High Protein Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats

High Protein Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats are more than just an utterly delicious, creamy-dreamy breakfast that tastes like cheesecake. They’re a powerhouse start to your day, providing gluten-free fibre from the oats, omega-3 fatty acids from chia seeds, plus a whopping 38g of protein from cottage cheese and whey protein. This combination will keep you full and satisfied for hours! And to make mornings even more exciting, I’m sharing 30 delicious flavor combos that will have you eager to jump out of bed.

 

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• Why You’ll Love This
• The Ingredients
• Substitutions
• Equipment Used
• How to Make this
• How To Store
• FAQ
• Other Recipes You Might Enjoy

Why You’ll Love This 

Summary

• Your New Go-To Breakfast: These Cottage Cheese Protein Overnight Oats are super-easy, delicious, and incredibly satisfying, tasting just like dessert.
• The Secret Ingredient: Blending cottage cheese until it’s silky smooth, transforming it into a a luscious, creamy, cheesecake-like base that’s surprisingly light.
• Protein Powerhouse: Combined with oats, chia seeds, and a scoop of protein powder, each serving delivers a whopping 38g of protein.
• Backed by Science: I delve into the latest research, showing how this higher protein intake benefits your body, especially as you age or if you’re active.
• Nutrient-Rich: Soaking the oats helps reduce phytic acid (boosting mineral absorption) and increases gut-friendly resistant starch. Lots of Variety: With 30 fantastic flavor variations (including Blueberry-Cheesecake and S’mores-Biscoff!), you’ll never get bored.

Tastes Like Cheesecake, But Better!

Cottage cheese is definitely having its moment, and for good reason! If you’ve only ever tried the curds as they are (and understandably weren’t the biggest fan), prepare to fall head over heels for this recipe. There’s pure magic that happens when you blend cottage cheese: it transforms into a creamy, downright luscious, and fluffy texture that tastes remarkably like cream cheese, but with a lighter feel and a significantly higher protein punch. This brings us to…

Very high protein

Lets compare the two in an easy side by side chart. The calories/protein g given are per 100g:

	Full-Fat Cream Cheese	Cottage Cheese
Calories	325 kcal	90 kcal
Protein	7.5 g	12 g
Protein (%)	7.5% (by weight)	12% (by weight)

To further amplify these impressive values, I’m including a scoop of protein powder in each portion. This brings the total protein (from cottage cheese, oats, chia seeds, and protein powder) to a whopping 38g per generous serving! And that’s just for the base recipe – imagine the additional protein and nutrition you get when you top it with peanut or pistachio butter and nuts.

Unpacking Protein Absorption: More Than You Think!

For a long time, common wisdom held that your body could only effectively utilize 20-30g of protein per meal, with anything more being wasteful or even potentially harmful. However, it’s important to note that the ‘harmful’ effects were observed in studies of individuals with pre-existing kidney diseases and do not apply to healthy individuals. (As always, for personalized advice, consult your GP.)

A randomized study by Antonio et al. found no negative effects of a high-protein diet over a one-year period.
While earlier studies, such as one by Witard et al., observed diminishing returns on body protein synthesis over a 4-hour period when exceeding certain doses, recent research offers a more nuanced perspective.

A groundbreaking 2023 study by Jorn Trommelen and colleagues challenged this long-held belief. By examining the body over a 12-hour period instead of just 4, they found no such diminishing returns. Their findings suggest that muscle protein synthesis can be significantly increased by consuming higher amounts of protein, which in turn supports the body’s natural ability to repair and heal.

Why This Matters for Your Daily Protein Goals

This research is fantastic news! As we age, our protein needs increase, and for anyone engaged in resistance training, hitting those muscle-building targets can be a challenge. If you’ve ever tried to divide your protein intake evenly across three meals while balancing other nutritional needs, you know how monotonous it can become. The classic chicken, rice, and broccoli diet of bodybuilders often comes to mind – and frankly, that’s a good reason not to get into bodybuilding for me!

Since adopting intermittent fasting on my weight loss journey (which I find truly liberating from constant food thoughts and perfectly suits my schedule and hunger), the older protein guidelines would have made it nearly impossible to meet my goals. But with this updated understanding, I can now easily enjoy two meals of around 40g (or more!) of protein each, comfortably meeting or even exceeding my targets. This flexibility completely transforms my approach to cooking and baking, sometimes even allowing me to get most of my daily protein in just one delicious meal without a second thought.

But enough about my protein philosophy!
Let’s get back to the topic at hand, which was….uhm…oh, yeah! Cottage cheese overnight oats!

No added sugar

Before I forget it: The protein powder, unless you use unflavored, will also add some sweetness, meaning you don’t necessarily have to add any other sweeteners. Just have a try after mixing and see what you think. Keep in mind that you’ll probably add fruit or other sweet toppings later, contributing to the flavor.

The “no sugar added” is for the base recipe. Depending on your toppings, you can choose to keep it super healthy or veer off into seriously indulgent dessert territory.

Overnight Oats help with Nutrient Absorption

Soaking the oats for several hours instead of cooking them helps reduce the phytic acid (a so called “anti-nutrient” as it blocks mineral absorption, as shown in a Cambridge study by Marie Larsson et all), making the minerals contained in the ingredients easier to absorb for the body.

It can also increase the amount of resistant starch, which is a type of fibre, which is great for gut health.

In addition they have a slightly lower glycemic index compared to cooked oats, leading to a slower rise in blood sugar.

Super Quick Meal Prep for Busy Mornings (or Evenings!)

I’ve been making these as a no-cook breakfast on repeat since the weather warmed up, and I particularly love how effortless they are to prepare and how they get even creamier each day as the oats soften.

All you have to do is blend the cottage cheese, milk (or plant milk), and protein powder, then pour the now super-fluffy mix over your oat-chia base. Give it a good stir, wait a bit, stir again, then pop it in the fridge and forget about it until the next day. You’ll be rewarded with gorgeously creamy oats ready for your favorite toppings! Frankly, I often enjoy them as an indulgent dessert in the evening – they’re just that good!

Extra Creamy due to blended Cottage Cheese

Honestly, I was never entirely convinced by overnight oats, which seemed a bit watery to me (well, except my Tiramisu Overnight Oats, which are enriched by Greek yoghurt.) . But once I tried this blended cottage cheese version, I was an absolute convert. I adore them, and I know you will too!

The Ingredients

A few notes on ingredients. The full list is as usual in the recipe card.

• Oats – I’m using rolled oats, also called “Jumbo Oats” in Ireland. You could use porridge oats too, as they soften super quickly. If you prefer a chewy and hearty texture, you can even use steel cut oats, but they need to soak for at least 10h and will get better on day 3-5.
• Chia seeds – While I’m personally not a fan of chia pudding, a tablespoon of them adds irresistible creaminess to porridge and overnight oats. Plus, they’re highly nutritious, adding omega-3 fatty acids and even more protein. An absolute win-win!
• Cottage Cheese – Even full-fat cottage cheese typically has only around 4% fat, which is what I prefer for this recipe. However, any fat content will work nicely.
• Protein powder  – I use Impact Whey Concentrate with vanilla flavor from MyProtein (not affiliated or sponsored, just the brand I enjoy most)
• Plant milk – You can use any liquid here, even water if you prefer. I personally love unsweetened almond or soy milk. (Note: Soy will add more protein).

substitutions

• Oats – While oats are naturally gluten-free, they can be processed in facilities that also handle gluten-containing products, leading to potential “contamination.” If you are sensitive to gluten, ensure you choose a brand that specifically states they are certified gluten-free.
• Chia seeds – You can leave them out. Simply use a little more oats to soak up the liquid, or reduce the liquid slightly to maintain a creamy texture. Ground flaxseed (linseed) is also a good substitute for a similar thickening and nutritional effect.
• Cottage cheese – Finding a vegan product that truly replicates the texture and protein profile of blended cottage cheese is challenging. However, if you are vegan or lactose intolerant (I am the latter, but personally don’t experience negative effects from cottage cheese; however, your mileage may vary), you could experiment with a high-protein vegan Greek-style yogurt. I don’t have specific brand recommendations for Ireland, as I’ve found many vegan yogurts here to have questionable flavor and consistency.
• Protein powder – If you are lactose intolerant with higher sensitivity (unlike me, as whey protein works well for my tolerance), consider trying whey isolate instead of concentrate, as it contains less lactose. Alternatively, explore a vegan protein powder that you enjoy.
  If you discover one that doesn’t taste like ground chalk, please do let me know in the comments – I’d love to use a vegan version myself!

Equipment Used

• Blender – While you could, in theory, just stir in the cottage cheese (if you don’t mind the curds), I highly recommend blending it for the dramatic texture transformation. It goes from lumpy and slightly grainy to incredibly smooth, creamy, and foamy. Interestingly, this foam is stable enough to last a few days in the fridge, lending a wonderfully light, mousse-like texture to the finished oats. For single portions, a smaller blender like a Nutribullet * is perfect. For multiple servings, a larger blender like a Vitamix * works best.
• Container for fridge storage – It’s worth noting that blending with protein powder with the cottage cheese will quite drastically increase the volume of the liquid. While the foam will settle a bit overnight, it won’t vanish entirely. This is fantastic for mouthfeel but means your portions will be larger in volume than typical overnight oats. This can be a great perk if you’re looking to consume slightly fewer calories while still feeling satisfied by a generous portion!
• Personally, I store 4-5 days’ worth in a large container with a lid, which makes stirring easy before transferring to individual overnight oat jars the next day. If you prefer to skip that extra step, consider using slightly larger Kilner Jars * from the start.
• Whisk * – While a spoon works just fine to stir the oats, I find a whisk * does a superior job of breaking up any potential chia seed clumps that tend to form within the first 15 minutes after combining them with liquid.

Nutribullet

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Measuring Cups

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Kilner jars

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whisk

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*

How to Make this

And as per the pattern that seems to crystallize throughout most of my recipes, this is the easy part.

Blend the Cottage Cheese

The first step is, to add all of the cottage cheese with either part or all of the milk (depending on the size of your blender) to your Nutribullet * or Vitamix *. In the Vitamix you can add the protein powder straight away with it. In the Nutribullet I would blend the cottage cheese until totally smooth and liquid first, then add it, as it can be a little tough for the motor otherwise and the powder might stick to the sides and bottom. If it does, just either shake the bullet vigorously or scrape down the sides with a silicone spatula *.

Optional additions during blending

You could at this point also add a handful of fruit to blend in for flavor and colour. Though I’d be mindful about the storage time in that case, as blended fruit can spoil a lot faster than whole fruit. So if you do, eat them the next day. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries all work well.

Stay away from raw pineapple or kiwi, as their bromelain enzyme has the unfortunate habit to react with milk proteins (casein in particular) curdling them and leaving a bitter taste.

If you’d like a chocolate-y version, you can also blend in a tablespoon of cocoa powder at this point. You might want to add a bit of extra sweetener if using dark cacao powder, which can be slightly bitter. Dates would be a great and wholesome option, as they will get blended in entirely and add a lovely caramel flavor.

Mix all the dry ingredients well

In whichever container you are using, mix oats, chia seeds, a bit of salt, cinnamon, and if you like, a little extra vanilla or almond extract.

Stir the wet into the dry

Now pour your foamy and delicious cottage cheese-protein mix over the dry ingredients and stir well. Leave the mix to stand for about 15 minutes, then stir again to break up any chia clumps.

Cover and store in the fridge overnight or for at least 2-4 hours (though they’ll be fairly liquid-y and not as soft if soaked shorter.)

Enjoy in the morning or as healthy dessert with your favorite toppings.

Which brings me to my favorite part:
All the fun toppings you can use to make these into the breakfast or treat of your dreams!

Flavor Variations

A note of caution:
These toppings vary wildly in calories and nutrition. Most are estimates and can be customized to your liking, hence I’m not giving the nutritional information for them.

If you are trying to lose weight, steer towards the fruity ones and limit the chocolate/sweeteners/peanut butter. Though frankly, even during my weight loss period I did have dark chocolate on a fairly regular basis. It’s all about the balance. So I encourage you to try all the flavors but do so mindfully and you’ll be fine. 😊

Blueberry-Cheesecake Oats

Let’s start with the basic, very simple, yet delicious blueberry oats.
Stir in about a quarter cup (or a handful) of blueberries. Top with more. And if you are feeling fancy, sprinkle with a little lemon zest and drizzle with honey.

Raspberry-White Chocolate

Stir in about ¼ cup raspberries, top with some more and either melt some white chocolate (chips or pieces will both be fine) in a small bowl in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Stir and see if it’s soft enough to drizzle, if not add another 10 seconds or so until the chocolate is just warm and melty. Drizzle over. Alternatively, if you don’t feel like melting chocolate early morning, simply top with white chocolate chips. Maybe decorate with a mint leaf or two, if you want it to look extra special.

Pistachio Cream

For this version you can either use ready-made pistachio cream from a jar or make my 5 minute microwave Pistachio cream (which you’ll fall instantly in love with and use in all kinds of treats!)

Just melt 2 tbsp in a small glass bowl * in the microwave for max 20 seconds (honestly, don’t leave it any longer! It’ll split! If you accidentally left it a little too long, you can sometimes save it by vigorously stirring until it comes back together) and drizzle over the top of the oats. Top with some chopped pistachios for crunch if you like.
You can eat it while still melty or let it cool into a ganache-like topping in the fridge.

Turtle Cheesecake

This must be my favorite version (I thought, until I tried the last one so far, which you’ll find at the end as special treat). It uses date caramel, pecans and dark chocolate, to taste like the popular sweet treat.
I usually have a jar of date caramel in my fridge to use in all kinds of recipes or as snack. But if you don’t: It comes together within 5 minutes in a food processor * or Vitamix and will last for at least a week. So make a jar during your meal prep and enjoy throughout the week as fibre-rich sweetener!

Top your overnight oats with about 2 tbsp of the date caramel. It stays put on top if you start from the sides of the jar, “sticking” the caramel to them, then working towards the middle. Or you can simply dollop it on.
Top with a few pecan halves. About 6 will be plenty.
Melt 2-3 pieces of dark chocolate in a little glass bowl * in the microwave for about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Stir, add another few seconds if not melted. You could use half a teaspoon of coconut oil to melt faster and make it softer when it cools.
Drizzle over the pecans. Decorate with another pecan half if you like.
To take it entirely over the top by adding either more date caramel on top or, as I did, drizzling over a teaspoon of slightly warmed Dulce de leche for the ultimate indulgence.

I had this as my evening treat and god it was good!

Peach Crisp with Cream

Getting oats that taste like the popular summer dessert is super easy: Slice a peach or chop it into pieces. Stir ¾ of it into the oats. If you like to add a “cream” layer, dollop with some creamy Greek yoghurt. Arrange the remaining peach on top, crumble a little granola over. I was experimenting with some sourdough granola that day, so that’s what I used (it’s not perfected quite yet), though my malted granola will be a lovely match for this.

Dust with a bit more cinnamon, drizzle with maple syrup and dig in, feeling all summery.

Banoffee Pie

I do have a slight (ok, more than slight…) obsession with Banoffee Pie ever since I discovered it in Ireland. Clearly visible in the versions of it I have already posted in my Banoffee Protein Mousse Pie and Protein Banoffee Yoghurt. So it’s no surprise that I wanted an overnight oat version of it. Turns out these cottage cheese oats provide a perfect base for it with their gentle tang!

To make it, Stir in ¼ banana. Top the oats with about 1-2 tbsp date caramel, starting from the jar sides, if you want an even layer or just dolloping it on.
Decorate with more banana slices and shave over a little bit of dark chocolate using a veggie peeler. Or just use chocolate chips.

Snickers Cheesecake Oats

Ever dreamed of a healthy version of Snickers? This is it. And you can have it for breakfast too!

Top the oats with about 1-2 tbsp date caramel, starting from the jar sides, if you want an even layer or just dolloping it on.
Sprinkle over about 1-2 tbsp roasted peanuts. I used salted, as I love the contrast, but if you are watching your salt intake, unsalted will be just fine.
Melt 2-3 pieces of dark or milk chocolate in a little glass bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Stir, add another few seconds if not melted. You could use half a teaspoon of coconut oil to melt faster and make it softer when it cools. Drizzle over the peanuts. Decorate with more peanuts.
You get a similar effect by simply using some chocolate chips, but I do love the drama and taste of melted chocolate. You could let this harden in the fridge for a proper crunchy layer, but beware: You’ll just want to munch the whole piece right away!

S’mores – Biscoff Overnight Oats

Trigger alert: HIGHLY addictive! Seriously. If you have a sweet tooth, these are the overnight oats you’ll want over and over. They are so far my absolute favourite and as you can see above, I’ve tried plenty!
These are what I have when I’m in urgent need of dessert for dinner but want to keep it healthy-ish.
Because look, there is no way around it: Marshmallows aren’t healthy. But god are they worth it!

Note:
For the original S’mores flavor you’ll need a kitchen torch * and a heat proof jar.
I found the original Kilner overnight oat jars work well. But be careful.
Keep kids and curious pets at a safe distance while torching the marshmallows.

Start by crumbling 1-2 Biscoff (or Graham) cookies over the top of the oats.
Melt 2-3 pieces of dark or milk chocolate in a little glass bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Stir, add another few seconds if not melted. You could use half a teaspoon of coconut oil to melt faster and make it softer when it cools. Drizzle most over the cookie crumbs, keeping back a teaspoon or so.
Top with either 2-3 (whom am I kidding, I used 5!) large marshmallows and carefully torch them until caramelized.
You might have to occasionally blow out the flame if one of them catches fire and tries to burn.
Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the toasted marshmallows.

Decorate with another Biscoff, because you can.

Congratulate yourself to your masterpiece of a dessert….errr…healthy breakfast and purr while having it. You deserve a treat! Look, it has 38g of protein. You are being SO good!

(Nope, I’m not giving you the Nutrition for this one. It’s a treat! 😉)

Other Versions you can try. No pictures (yet?)

Fruity

• Cranberry- white chocolate – Stir in 2 tbsp or more of cranberry sauce (This would be my favorite homemade cranberry sauce to use. Top with white chocolate chips.
• Black Forest – Add 1 tbsp cacao powder and a bit of honey or maple syrup to the cottage cheese mix before blending. Stir in 1/4 cup sweet cherries, top with more cherries, drizzle with more melted dark chocolate to take it over the top.
• Banana- Peanut butter – Slice 1/2 banana. Stir in most, top with the remaining slices. Drizzle with warmed pb.
• PBJ – Stir in 1 tbsp creamy Peanut butter and top with ¼ cup berries or grapes
• Chocolate-banana – Swirl in 1 tbsp Nutella or chocolate peanut butter, top with sliced Banana
• Mixed berry – Stir in ¼ cup of mixed berries. Top with more to taste. Drizzle with a little honey or maple syrup.
• Banana bread – Stir in ½ a mashed banana, plus some cinnamon Add chopped pecans or walnuts if you like.
• Apple pie – 1 chopped apple, cooked briefly in a bit of little butter if you like, or raw, a bit more cinnamon, nutmeg, a bit of brown sugar or maple syrup. Take it over the top by adding caramelized almonds.
• Strawberry Cheesecake – Stir in ¼ chopped strawberries, top with a few more. Drizzle with honey              
• Frozen fruit – top with frozen fruit after stirring the second time. Let thaw overnight.
• Cherry Bakewell – Stir in ¼ cup destoned sweet cherries. Add ¼ tsp almond extract to the liquids. Top with more cherries and flaked almonds if you like. A few pieces of chopped marzipan and added poppy seeds will make this even better. Check the link for a warm version without cottage cheese.

Tropical

• Pina Colada – Use coconut milk as liquid to blend. Just before eating top with some chopped pineapple from a can. Make sure not to use fresh pineapple here, as it can react with the milk proteins from the cottage cheese turning your oats bitter. Top with some toasted, shredded coconut if you like.
•  Mango-coconut – stir in and top with 1/4 mango in cubes, stir in shredded coconut. You could mix the oats with coconut milk too for more tropical flavor. Check my Mango-Coconut Protein Rice pudding recipe, if you’d like to add toasted coconut chips.

Added Veggies (Still tastes like dessert)

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie – Mix in 2-4 tbsp pumpkin puree and ½ -1 tsp pumpkin spice
• Carrot cake – 1 grated carrot, stirred in, ¼ tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. If you like, 1 tbsp raisins, 1 tbsp chopped walnuts, a little maple syrup drizzled over.

Indulgent

• Tiramisu – replace 2 tbsp of milk with coffee, add a layer of Greek yoghurt or mascarpone on top, sprinkle with cocoa, decorate with amaretti or savoiardi biscuit. Here is a more detailed recipe for this Tiramisu version without cottage cheese in warm and cold variations.
• Salted caramel – Simply top with some salted date caramel and maybe a destones date as decoration
• Dulce de leche – Melt 1-2 tbsp dulce de leche gently for a few seconds in the microwave and drizzle over. For a healthier version use date caramel.
• Chocolate – Blend in 1 tbsp cacao powder (and maybe a date for sweetness).  Add chocolate chips and/or drizzle with melted chocolate if you want extra indulgence          
• Cookie dough – Add 1 tsp vanilla extract, stir in 1 tbsp peanut butter and 1 tbsp chocolate chips, sprinkle with brown sugar or drizzle with maple syrup
• Cinnamon roll – add 1 tbsp cinnamon, 2 tsp maple syrup and make a swirl of Greek yoghurt or vegan yoghurt on top. Add raisins if you like
• Biscoff – Melt 1-2 tbsp Biscoff, drizzle over and add a Biscoff cookie on top   

So tell me, which version will you try first?

And if you made several, which one was your favourite?

How To Store

These easy Cottage Cheese overnight oats keep for up to 5 days in a lidded container * in the fridge. They do get softer each day, so tend to be best between day 2-4, making them the ideal make-ahead breakfast. If you like them extra creamy, feel free to wait longer. 😊

FAQ

Other recipes you might enjoy

Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.

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