Cottage Cheese Bark

Our Cottage Cheese Bark is the ultimate high-protein snack! We love that it tastes like a sweet treat but is made with wholesome ingredients that will fuel you with energy. Cottage cheese has been having a moment over the last couple of years and we are here for it. Who doesn’t love an affordable, high protein straightforward-to-cook-with grocery staple? The recipe possibilities with cottage cheese are endless.

What stands out

This Cottage Cheese Bark is a simple to-prep snack that’s great to keep in the freezer when you’re looking for a quick sweet treat but don’t want to lose sight of your goals. It’s so refreshing and cool, a source of protein and the afternoon pick-us-up. You can also have a lot of fun with the toppings as they’re all customizable and can be made with whatever you’re craving. We love adding dark chocolate shavings, shredded coconut or dried fruits.

How to Prepare Cottage Cheese Bark

Using a sharp knife slice half a banana into a food processor.

Now add the cottage cheese and protein powder and then process for 30 to 60 seconds or until creamy.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then pour on the cottage cheese mixture. Use a rubber spatula or a spoon to smooth it out into an even rectangle.

Next, use the back of a spoon to swirl some peanut butter into the mixture and then sprinkle with granola or any topping you like.

Freeze for a minimum of 1 1/2 hours.

Once the bark has set, cut it with a knife (or break it apart with your hands) and enjoy!

Kitchen tip

If the bark is too frozen to eat, just leave it out for a few minutes to thaw a bit. We like eating it after the 1-hour mark in the freezer as it still has a soft but creamy texture.

Swaps

1. You can add any fruits you like such as freeze-dried or fresh strawberry slices or blueberries.
2. Experiment with different sauces to drizzle over the bark. You could try a drizzle of tahini, almond butter, or our Homemade Nutella.
3. We love adding some crunch to this Cottage Cheese Bark as well. Shredded coconut, granola, chopped nuts and dried fruit are all!
4. You can certainly use yogurt instead of cottage cheese if you prefer. If you use yogurt, you may have to add some sweetener to the mix as well in order to offset the tartness.

Serve it with

• Serve a piece of this Cottage Cheese Bark with a side of fresh fruit slices as a midday snack.
• Serve with a bowl of nuts and seeds.

Questions

can we make this recipe dairy-free?

Yes, use your favorite non-dairy cottage cheese substitute or yogurt variety.

strong What can we use instead of peanut butter for the topping?

If you’re allergic to peanuts or prefer something else, you can certainly use almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or even Nutella as a topping.

how should we store the cottage cheese bark?

After the bark is frozen and cut into pieces, store it in a Ziplock in the freezer with pieces of parchment paper between each piece.

what can we add for some crunch?

We love topping this Cottage Cheese Bark with a sprinkle of shredded coconut, granola, chopped nuts, shaved dark chocolate or some seeds.

Ingredients

Makes 10 servings

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• ½ banana, peeled and sliced
• ½ scoop vanilla protein powder

Optional Toppings

• 2 teaspoons peanut butter, I used organic
• 1 tablespoon granola

Equipment

• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Nakiri Knife
• Cutting Board
• Large Food Processor
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper

Method

1. Place the cottage cheese, banana slices, and protein powder into a food processor and process for 30 to 60 seconds or until super creamy.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the cottage cheese mixture out onto the baking sheet and, using a rubber spatula or a spoon, smooth it out into an even rectangle.
3. Using the back of a spoon, swirl the peanut butter into the mixture. Sprinkle with granola and freeze for a minimum of 1 1/2 hours.
4. Once the bark is set, cut it with a knife or break it apart with your hands and enjoy!