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Debra

Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

Creamy, high-protein strawberry cottage cheese ice cream made with no ice cream machine. Cooking the berries first concentrates the flavor and keeps it from getting icy — and it tastes like strawberry cheesecake.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Freezing Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 200
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base
  • 2 cups full-fat cottage cheese about 16 oz; fresh, mild brand
  • 1 1/2 cups strawberries fresh ripe, or thawed frozen
  • 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup, to taste
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon juice for cooking the strawberries
  • 1 pinch salt
Optional
  • 2 tbsp graham cracker crumbs for a strawberry cheesecake swirl

Equipment

  • Small Saucepan
  • Blender or food processor
  • Loaf pan or freezer-safe container

Method
 

  1. Cook the strawberries: simmer them in a small saucepan with the lemon juice over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until broken down and the liquid has reduced. This concentrates the flavor and removes the excess water that causes iciness. Let cool.
  2. Drain off any watery liquid sitting in the cottage cheese tub for a creamier set.
  3. Add the cottage cheese, cooked strawberries, honey, vanilla, and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides so no curds remain.
  4. Taste and adjust the sweetness before freezing — freezing dulls sweetness slightly.
  5. Pour into a loaf pan and smooth the top. Swirl in graham cracker crumbs now if using. Freeze about 4 hours, stirring once after an hour to keep it creamy.
  6. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before scooping.

Notes

The no-icy trick: cooking the strawberries down first is the step most recipes skip — it removes the water that makes fruit ice cream icy. Full-fat cottage cheese and draining the tub help too.
Fresh vs frozen: fresh ripe berries give the brightest flavor; frozen work well if thawed, drained, or cooked down.
Ninja Creami: blend the base, freeze flat in a Creami pint 24 hours, spin on Lite Ice Cream, then add a splash of milk and re-spin.
Variations: strawberry cheesecake (graham swirl), strawberry banana (half a frozen banana), strawberry ice cream bars (freeze in molds), or other berries. For a lower-sugar version, use a sugar-free sweetener like allulose.
Storage: airtight in the freezer up to 2 months; best within a week. Soften 10–15 minutes before scooping.