This impossibly easy whipped cottage cheese dip features a flavorful secret ingredient that takes it over the top. You will hardly know you're eating cottage cheese! Super smooth (no curds) and customizable to taste, this recipe makes a really nice better-for-you party dip or appetizer.
If you told me a few years ago that I'd come to positively wolf down this herbed cottage cheese dip, I would for sure have thought you were lying.
A reformed cottage cheese-hater, it was a lightbulb moment when I realized my issue was with its curd texture and not its flavor. Blending the curds got rid of my problem, and it was full speed ahead on working it into my cooking.
This cottage cheese ranch dip was a happy surprise, in that it tasted even better than my expectations, given that cold, creamy, herb-y dips like this are usually made with sour cream and this one most certainly isn't.
My secret? Adding a small amount of feta. It blends in with the cottage cheese beautifully and really bumps the flavor out of the "this tastes like a healthy recipe" category to one that doesn't (but still is).
Reasons to Love This Recipe
- Rich in protein, calcium, and other nutrients (source), cottage cheese is a powerhouse ingredient. It's a great way to boost the nutrition of certain recipes.
- Its thick texture when blended also provides the best base for a better-for-you dip.
- Like homemade sour cream and onion dip (made with half Greek yogurt, shh!), this whipped cottage cheese dip is a great make-ahead party appetizer.
- Feta more than pulls its weight without overwhelming the flavor. It plays up the already present tangy/salty nature of cottage cheese but adds its own sharper flavor to the mix to result in a tasty and balanced recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cottage Cheese: Either large or small curd doesn't matter as it's being blended. I find low fat cottage cheese (often around 2% milkfat) to be perfectly delicious in this dip, though standard (4%) is fine. Choose a reduced-sodium variety if you'd like to keep that level in check.
- Feta: For convenience I usually buy crumbled feta to use here.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly-squeezed will provide a more punchy note than bottled.
- Fresh Chives & Dill: These herbs are prominent in ranch seasoning blend. While in a pinch you could sub in dried versions of these two, adding them fresh has a bigger impact on the overall flavor and I recommend it.
- Dried Spices: Parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder round out the ranch-inspired flavor here.
- Salt & Pepper: Add just enough to taste, keeping in mind both the cottage cheese and feta contain salt.
How to Make This Dip
- Add all ingredients except for the fresh herbs to the bowl of a food processor, then blitz until smooth.
- Transfer the blended dip to a bowl and stir in the diced herbs. Take a taste and adjust seasonings. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
What to Serve with Cottage Cheese Dip
This is a thicker, scoopable dip that isn't soup-y, so lots of classic veggie-and-dip options are great to serve alongside this one.
- Baby carrots or carrot sticks
- Celery sticks
- Sliced bell peppers
- Mini sweet peppers
- Sliced radishes (works best with larger-sized ones)
- Cucumber rounds
- Crackers of any sort
- Pita or bagel chips
- Pretzels or pretzel chips
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use a food processor - It handles blending low-liquid recipes much better than a blender does.
- Don't blend the fresh herbs - Or do, depending on your preference! Processing the fresh dill and chives can turn the whole dip green.
- Adjust the consistency - While I prefer a thicker dip, if you'd like it to be thinner, you can add a small drizzle of milk while blending until it's just right for you. Go very slow if adding milk as to not thin it out too much.
- Scale it up - As written this recipe will yield 4-5 servings, but it's easily doubled to serve a larger crowd.
- Storage - Cover with plastic wrap and store cottage cheese dip in the refrigerator. It should stay for 3-4 days.
- Can it freeze? I haven't tried this myself but I would be hesitant. Freezing cottage cheese can negatively impact its texture and make it drier/less cohesive. The thawed dip would likely not be as creamy and palatable as freshly-prepared.
More Cottage Cheese Recipes
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Cottage Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese 2% or 4%
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Big pinch of kosher salt to taste
- Pinch of ground black pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons finely-chopped fresh chives
- 1 Tablespoon finely-chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Add cottage cheese, feta, lemon juice, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until smooth and evenly combined, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Transfer blended dip to a bowl and stir in the fresh herbs. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. This dip can be eaten right away or covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.
Notes
- A blender can work, but you may find it to be a little trickier to cohesively come together as there isn't much liquid here. To counteract this, add a small drizzle (one teaspoon or so) of milk to try and help it along. Be careful not to add too much liquid as to overly thin it out.
- If making ahead of serving, give the dip a stir to reintegrate any pooled moisture from the surface.
- Refrigerate and enjoy within 3-4 days of making.
- Good options for serving include crackers, sliced carrots, celery sticks, sliced radishes, cucumber slices, bell pepper strips, etc.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer
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