Cottage cheese revival: Social media fuels high-protein craze

Humble cottage cheese is getting some unexpected time in the social media limelight. Photo / 123RF

There was a time when cottage cheese was shorthand for self-denial. Served in plastic tubs with a wedge of cantaloupe, or scooped unceremoniously next to half a baked potato, it was the poster child for 1980s and 90s diet food – low in fat, low in joy, and often begrudgingly eaten by those chasing thinness.

Now, improbably, it’s cool. Or at least, cottage cheese has been reclaimed – not just by gym bros in protein-chasing meal prep mode, but by food content creators, recipe developers and TikTokers who’ve figured out how to make it taste genuinely good. Its comeback has been slow-burning, but it’s gathered real momentum in the past year, fuelled by social media, high-protein food trends and a generation eager to challenge the idea that “healthy” equals boring.

From sad fridge item to social media darling

On TikTok and Instagram, cottage cheese is everywhere. It’s blended into pancake batter, whipped into dessert bowls, added to pasta sauces for creaminess or frozen into high-protein ice cream. The hashtag #cottagecheeseicecream has more than 130 million views on TikTok alone, with users blending it with honey and frozen fruit to create a creamy, scoopable dessert. Meanwhile, “cottage cheese toast” – slathered thickly and topped with tomatoes, cucumbers or fruit – has become a staple of the internet’s current obsession with ‘high-performance breakfasts’.

There’s a strong protein logic behind the trend. Cottage cheese contains around 11-13g of protein per 100g, depending on the brand and fat content, which makes it attractive to fitness influencers and everyday eaters trying to stay fuller for longer. But unlike the chalky shakes and bars of protein diets past, cottage cheese is a whole food that’s affordable, versatile and easy to dress up. Its texture, long seen as a drawback, is now celebrated for the way it holds sauces or adds creaminess without needing cream.

Why now?

Part of the resurgence can be traced to the broader protein boom – not just in gyms, but across supermarket aisles. In New Zealand, protein-fortified cereals, snack bars, drinks and even ice cream have been appearing on shelves in rapid succession, as demand for high-protein foods grows across all age groups. Market research firms and food industry reports consistently show that interest in protein-rich products has grown steadily over the past five years, especially among millennials and Gen Z consumers who are drawn to more functional foods.

At the same time, diet culture itself is being reframed. While older generations may still associate cottage cheese with restriction, younger consumers are more likely to view it through a wellness lens – a source of fuel, not punishment. On Reddit threads and recipe blogs, users swap ideas for turning cottage cheese into creamy pasta sauces, pancake bases and savoury dips, often noting how surprised they are by the results.

Pancakes made using cottage cheese are a "thing". Photo / 123RF

And in a cost-of-living crisis, affordability matters too. Compared with Greek yoghurt – its closest rival in the protein snack space – cottage cheese is often significantly cheaper, especially in bulk. It’s also lower in sugar and, unlike other soft cheeses, tends to come without added thickeners or emulsifiers.

How people are eating it now

If your only experience of cottage cheese was scooping it cold from the tub, prepare to be surprised. Today’s recipes start with blending it – a step that transforms its lumpy curds into a silky, ricotta-like base for sauces, dips and bowls.

Blended cottage cheese can be folded through scrambled eggs, spooned on to toast, used as the base for a herby ranch-style dressing or turned into a protein-rich tzatziki. TikTok and Instagram are full of variations, including:

• Cottage cheese pasta sauce – blended with garlic, lemon and parmesan to create a creamy, high-protein base
• Whipped cottage cheese dip – mixed with herbs and lemon zest, sometimes topped with hot honey or chilli oil
• Frozen cottage cheese “ice cream” – blended with berries, honey or nut butter, then frozen and scooped
• High-protein pancakes – cottage cheese mixed with oats, eggs and banana in a blender before frying

Cottage cheese and other cheeses are fermented. Photo / 123RF

Some brands have started responding to the trend with recipe suggestions on the pack or online. Most cottage cheese sold in New Zealand comes from large-scale dairy producers, with both low-fat and full-fat options available – and the full-fat varieties are often favoured for cooking or blending.

Still a divisive food

For all its trendiness, cottage cheese remains a polarising ingredient. Its texture is still off-putting to some, and no amount of online buzz will persuade everyone to blend curds into their dessert. But its renaissance reflects something broader – a willingness to reappraise foods we once dismissed, and a desire to eat in ways that feel both nourishing and creative.

Not every viral recipe will stick, of course. But in a world of expensive protein powders and single-use snack packs, cottage cheese stands out for its simplicity. It’s not trying to be trendy – it just happens to be, for now.

Herald contributor Nikki Birrell has worked in food and travel publishing for nearly 20 years. From managing your kitchen to cutting costs, she’s shared some helpful advice recently, including how to prep your barbecue for summer grilling, gourmet hacks for elevating budget ingredients and what toppings to choose for different crackers.