Name: Cottage Cheese Mousse (High-Protein)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 100 g Heavy Cream; 380 g Cottage Cheese; 200 g Mascarpone Cream Cheese; 5 tablespoons Caster Sugar Or Fine Granulated Sugar; 100 g Digestive Biscuits, Graham Crackers, Or Other Similar Whole-grain Cookies; 20 g Lightly Roasted Sesame Seeds (optional); 4 tablespoons Fig Jam (or Other Preferred Jam)

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This cottage cheese mousse is a high-protein dessert for when you have a large stash of cottage cheese: each serving (about 217 g) has roughly 17 g of protein. Crushed whole-grain biscuits give it a pleasant roasted, earthy flavor without cutting the protein much.

I created it while running my first small home bakery, inspired by the curd-and-cream cake fillings common in Northern Europe. It is no-bake and takes about 15 minutes. Jump to Recipe

Cottage cheese mousse piled high in a pale green teacup with a blue tit bird painted on it, on a saucer next to a jar of fig jam

Why You Will Love This Cottage Cheese Mousse

About 17 g of protein per serving.
No baking, about 15 minutes of prep.
A roasted, earthy flavor from graham crackers or digestive biscuits.
A hidden spoonful of jam in the middle, if you use a thick jam.
Works as a dessert, a snack, or a filling breakfast.

What You Need for Cottage Cheese Mousse

Here is everything you need. The exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

heavy cream
cottage cheese
mascarpone
caster sugar or fine granulated sugar
digestive biscuits, graham crackers or similar whole-grain cookies
lightly roasted sesame seeds (optional)
fig jam or another jam

How to Make Cottage Cheese Mousse

Whip the mousse

Whip the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form, mix in the cottage cheese briefly, then add the mascarpone and whip only until smooth. Don’t overmix or it can turn runny.

Add the biscuit crumbs

Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs and whisk them in gradually until the mousse reaches the consistency you like.

Fill the cups

Spoon or pipe the mousse into small cups. Halfway through, add a spoonful of thick jam, then top with more mousse so the jam is a surprise inside. With a runny jam, fill the cups first and drizzle the jam over the top.

Top view of cottage cheese mousse in a cup on a white plate with two digestive biscuits and a spoonful of fig jam

Close-up of cottage cheese mousse topped with a spoonful of fig jam, with a patterned spoon and whole-grain digestive biscuits around it

Tips for the Best Cottage Cheese Mousse

How do I get a smoother mousse?

Press the cottage cheese through a sieve or blend only the cottage cheese until smooth before mixing. Unblended, it stays slightly grainy and rustic. Both versions work.

Can I use ricotta instead of cottage cheese?

Yes, but the flavor changes. Ricotta is made from whey and is mild, sweet and creamy; cottage cheese and curd are tangier and more fermented. Use cottage cheese for the tang, and ricotta for a milkier, smoother taste.

Which biscuits work best?

Graham crackers (US) or digestive biscuits (Europe, Australia, New Zealand). Any plain whole-grain cookie works. For more ideas, see Digestive Biscuit Substitutes – The 7 Best.

Can I make it ahead or layer it?

Yes. Break the biscuits into larger pieces instead of crushing them and layer them in the glasses. After a few hours or overnight in the fridge the texture is just as soft, with clear layers.

Variations and Substitutions

Sesame and coconut: grind roasted sesame seeds with the biscuits and finish with desiccated coconut and pine nuts (see the photos below).
Lighter: mix the crushed biscuits with buttermilk, kefir or yogurt.
Jam: a thick jam inside, a runny jam on top, or none at all.

Hand sprinkling desiccated coconut over cottage cheese mousse in a glass cup topped with pine nuts and a spoonful of jam

Pink bowl of coconut and crumbs held above a glass of cottage cheese mousse topped with pine nuts and jam

Storing Cottage Cheese Mousse

Keep it covered in the fridge. It sets and settles well after a few hours or overnight. It keeps for about 24 hours, so it is best made the day before you serve it and eaten within that time. I have not frozen it, and I do not recommend it: a mousse made with cream and cheese will most likely curdle or lose its texture once thawed.

Cottage Cheese Mousse FAQ

Is cottage cheese mousse really high-protein?

Each serving of about 217 g has roughly 17 g of protein.

Does it taste like cottage cheese?

It has a gentle tang from the cottage cheese, softened by cream and mascarpone, and an earthy note from the biscuits.

Can I eat it for breakfast?

Yes. It is a filling, protein-rich option and works a bit like a more indulgent overnight oats.

More No-Bake Desserts You Might Like

No-Bake Coffee Cheesecake: a richer no-bake dessert.
Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups: a no-bake treat with a hidden jam center.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Truffles: no-bake chocolate bites made with coconut milk.

Where This Recipe Comes From

Cottage cheese belongs to a large family of fresh curd cheeses: quark in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and tvorog in Eastern Europe. In Northern Europe, birthday cakes often have fillings of whipped cream mixed with curd or cottage cheese, layered with a light sponge. This mousse is a simple, no-bake version of that idea. If you want to see how I make that sponge, here is the video:

If you would like to dive deeper into cottage cheese and other fermented dairy products, read my Substack post:

Story of Cottage Cheese

Cottage Cheese Mousse (High-Protein)

Recipe by Helena-Laura

5.0 from 2 votes

Course: Desserts, BreakfastCuisine: Northern EuropeanDifficulty: Easy

The mousse comes together in minutes and can be served mixed or layered, with crushed whole-grain biscuits, digestive biscuits, or graham crackers, and finished with a spoon of jam if you like. It’s inspired by classic European cake fillings made with curd, whipped cream, and fresh dairy—reimagined here as a modern, no-bake recipe.

Servings: 4

servings

Prep time

minutes

Serving size

217

grams

Total time

minutes

Cook Mode

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Ask about this recipe Substitutions, scaling, timing — answered from this recipe.

Ingredients

Metric US

100 g 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
380 g 1 2/3 cups Cottage Cheese
200 g 1 cup Mascarpone Cream Cheese
5 tablespoons 1/3 cup Caster Sugar Or Fine Granulated Sugar
100 g 2 cups Digestive Biscuits, Graham Crackers, Or Other Similar Whole-grain Cookies
20 g 2 1/2 tbsp Lightly Roasted Sesame Seeds (optional)
4 tablespoons 1/4 cup Fig Jam (or Other Preferred Jam)

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Instructions

Whip the cream with the sugar in a mixer until soft peaks form. Add the cottage cheese and mix briefly until combined. Finally, add the cream cheese and whip with the mixer only as long as needed to achieve a smooth, unified mixture—do not overmix or it can become too runny.
Crush the biscuits in a food processor or using a NutriBullet or similar device until fine crumbs form. Gradually whisk the biscuit crumbs into the cottage cheese mixture until your desired consistency is reached.
Spoon or pipe the mousse into small cups or glasses. For a neat spiral finish, use a piping bag, but a generous scoop formed with a spoon works just as well.
Halfway through filling each serving, add a spoonful of jam if using a thick jam. Then continue piping or spooning the mousse on top so the jam creates a hidden surprise inside the dessert (see how I do this in the recipe video above).
If you’re using a runny jam, finish piping or spooning the mousse first, then drizzle the jam over the top, letting it flow down naturally. It won’t be a surprise inside—but the final look is beautifully finished.

Recipe Video

Notes

Texture control:
For a smoother, ricotta-like mousse, press the cottage cheese through a sieve or blend it on its own until smooth before mixing. Leaving it unblended results in a slightly grainy, more rustic texture—both versions work well.
Biscuit options:
Graham crackers or digestive biscuits work best. Or use any plain whole-grain cookies for a deeper, lightly roasted flavor without significantly lowering the protein content.
Jam consistency matters:
Thick jams work best layered inside the mousse for a hidden center. If using a runny jam, drizzle it over the finished mousse for a cleaner presentation.
Make-ahead & storage:
This mousse can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator. The flavor improves slightly as the ingredients settle.
Serving ideas:
Serve as a high-protein dessert, a filling breakfast alternative, or a no-bake snack. For a layered version, leave the biscuit pieces larger and let the dessert rest in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
Easy variations:
For a lighter version, mix the biscuit crumbs with yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk and light cream cheese, instead of heavy cream and mascarpone. For added flavor and texture, combine the biscuits with finely ground roasted sesame seeds or finish with desiccated coconut and pine nuts.