness and versatility make it a fantastic addition to any meal or snack.

a black cat looking at a dish of cottage cheese pudding.
even your furry friends may want a bite!

How to make whipped cottage cheese

Simply grab your food processor or blender to process the cottage cheese to the consistency of pudding. I add a little cream cheese to my recipes to make it extra thick and rich. And, I think the texture comes out better when the cream cheese is processed with the cottage cheese.

You can use an immersion blender if you prefer. However, I find that an immersion blender doesn’t get things as smooth as a larger appliance.

Then you just want to add in your flavorings and sweeteners. And really, these can be added into the blender with the cottage cheese or you can mix them in later by hand.

Want to save some time? You can process the entire tub of cottage cheese all at once then just add in your flavorings as you go.

close up on a dish of pudding made with cottage cheese and lemon and a spoon on top of the dish.

What type of cottage cheese can I use?

Cottage cheese comes in fat-free, 1% and 2% low-fat or reduced fat, and 4% fat. Lower fat varieties have less saturated fat and fewer calories, and generally have slightly more protein than higher fat varieties. Though higher fat varieties will be richer in flavor.

You’ll also find large curd and small curd varieties. Large curd cottage cheese tends to be higher in moisture and is generally considered creamier and sweeter than small curd. Small curd tends to be slightly tangier and more acidic.

Dry curd aka farmer cheese is allowed to drain longer so it’s drier and firmer.

Any of these cottage cheeses will work for this recipe.

If your cottage cheese is very thin and watery, place it in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter over a bowl and refrigerate overnight to drain off excess whey.

What types of sweeteners can I use?

In my cottage cheese dessert recipes, I use powdered sugar. I like the neutral clean flavor, and the fact that it doesn’t add any additional liquid to the dish.

However, if you want to swap up the sweetener due to low carb, diabetic, or other health reasons, give these a try:

  • Honey
  • Maple syrup
  • Erythritol (such as Swerve)
  • Monk fruit
  • Stevia

Can I make this ahead?

Yes, this is the perfect make ahead treat!

This lemon pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can also portion the pudding out into individual servings and cover the bowls with plastic wrap. That way it’s nice and easy to grab a nutritious snack.

And, this is great for a post-workout snack!

Changes to the recipe

Add some blueberries (and speaking of blueberries, be sure to check out my amazingly delicious Blueberry Cottage Cheese Cake) or poppy seeds for classic flavor combinations.

Really any fresh fruit, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, banana would be a great topper or mix-in.

Or add protein powder

Toss on some nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds for crunch.

Use the pudding to layer in your breakfast oatmeal or overnight oats

If you freeze it for a few hours, you’ll have creamy ice cream (viral nice cream cottage cheese recipes were all the rage there for a while!)

ingredients for lemon pudding: cream cheese, cottage cheese, lemon, sugar, and vanilla.
I used vanilla bean paste in the batch you see in these pictures. You can see the pretty flecks of vanilla beans

Recipe notes

Really, the food processor does all the work for you’re here.

Just make sure the cottage cheese isn’t thin and watery. If it is, place it in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter over a bowl and refrigerate overnight to drain off excess whey.

When zesting the lemon, grate only the outer yellow layer of the peel, as the white pith underneath is bitter. And, zest the lemon before squeezing it for juice to make it easier to zest it.

After blending it all together, give it a taste. Adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar, and adjust the lemony-ness by adding more lemon zest or lemon juice.

One note, I did test the pudding with lemon extract as well. I’m typically a fan of adding a little lemon extract to bump up that tart flavor. But I found it overpowering and fake-tasting even with just a small amount of lemon extract. So, I don’t recommend it in this recipe.

Place the pudding in the fridge to thicken it up even more.

This recipe was one of my Most Popular Recipes of 2024!

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Recipe

square crop of a bowl of lemon cottage cheese pudding with a spoon on the side.

Lemon Cottage Cheese Pudding

Debi
Lemon Cottage Cheese Pudding dessert is creamy and decadent, made with simple ingredients like cottage cheese, cream cheese, and lemon, and won’t sabotage your diet. It’s low in calories, high in protein, and low in sugar.
4.86 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 0 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 87 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • Zest from one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Instructions
 

  • Combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla in food processor or blender, and blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice.
  • After blending it all together, give it a taste. Adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar, and adjust the lemony-ness by adding more lemon zest or lemon juice.
  • Garnish with additional lemon zest for serving.

Notes

Make sure the cottage cheese isn’t thin and watery. If it is, place it in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter over a bowl and refrigerate overnight to drain off excess whey.
When zesting the lemon, make sure to grate only the outer yellow layer of the peel, as the white pith underneath is bitter. And, zest the lemon before squeezing it for juice to make it easier to zest it.
Place the pudding in the fridge to thicken it up even more.
Store it in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 87kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 7gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 261mgPotassium: 117mgFiber: 0.01gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 83IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 0.1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Keyword cottage cheese, lemon, mousse, pudding
Tried this recipe?Mention @LifeCurrents or tag #LifeCurrents!

Lemon Cottage Cheese Pudding dessert is creamy and decadent, made with simple ingredients like cottage cheese, cream cheese, and lemon, and won’t sabotage your diet. It’s low in calories, high in protein, and low in sugar.
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Filed Under: Breakfast, Desserts, Favorites Tagged With: cottage cheese, desserts, Food, lemon, no cook, recipe

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about debi

ABOUT DEBI

Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read more...

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nancy Turnbough

    June 27, 2024 at 7:15 pm

    5 stars
    This was really good. After dental work today I was supposed to eat soft, high protein high calorie food. I increased the cream cheese and sugar a bit and it was perfect.

  2. Lisa

    July 8, 2024 at 1:22 pm

    5 stars
    Was pleasantly surprised with taste of this pudding! Didn’t have to adjust any of the measurements. It is so good!

  3. Cara

    July 10, 2024 at 4:46 pm

    4 stars
    It tasted good, but I added some extra sweetness bc I like things sweet. I also think next time it would taste better with some crushed up graham crackers or in a mini pie crust.

  4. Sandy

    March 6, 2025 at 2:43 pm

    Hi. I made this recipe and it tastes very good and is easy to make. Do I have it correct that this makes four servings? That is only a bit more than 1/4 cup per serving with9 grams of carbs. If I have that correct, I wouldn’t make it again even though it tastes good. Please correct me if I am wrong on the statistics.

  5. Debi

    March 7, 2025 at 5:44 am

    Sandy, yes, since this is a rich dessert, I usually get 4 servings out of it. Of course, you can fee free to eat more if you like. Keep in mind that the nutrition information provided is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more. You can also use an artificial sweetener to lower the carbs.

  6. Beth

    March 20, 2025 at 9:52 am

    5 stars
    At first I thought 4 servings was a stretch, so I portioned out 3, then I had my portion and realized it could’ve been 4 as it’s pretty rich. I would recommend using small curd cottage cheese as it cuts down on blending time. I was feeding it to my 3 & 5 yo grandkids, so I added a little more powdered sugar. They gobbled it down and asked for more!

  7. Audrey

    April 14, 2025 at 5:48 am

    5 stars
    Delicious. I will make this many many more times. I used 2tbs monk fruit allulose blend instead of powdered sugar.

  8. Vicky

    April 27, 2025 at 9:56 pm

    5 stars
    I made this today and used my besti powdered sugar. My husband and I loved it. We will be making this often. Thank you for sharing.

4.86 from 7 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Hi! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents, where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes with some great desserts and other goodies mixed in! Read More >>>

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