Vegan Cottage Cheese: 3 Keto Recipes Better Than Dairy Version (2024)

If you are missing cottage cheese since the time you’ve transitioned into being vegan (or being a vegan on a keto diet like myself) you’ve come to the right place.

Today I’ll share with you three perfect (simple and delish!) recipes of keto cottage cheese that are also vegan. And tell you what you can use as an alternative to this ingredient in lasagna. And also share my findings explaining why a vegan version of cottage cheese can be so much better than the dairy one. Read on.

Are you interested in a particular topic about vegan cottage cheese? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section.And you can always go back by clicking on the arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page.

What is cottage cheese made of?

Traditionally cottage cheese is made from cow’s milk’s curds.

The production might use full fat or low-fat milk, various curd sizes, and the final recipe might be lactose-free, sodium-free, whipped, creamed, and the list goes on.

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Let’s have a look at the product’s nutritional value. In essence, one cup of low-fat cottage cheese has (depending on the brand, on average) 163 calories, 28g of proteins, 6.2g of carbs, and 2.3g of fats.

Not bad at all and can be freely use for your standard ketogenic diet (especially if you top it up with some olive oil, a pinch of salt, and leafy greens).

That’s what you might think. But wait, not so fast.

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Is regular cottage cheese healthy?

Cottage cheese is known as an invaluable source of calcium. This mineral helps with the prevention of osteoporosis and regulates your blood pressure to start with.

Due to the fact it’s high in proteins and low in carbs, this product is also generally considered suitable for anyone interested in losing weight and building lean muscles.But there’s a but…

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Why do they recommend to cut off the carbs while on a diet? Carbs are triggering the glucose levels, and that, in turn, is responsible for insulin spikes in our blood.

However, some products can trigger insulin response even if given the low glycemic index.

And cottage cheese is one of such products that trigger the insulin response.

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Check out this video if you want to know more about the glycemic index and insulin index.

When I came across this subject first and started googling, there were not so many mainstream sources writing about it (although I found lots of tiresome researches on the subject).

But this video breaks down the whole concept, so you might want to check it out (even if it has nothing to do with the cottage cheese).

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Is cottage cheese vegan? And why a vegan version might be healthier?

As we’ve established earlier, the regular cottage cheese is made of milk. So, by all means, it’s not vegan friendly.

I’ve also covered the fact that cottage cheese (due to the dairy contents) leads to significant insulin spikes. Therefore it’s not ideal for keto, even though it’s low in carbs.

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But what else?

Well, I personally have some further concerns about milk (and I am not talking about the environmental or ethical side of things). There were numerous studies investigating milk’s content that found anything from antibiotics to pesticides in that drink.

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Here’re some stats from a relatively new study by Emory University, conducted in collaboration with The Organic Center:

  • Antibiotic traces were discovered in 60% of regular milk samples.
  • Bovine growth hormone (bGH) was found both in conventional and organic milk (20 times higher in former).
  • Pesticide traces were found in up to 60% of regular milk samples. And that’s just to name a few.

We don’t know yet how all those ingredients influence the human body long term. But let’s be real if we are using pesticides to kill some species, eating those is not the same as eating kale.

Another research found that rats nourished with milk develop more tumors compared to those who were drinking water. I am not saying the drinking milk is your one-way ticket to a tumor land, but these correlations exist and proven. And you should be aware of it.

On a personal note, I used to drink A LOT of milk and eat TONS of cheese. Honestly, I could consume brie and cheddar all day long. But I’ve noticed that I felt so tired and fatigued after drinking a cup of white coffee (no sugar by the way).

And it’s stopped in no time as soon as I switched to plant-based milk. (For the record, I quit caffeine too, recently, but still drink chicory). So, inflammation is real.

So vegan alternative for cottage cheese might be an excellent thing after all.

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What can I replace cottage cheese with?

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Most vegan versions of cottage cheese use silken tofu as a base ingredient. However, you can also get great results with regular firm tofu and even soaked cashew nuts. All of those have the proper texture, and you can spice it up for a lovely savory, salty, and sour flavors.

The funny thing is that there are not that many commercial vegan cottage cheese options. So, most likely, you’ll have to make it yourself if you miss it.

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Vegan cottage cheese nutrition

Depending on the main ingredient, you can end up with vegan cottage cheese that is high in fats and moderate in carbs or high in proteins and low in carbs. Also, please keep in mind that no matter what you do, vegan cottage cheese doesn’t taste just like it’s dairy version.

But if you miss the texture of regular cottage cheese – those variations will do that trick. And these are generally healthier for your keto diet too, since all the used ingredients have both low glycemic and low insulin index.

I’ve researched and put together three recipes. All of them are vegan and keto-friendly and vary from 131 to 447 calories and from 1.6g to 20g of carbs per serving. So the choice is yours.

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How to make vegan cottage cheese?

Easy vegan cottage cheese

Cuisine American, Continental

Category Vegan recipes

Just 1.6 of net carbs per serving and so easy to make and some agree that it tastes even better than the dairy cottage cheese


Persons

2

Serving Size

1 cup

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

5 minutes

Total Time

10 minutes

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Notes

This is by far the recipe with the lowest carbs counts on the list. You can eat it as it is or serve it with some veggies or spread over whole-grain toast. This vegan cheese can be stored in a fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of crumbled firm tofu
  • 3/4 tsp dried chives
  • Pinch of dill weed
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley
  • 3/4 tsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 tsp vinegar
  • 45g of silken soft tofu
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. 1. Blend together all the herbs and firm tofu and put the mix aside.
  2. 2. Combine oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and silken tofu in a blender until smooth and buttery.
  3. 3. Add firm tofu and herbs along with the seasoning and mashed it all together again.
  4. 4. Enjoy your easy vegan cottage cheese.

Nutrition Facts

Easy vegan cottage cheese | Recipe card

Serves: 2

Amount Per Serving:

1 cup

Calories 224
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19.5g 29.2%
Saturated Fat 3.9g 15%
Trans Fat 0mg
Cholesterol 0mg 0
Sodium 24mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 2.8g 0.7%
Dietary Fiber 1.2g 4%
Sugars 1.1g
Protein 11.9g
Vitamin A 0mg Vitamin C 0mg
Calcium 263mg Iron 2mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Vegan Keto Diet Recipes and Tips

Tags

vegan keto snacks

https://vegketodiet.com/vegan-cottage-cheese/

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Almond milk cottage cheese

Cuisine American, Continental

Another vegan cottage cheese recipe with a perfect cottage cheese texture


Persons

3

Serving Size

1 cup

Prep Time

2 hours

Cook Time

10 minutes

Total Time

2 hours, 10 minutes

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Notes

You can use this variation of vegan cottage cheese to dip veggies or spread on low-carb bread too. It's effortless to make ahead and take to work as a healthy lunch. It's safe to store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Before you proceed with making the cottage cheese, you have to soak the cashew for at least two hours
  2. 2. Once it's done, start by crumbling silken tofu with the fork and set it aside when ready.
  3. 3. Blend together soaked cashews, vinegar, almond milk, salt, vinegar, and nutritional yeast in a food processor.
  4. 4. Gently mix in the sauce from step 3 with the tofu from step 2. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Almond milk cottage cheese | Recipe card

Serves: 3

Amount Per Serving:

1 cup

Calories 131
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7.5g 10.8%
Saturated Fat 1.3g 5%
Trans Fat 0mg
Cholesterol 0mg 0
Sodium 58mg 2.4%
Total Carbohydrate 6.8g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0.9g 0%
Sugars 1.9g
Protein 10.2g
Vitamin A 0mg Vitamin C 0mg
Calcium 79mg Iron 2mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Vegan Keto Diet Recipes and Tips

https://vegketodiet.com/vegan-cottage-cheese/

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Vegan cottage cheese with cashews

Cuisine American, Continental

Almost perfect dupe for actual cottage cheese (and even better)


Persons

4

Serving Size

1 cup

Prep Time

1 hour

Cook Time

7 minutes

Total Time

1 hour, 7 minutes

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Notes

You can keep this variation of vegan cottage cheese in the fridge. It's safe to eat for about 4-5 days.Please note that due to a high cashew content, this is the recipe that is highest in net carbs - 19.7g per serving. So you'll have to plan your meals for the day strategically if you are going for this option.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Start by soaking the nuts in hot water for one hour (not longer than that)
  2. 2. Place the soaked cashews, water, coconut cream, lemon juice, salt, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast in a blender and process until creamy.
  3. 3. Pour the mixture out into a large bowl and add the crumbled tofu along with the chopped herbs.
  4. 4. Put the mix in the fridge for at least an hour to set, and then it's ready to be served in a way you want it.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan cottage cheese with cashews | Recipe card

Serves: 4

Amount Per Serving:

1 cup

Calories 447
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35.8g 53.8%
Saturated Fat 12.1g 60%
Trans Fat 0mg
Cholesterol 0mg 0
Sodium 605mg 25.2%
Total Carbohydrate 23.3g 7.7%
Dietary Fiber 3.6g 12%
Sugars 4.7g
Protein 15.2g
Vitamin A 0mg Vitamin C 0mg
Calcium 147mg Iron 5mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Vegan Keto Diet Recipes and Tips

https://vegketodiet.com/vegan-cottage-cheese/

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Vegan substitute for cottage cheese in lasagna

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For a vegan (and keto-friendly) lasagna, you might use a tofu-based version of cottage cheese/ricotta. Just drain and crumble 100g of firm tofu, add a tablespoon of hummus, ¼ tsp of nutritional yeast, garlic powder, basil, and salt to taste and it’s done. The craziest thing is that you probably won’t be able to notice the difference!

Thanks for the graphics:Canva.com

Disclosure: At vegketodiet.com I only mention the products that I researched and considered worthy. But it’s important to note that we are a participant of several affiliate programs, including but not limited to VigLink and Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Also please note that I am not a doctor. As such readers are strongly recommended to make decisions that might affect their health by doing their own research. At vegketodiet.com I only document and describe thoughts, researches and ideas that proved to be working for me.

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Vegan Cottage Cheese: 3 Keto Recipes Better Than Dairy Version (2024)
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