High-Protein Cottage Cheese Fudge

Name: High Protein Cottage Cheese Fudge
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 cups Cottage cheese (2% or full fat (450 g)); 1/4 cup Maple syrup; 2 tbsp Unsweetened cocoa powder (100% cacao); 2 tsp Vanilla extract; 2 cups Dark chocolate chips ((345 g))

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This Cottage Cheese Fudge is silky, outrageously chocolatey, and so rich that you will never guess that it is made with only healthy ingredients. With 5 simple ingredients, 160 calories, and 5 grams of protein per piece, this fudge is a treat you can enjoy anytime.

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What I Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Possible Substitutions
How to Make Cottage Cheese Fudge
Commonly Asked Questions
Recipe Variations
Dietitian Notes
Recipe Tips
Try These Other Healthier Treats
📖 Recipe

If you are a chocolate lover, this Cottage Cheese Fudge is a must-try. Don’t let the secret ingredient scare you off—cottage cheese blends seamlessly into the mixture, creating a silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture without any hint of tang. It’s rich, creamy, and deeply chocolatey—everything you want in a fudge.

With just 5 wholesome ingredients, this recipe delivers a surprisingly satisfying dose of protein (5 grams per piece!) and clocks in at only 160 calories making it a smarter way to satisfy your sweet tooth. It’s easy to make, requires zero baking, and stores beautifully in the freezer for whenever the craving strikes.

Trying to hit your protein goals? Try these High-Protein Overnight Oats or these Chewy Collagen Protein Cookies (12 grams of protein per cookie!).

What I Love About This Recipe

This recipe is a go-to around the holiday season when the sugar cravings hit hard! Here’s why I love it:

✔ Minimal Ingredients – This fudge is made from only 4 ingredients (+ 1 optional ingredient for richer chocolate flavor – cocoa powder) and mostly household staples for an easy treat you can make anytime.

✔ Healthier and High Protein – With 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber, this is the perfect post workout treat or midday snack to satisfy your sweet tooth.

✔ Quick and Easy – This recipe takes only about 10 minutes of active time and is so easy anyone can make it.

✔ Versatile – Make this fudge with your favorite type of chocolate chips for a unique and customizable treat.

Need another high-protein recipe? Try these Protein Pancakes without Protein Powder.

Ingredients

Cottage Cheese – I recommend using 2% or full fat cottage cheese. Fat free cottage cheese doesn’t blend quite as well and can be a littler watery. Using a cottage cheese that contains some fat will help produce a creamy and more decadent tasting fudge.

Maple syrup – You can reduce the maple syrup by half for a slightly less sweet fudge, but it does contribute to the flavor of the recipe so I don’t recommend omitting it entirely.

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Cocoa powder amplifies the chocolatey flavor of the fudge making it super rich and taste extra dark. If you aren’t using dark chocolate chips, and don’t want more dark chocolate flavor, you can omit this ingredient. I like using 100% cacao powder.

Chocolate Chips – Any variety of chocolate chips will work. You can use dark, semi-sweet, milk, or even low carb chocolate chips.

See the full ingredient list and measurements in the recipe card below.

Possible Substitutions

I don’t recommend substituting the maple syrup in this recipe for a granulated sweetener, however honey or agave will likely work well.
Other types of chocolate chips can be used in place of dark chocolate chips.

If you try any modifications, let us know what works by leaving a comment!

How to Make Cottage Cheese Fudge

Cottage cheese, maple syrup, cocoa powder and vanilla in blender.

Step 1: Add cottage cheese, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract to a high-powered blender.

Step 2: Blend for about 1 minute, or until the cottage cheese is creamy and smooth with no visible curds. Scrape the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula as needed. Set aside.

Melted chocolate chips in a bowl with a spatula in it.

Step 3: Add the chocolate chips to a large glass bowl. Place in the microwave and microwave on high for 30 seconds, and then stir. Repeat in 15 second increments, stirring each time, until the chocolate is fully melted. Once the chocolate is melted, it is important to work through the next couple steps quickly because it will begin to solidify once in contact with the cold cottage cheese mixture.

Chocolate blended into cottage cheese mixture.

Step 4: Transfer the melted chocolate to the blender pitcher with the cottage cheese mixture, and blend again until the chocolate is fully incorporated. Scrape the sides of the blender as needed.

Transferring fudge to a lined baking pan.

Step 5: Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving tabs of parchment paper on the sides of the pan that can be pulled to remove the fudge once set. Set aside.

Step 6: Using a rubber spatula, transfer the fudge to the lined baking pan and spread so that it is an even thickness throughout.

Step 7: Place the fudge in the freezer for about an hour to set. Remove the fudge from the freezer and slice into 16 squares. If the fudge has been in the freezer for longer, you may need to allow it to thaw for about 10 minutes before cutting.

Step 8: Store sliced fudge in an airtight container in the freezer. Allow to thaw at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before enjoying.

Cottage cheese fudge cut up into squares.

Commonly Asked Questions

How do I store cottage cheese fudge?

Let pancakes cool fully, then store in an airtight container or resealable bag in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can I make this fudge low carb?

Using a low-carb chocolate chip like Bake Believe or Lily’s will reduce the carb and calorie count significantly. Swapping out the chocolate chips for one of the no-sugar-added options will reduce the calories to about 115 calories and lower the net carbohydrates to 6 grams per piece. I don’t recommend omitting the maple syrup entirely because it adds a lot of flavor to the recipe and makes it feel like a treat but you could reduce it by half (this will yield 110 calories and 5 grams of net carbs per piece).

Is cottage cheese fudge healthy?

This fudge is a great way to enjoy a treat that tastes indulgent but is actually healthy. Despite being lower in calories and sugar, and higher in protein than traditional fudge, it still tastes rich, creamy, and so chocolatey.

Can I store the fudge in the fridge?

This fudge can be stored in the fridge for about 12 hours after it has been completely frozen and sliced. It will be quite soft once thawed and is better stored in the freezer if you don’t plan to eat it right away. Because this fudge contains cottage cheese, it should not be kept room temperature.

Why didn’t the chocolate blend into the cottage cheese?

If your melted chocolate begins to harden, it may be difficult to blend into the cold cottage cheese. This is why I recommend moving quickly through the steps after melting the chocolate. This is also why it is helpful to blend the cottage cheese entirely before adding the chocolate because it will take less time to allow it to fully incorporate and you have already ensured the cottage cheese is blended to a smooth consistency. If your chocolate is hardening in the blender, use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and continue to blend until the mixture is smooth. Once blended, transfer the fudge quickly into the lined baking pan so that you can spread it smoothly before it starts to solidify.

Recipe Variations

This recipe is versatile and can be made a variety of different ways for a delicious high-protein treat anytime. Try one of these variations:

Use white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or low-carb chocolate chips. If using milk chocolate or white chocolate, omit the cocoa powder.
Swirl several tablespoons of unsweetened peanut butter on the top of the fudge right before popping it into the freezer for a peanut butter chocolate treat.
If you like nuts in your fudge, sprinkle coarsely chopped pecans, peanuts, or walnuts on the top and lightly press down before freezing.
Substitute the cocoa powder for chocolate or vanilla protein powder to add a little extra protein. If using sweetened protein powder, you could reduce the maple syrup.
Top with flaky sea salt if you love the combination of dark chocolate and salt.

Dietitian Notes

Each serving is an excellent source of copper (49%), manganese (34%), and a good source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and vitamin B2.
There are 5 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and only 160 calories per serving of fudge.

Want some other high-protein recipes? Try these Protein Ice Cream Bars or this Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing and Dip (50 Calories per Serving!)

Recipe Tips

For a smaller batch, you can halve the recipe and use a 9-inch standard bread pan instead of a 9x9 baking pan. Keep in mind that some blenders (specifically a Vitamix) have a minimum volume requirement, which can make it difficult to fully blend 1 cup of cottage cheese.
Once the chocolate is melted, it is important to blend it into the cottage cheese mixture and transfer it to the baking pan quickly because it will start to harden.
This fudge is going to soft in the fridge and should not be kept at room temperature, so it is best to store in the freezer. It doesn’t take too long to thaw (only about 5 minutes), once removed from the freezer.