This Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake is a high-protein breakfast that tastes like a wholesome dessert. It blends creamy cottage cheese with hearty rolled oats and bursts of fresh fruit for a satisfying start to the day.
With a golden, almond-crusted top and a soft, oatmeal-like center, it is perfect for meal prep or a cozy weekend brunch.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: This bake is lightly sweet with warm notes of vanilla and maple, punctuated by juicy, tart blueberries and nutty almonds.
- Texture: It has a texture similar to baked oatmeal soft and dense in the middle but smoother thanks to the blended cottage cheese, with a nice crunch on top.
- Time: 10 minutes prep, 40 minutes bake time.
- Difficulty: Easy. It involves a quick blend and a mix in a bowl.
What You’ll Need
To make this recipe, you will need a blender or food processor to smooth out the cottage cheese mixture and a quarter sheet baking pan for baking. The ingredients combine breakfast staples like oats, eggs, and milk with a protein-rich cottage cheese base and fresh toppings.
Ingredient Notes
- Cottage Cheese – Use full-fat cottage cheese for the best creamy texture and richness. Blending it removes the curds, so even texture issues aren’t a problem.
- Rolled Oats – Old-fashioned rolled oats provide the structure and chewiness. Do not use instant oats, as the texture may become too mushy.
- Coconut Oil – Melted coconut oil adds healthy fats and moisture.
- Sweetener – The recipe calls for Sukrin Gold sweetener or Demerara sugar. These add a caramel-like sweetness similar to brown sugar.
- Blueberries – Fresh blueberries work best here. If they are large, cut them in half so they distribute evenly.
- Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract – Vanilla bean paste adds lovely speckles and intense flavor, but extract works just fine.
- Flakes Almonds – These add a necessary crunch to the topping.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Fruit – You can swap blueberries for raspberries, diced strawberries, or even diced peaches depending on the season.
- Sweetener – If you don’t have Sukrin Gold or Demerara, regular light brown sugar or coconut sugar are excellent substitutes.
- Dairy-Free – You can use a dairy-free milk like almond or oat milk to loosen the batter.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake
- Blend Wet Ingredients: Place the cottage cheese, eggs, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla bean paste (or extract) in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. (Note: If you like, you can keep some cottage cheese whole for added texture, but blending yields a smoother cake-like result).
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Add the rolled oats, Sukrin Gold sweetener (or sugar), and baking powder into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Combine: Pour the blended cottage cheese mixture into the bowl with the oats and stir to combine. Add the milk, using just enough to loosen the batter so that it is spreadable. The texture should resemble that of oatmeal.
- Assemble: Line a quarter sheet baking pan with parchment paper and mist with cooking spray or cake release. Add the batter to the pan and spread it out evenly to fill the pan.
- Add Toppings: Top the batter with the blueberries (halved if they are large). Sprinkle with a little additional sugar or sweetener and the flaked almonds (or mixed seeds).
- Bake: Bake in a 350°F (180°C) preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bake to cool down before slicing. Serve with a drizzle of honey, agave, or maple syrup, or simply eat it plain.
Pro Tip: Make sure to let the bake cool before slicing. Like many oat-based baked goods, it firms up significantly as it cools. If you slice it piping hot, it might fall apart.
Recipe Tips
- Batter Consistency: When adding the milk, go slowly. You want the batter to be spreadable but not runny. It should hold its shape slightly when spread in the pan.
- Prevent Burning: If the almonds on top start to brown too quickly before the center is set, loosely cover the pan with a piece of foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Sheet Pan Size: A quarter sheet pan is ideal for this amount of batter. If you use a larger pan, the bake will be very thin and will cook much faster; a smaller pan will result in a thicker bake that needs more time.
FAQs
- Can I use frozen blueberries? Yes, but do not thaw them first, or they will bleed color into the batter. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
- Is this gluten-free? It is gluten-free as long as you use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- How do I store leftovers? Store slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Serving Suggestions
- Yogurt: A dollop of Greek yogurt on the side adds extra creaminess.
- Syrup: A drizzle of maple syrup or honey enhances the sweetness for a more dessert-like breakfast.
- Fresh Fruit: Serve with extra fresh berries on the side.
Make This Recipe in Advance
- Meal Prep: This is an excellent meal prep recipe. Bake it on Sunday, let it cool completely, slice it into bars, and store them in the fridge for grab-and-go breakfasts all week.
- Freezing: You can freeze the individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or warm gently in the microwave.
Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake is a high-protein breakfast that tastes like a wholesome dessert. It blends creamy cottage cheese with hearty rolled oats and bursts of fresh fruit for a satisfying start to the day. With a golden, almond-crusted top and a soft, oatmeal-like center, it is perfect for meal prep or a cozy weekend brunch.
Ingredients
For the breakfast bake
- 2 cups (450g) full-fat cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) rolled oats
- 4 tablespoons Sukrin Gold sweetener or Demerara sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 tablespoons milk (any kind, use as needed)
To top
- 1 cup (150g) blueberries, halved if large
- 2 tablespoons flaked almonds or mixed seeds
- 1 tablespoon sugar or sweetener, for sprinkling
Instructions
Blend Wet Ingredients
Place the cottage cheese, eggs, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla bean paste (or extract) in a blender or food processor. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth. (Note: Blending removes the curds for a cake-like texture, though you can skip this if you prefer a rougher texture).
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, sweetener (or sugar), and baking powder. Stir to combine.
Combine
Pour the blended cottage cheese mixture into the bowl with the oats and stir well. Add the milk gradually, using just enough to loosen the batter so that it is spreadable but not runny. The texture should resemble oatmeal.
Assemble
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a quarter sheet baking pan with parchment paper and mist with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it out evenly to the edges.
Add Toppings
Scatter the fresh blueberries over the batter. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds (or seeds) and the additional tablespoon of sugar or sweetener.
Bake
Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs attached.
Cool and Serve
Allow the bake to cool significantly before slicing. It firms up as it cools, making it easier to cut into bars. Serve plain or with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Notes
Cooling is Key: Do not skip the cooling step. Like most oat-based bakes, the texture transitions from soft to set as it cools. If you slice it piping hot, it may crumble.
Sheet Pan Size: This recipe is designed for a quarter sheet pan. If you use a larger pan, the bake will be very thin and will cook faster; a smaller dish will result in a thicker bake that requires more oven time.
Storage: This is ideal for meal prep. Slice the cooled bake into bars and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They make excellent grab-and-go breakfasts.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bar
- Calories: 305
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: cottage cheese bake, high protein breakfast, baked oats recipe, blueberry cottage cheese, healthy meal prep breakfast, gluten free breakfast bake, oatmeal bars
