These bakery-style cottage cheese muffins are moist and fluffy in the middle with a gorgeous exterior. They bake in under 20 minutes and use pantry staples.

I’m still deep in my cottage cheese era and have been using it in everything from cookies to cheesecake– so these cottage cheese muffins were the natural next step.

I’ve baked a ton of muffins and quick breads with Greek yogurt, so how different could cottage cheese be? After a couple of rounds of testing, they’ve become a new snack or wholesome dessert favorite in our house.

I know adding cottage cheese to sweet muffins sounds odd, but it gives them the most fabulously moist, fluffy texture without needing tons of oil or butter. It also sneaks in a boost of protein, and no one could tell- not even my picky partner and sister who claim cottage cheese is diet food! 

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Key Ingredients
3. How to make cottage cheese muffins
4. Cottage cheese muffin variations
5. Arman’s recipe tips
6. Storage instructions
7. Frequently asked questions
8. Cottage Cheese Muffins (Recipe Card)
9. More baking with cottage cheese

Why I love this recipe

• Quick and easy. From mixing bowl to plate, these muffins take less than 20 minutes to make.
• No cottage cheese flavor. Yes, I know cottage cheese on its own can be a little bland, but no one can tell it’s the signature ingredient in these muffins (seriously, then try the cottage cheese brownies!).
• Easy to customize. I like to keep the muffin base as a blank canvas for all your favorite mix-ins. I’m including five of my favorites in the flavor variations section.

Key Ingredients

• Cottage cheese. I like to use whipped cottage cheese as it mixes in seamlessly into the batter. If you don’t have any on hand, it’s easy to blend it up yourself.
• Olive oil. Or any neutral-flavored oil, like vegetable oil, refined coconut oil, and safflower oil.
• Eggs. Room temperature eggs, please.
• Milk. I typically use unsweetened almond milk or whole milk, but any milk works.
• Vanilla. A must for any baked good.
• All-purpose flour. Sifted to ensure there are no clumps. If you prefer muffins that are a little healthier, you can use whole-wheat or white whole-wheat flour.
• Sugar. I like to use white sugar, but brown sugar will work, too.
• Baking powder. The leavening agent gives the muffins that gorgeous dome shape and keeps the middles fluffy.
• Chocolate chips. Or any mix-ins of choice.

How to make cottage cheese muffins

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Arman’s recipe tips

• Do not overmix the batter. I find that overmixing is the #1 way to make dense, rubbery muffins. You want the dry ingredients to be mostly incorporated into the wet.
• Bake until ‘just done.’ Remember, the muffins will continue to cook as they cool down. Once a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, they are fine to be removed from the oven.
• Don’t open the oven until at least 15 minutes have passed. Any heat that escapes can cause the muffins to deflate slightly and lose their gorgeous domes.
• Sift the dry ingredients. Because we’re only lightly mixing the batter, we don’t want any flour clumps to form.

Storage instructions

To store: Leftover muffins can be kept at room temperature, covered, for up to three days. If you want them to keep longer, place them in the fridge for up to one week.

To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled muffins in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Frequently asked questions

More baking with cottage cheese

• Cottage cheese banana bread
• Cottage cheese bagels