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High Protein Brownie Recipe
If you’re craving a fudgy-centered brownie that’s higher in protein, you’ve come to the right place! These Cottage Cheese Brownies are incredibly easy to make: just blend the liquid ingredients, mix into the dry ingredients, add chocolate chips and bake. My kids love these, and as a mom of 3 I really love how quick and easy they are!
Why You’ll Love This Cottage Cheese Brownie Recipe
- High Protein – Thanks to the cottage cheese, these brownies are naturally higher in protein without using protein powder.
- Rich & Fudgy – No dry brownies here! These have the perfect fudgy melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Easy (25 Minutes) – Just blend, mix, and bake.
- Gluten-Free & Naturally Sweetened – Made with almond flour and sweetened with maple syrup (plus a little optional sugar if you want).
You’ll Also Love: Cottage Cheese Muffins
Cottage Cheese Brownie Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients for these Cottage Cheese Brownies are simple and easy to find! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cottage Cheese – Blended until smooth. Whole milk cottage cheese works best, and higher-quality seems to truly make a difference!
- Eggs – Room temperature if possible.
- Vanilla Extract
- Maple Syrup
- Granulated Sugar – If you want a bit of a sweeter brownie, add in a little bit of optional sugar to turn these into a real treat!
- Almond Flour – You could also use regular all-purpose flour.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Baking Soda
- Chocolate Chips – Plus extra for topping. Mini chocolate chips work great, too!
How to Make Cottage Cheese Protein Brownies
All you’ll need is a 9×9-inch baking pan and 25 minutes to make these healthy protein brownies! Here’s how to make brownies with cottage cheese:
- Preheat the oven and prep a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, and optional sugar until completely smooth.
- Whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir (don’t overmix!).
- Fold in the chocolate chips, then pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes.
- Let cool, slice, and enjoy!
Protein Brownies Recipe Tips
- If you’re looking to make a lower calorie/higher protein brownie, leave the optional sugar out. If you want a sweeter and more indulgent brownie, feel free to add it in!
- Use regular or mini chocolate chips.
- Feel free to add extra chocolate chips on top! You can also add a drizzle of peanut butter to take them up a notch.
- The batter will be a bit thick, but don’t worry – they still bake into perfectly fudgy brownies!
Toppings/Mix-In Ideas
I topped these brownies with a little bit of peanut butter, but here are a few more topping ideas:
- Caramel Drizzle
- Chopped Dates
- Fudge Topping
- Chopped Walnuts
- Strawberry Slices
- Sprinkle of Sea Salt
Storing Cottage Cheese Protein Brownies
These brownies are so easy to store! Since they have cottage cheese in them, I find that it’s best to keep them in fridge or freezer. Here’s how to store Cottage Cheese Brownies:
Refrigerator – Store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Freezer – Let cool completely, then place in airtight containers and keep in the freezer for up to 2 months!
Reheat – When ready to enjoy, heat up the brownies in the microwave for just a few seconds to enjoy warm!
More Cottage Cheese Recipes
- Cottage Cheese Pancakes
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Overnight Oats
- Cottage Cheese Waffles
- High Protein Cookie Dough
- Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
- Protein Pasta Recipe
- Cottage Cheese Egg Bites
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Cottage Cheese Brownie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup cottage cheese (blended until smooth)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional)
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips (plus extra for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, and sugar (optional, if you want them a little sweeter) until smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, ensuring no dry spots remain (the batter will be slightly thick). Avoid overmixing to keep the brownies fudgy!
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top if desired.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the edges are set but the center still looks slightly underbaked. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- Let the brownies cool for about 5 minutes.
- Slice into squares and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you’re looking to make a lower calorie/higher protein brownie, leave the optional sugar out. If you want a sweeter and more indulgent brownie, feel free to add it in!
- Use regular or mini chocolate chips.
- Feel free to add extra chocolate chips on top! You can also add a drizzle of peanut butter to take them up a notch.
- The batter will be a bit thick, but don’t worry – they still bake into perfectly fudgy brownies!
Claudia-Cristina says:
I made these cottage cheese brownies and they were rich, moist, and surprisingly light—definitely a keeper!
jaleah says:
these cottage cheese brownies are great!
Tisha says:
These Cottage Cheese Brownies are a clever twist! Using cottage cheese for extra protein and moisture, they promise fudgy texture without feeling overly heavy
Jet says:
I love the idea of adding cottage cheese for extra protein. The brownies look so fudgy and rich, and the peanut butter drizzle makes them even more tempting.
Krystle Smith says:
I wasn’t sure about using cottage cheese at first, but these turned out super fudgy, totally not dry like some healthier brownies can be. I brought them to a family gathering, and everyone couldn’t stop asking for the recipe!
Morgan Jay says:
Yum! I modified a bit, so I am not sure how the original recipe is, but I used chocolate protein powder in place of the sugar, and instead of cocoa powder, I used Starbucks hot cocoa powder, which is basically just cocoa powder with sugar. I put them into cupcake liners, and 14 were done in ~15 minutes! Turned out moist and chocolately, I ate 4 in a row!
Jar Of Lemons replied:
So glad to hear this, Morgan! Love your modifications as well!
Donna says:
Can honey be used instead of syrup?
Christine McMichael replied:
Yes, absolutely!
Mary-Anne Howard says:
Hi, can I use regular flour in the cottage cheese brownie recipe?
Your recipes look great, thank you
Christine McMichael replied:
Yes, absolutely!
Bev says:
My gut can’t handle almond flour. Any substitutions?
Christine McMichael replied:
Feel free to use oat flour or all-purpose flour. Enjoy!
Susan says:
You reference baking powder and backing soda. Which one should I use?
Christine McMichael replied:
It’s baking soda. Hope you enjoy!
Debbie says:
Thank you for what looks like a fairly easy recipe. I have a question if I don’t use any sugar can I use less than a quarter cup of the syrup and that be sugar-free syrup? Or as another option instead of syrup wouldn’t come out well if I use agave syrup and if so, how much agave syrup again without adding that additional sugar? Thank you so much and for any of these type of changes with the cooking, be any different time wise
Christine McMichael replied:
I haven’t tried this with sugar-free syrup, so I’m actually not sure how that would turn out. I think agave syrup would work well! I would substitute the amount of maple syrup to keep the liquid ratio the same. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Vivian says:
Is it possible to use chocolate protein powder instead of the cocoa powder?
Christine McMichael replied:
That’s a great idea! I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure how they would turn out. But I would think it would be an easy swap and shouldn’t affect the texture too much!
Sara says:
Omg! I made these without the additional sugar and they are so. GOOD. Indulgent, fudgy and chocolatey. A great healthier recipe!
Jar Of Lemons replied:
Thanks, Sara!! I’m glad you enjoyed this brownie recipe. 🙂
Lizbeth says:
Looks wonderful but is there a way to substitute almond flour, tree nut allergy? Oatmeal or A.P. flour?
Christine McMichael replied:
Yes absolutely! Feel free to use all-purpose flour or a 1-to-1 ratio gluten-free flour. Enjoy the recipe!
Colleen replied:
Will oat flour work?
Christine McMichael replied:
I would start with a 50/50 oat flour and all-purpose flour mixture (or use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour).
Katia says:
Is it possible to add just the sugar or low carb sugar and omit the maple syrup?
Christine McMichael replied:
Yes! I would just use the same amount of sugar instead of the maple syrup. I haven’t tried it with low carb sugar, but that should work with regular sugar.