6 Delicious Toppings to Elevate Your Cottage Cheese Snack

Cottage cheese might be polarizing among foodies, but it is nonetheless a highly nutritious food. Rich in nutrients including vitamin B12, protein, and calcium, among others, it’s a must-have for a quick and healthy bite. There are a number of cottage cheese brands made with high-quality ingredients, meaning you can choose your favorite to add to your regular meal rotation. 

In addition to the many ways to use cottage cheese in your cooking, either as an ingredient swap or upgrade, when you want it as a simple treat, you can easily grab a spoonful or more straight from the tub. Picking a few clever additions like canned fruit, salsa, veggies, spicy seasonings, extra proteins, or even a little bit of crunchy goodness will turn your cottage cheese from basic to brilliant.

The great thing about cottage cheese is its mildness, which gives way to an unlimited amount of possibilities for customizing it to your liking. Aside from the obvious dairy taste and curd texture, it’s still a mostly neutral protein-rich dish that you can enhance with sweet, savory, sour, or umami choices. With so many ingredients to elevate store-bought cottage cheese, you can start by determining your ideal flavor profile and go from there. Here are six topping ideas.

Canned fruit is a shelf-stable ingredient that will make a lovely pairing atop your next cottage cheese snack. Take a spin on the classic cottage cheese with pineapple breakfast combination and add a dash of cinnamon and a handful of raisins sprinkled into the mix. Brown sugar would also add a more robust flavor to this updated treat. You can even give your cottage cheese a fun peaches and cream twist, either with sliced canned peaches mixed into your cottage cheese or by using halved peaches as a “bowl” for those crave-worthy curds. 

You definitely don’t have to limit yourself to one kind of fruit, though. Grab a can of tropical fruit cocktail to top off your cottage cheese with all of your favorite fruits in easy-to-eat, bite-sized pieces. You can also use a can of mandarin oranges and a drizzle of hot honey for a duo that’s the right amount of both sweet and spicy. If you prefer to can your own fruits rather than opt for store-bought, this is also an excellent opportunity to put the literal fruits of your labor to delicious and nutritious use. For more ideas, here are 13 canned fruits you should consider stocking in your pantry.

If you want to bring the heat to a bowl of cottage cheese, then spicing it up with your favorite homemade or store-bought salsa is a perfect choice. This is also ideal alongside a dash of hot sauce if you really like spicy food. Because cottage cheese is, essentially, a large tub of dairy product, it’s particularly ideal to pair with spicy salsas and hot sauces as this will help to temper the spiciness and cool down your mouth. Just remember to keep your ratios balanced for a snack that doesn’t skimp on taste, yet remains at a level you can still enjoy.

Homemade pico de gallo is a perfect addition of fresh vegetable ingredients to a healthy bowl of cottage cheese. Feel free to switch up the type of chile peppers to meet your heat tolerance and get creative with your choice of tomatoes and other additions. Whether you prefer to prepare your own recipe or go for a store-bought salsa, pico de gallo, or hot sauce, any one will top your cottage cheese with ease.

Whether you want to use raw veggies, sautéed veggies, or a tangy batch of pickled veggies, this topping helps to add even more essential nutrients to your cottage cheese dish. On the simple side, you can chop or slice up pieces of raw cucumber for an extra refreshing ingredient addition. Try this with a mirepoix mix of celery, carrots, and onions and a shake of Cajun or Creole seasoning to give your cottage cheese a spicy, Southern-inspired flavor. Or, add a Mediterranean variation to your raw vegetable topping by preparing a Shirazi salad recipe using a mix of cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions to put on your cottage cheese.

If you have more time to cook, make a riff on a cottage cheese casserole with a topping of sautéed spinach, which will add great flavor and texture as well as upping the nutritional value of your dish. If you’re a pickle fan, grab a jar of your favorites, or make your own pickled vegetables at home for an extra zingy ingredient. This also goes for kimchi, which will add robust spice and healthy probiotics into the mix. For more topping ideas, here are 14 types of pickled vegetables you should have in your fridge.

Keep things simple with a sprinkle or shake of your favorite spicy seasonings to give your cottage cheese just the right amount of flavor without overdoing it on the ingredients. Cajun or Creole seasoning is always a great choice for savory and earthy aromas. If you want a fun mix of heat with a little bit of sweetness, try Jamaican jerk seasoning. For a bold Middle Eastern flair, use either a harissa spice paste or blend to mix into your cottage cheese. Peri-peri seasoning (like this one by Keya on Amazon) is also excellent for bringing a smoky flavor with plenty of heat.

If you’re one for experimenting in the kitchen, try building your own spice blend based on your personal preferences. Knowing that cottage cheese will temper the heat, you can start slowly and ramp up the flavors to suit your spice desires. Red cayenne, smoked paprika, chili powder, and crushed red pepper flakes are a great start to bring the heat to which you can add your favorite herbs and other spices for an ideal and fully customized cottage cheese topping.

There are so many affordable plant-based proteins out there that will give your cottage cheese snack a boost of extra nutrients with just a quick topping. Sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, nuts, and more are all great sources of vitamins that can keep your meal low-budget and still fulfilling. Using dry-roasted nuts like almonds, cashews, or pecans will complement your cottage cheese with a fun bit of crunch and you can also build out your bowl based on these ingredients. For example, give your cottage cheese bowl just a hint of sweetness with a topping of pecans, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Another underrated source of protein is peanut butter powder (like this one by PB2 on Amazon). Although it might sound odd to add to cottage cheese, you can toss in slices of bananas and a swirl of honey for a sweeter mix. On the savory side, try preparing a cottage cheese bowl with pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and your favorite herbs and spices. Remembering that cottage cheese is fairly neutral in flavor, there’s really no limit to how you can dress it up.

For those who can’t resist adding a little crunch to every snack, there’s a suitable topping for your next bowl of cottage cheese, too. With so many crunchy ingredients to choose from, you can go sweet, savory, nutritious, or decadent. Try crunchy fried onions or crispy garlic chips (store-bought or homemade) for a potent and unforgettable topping. If you want to stretch out your cottage cheese with a bit of carb content, try crushed up potato chips, cheese crackers, or even pretzels. Store-bought or homemade parmesan crisps are also a good choice to add even more cheese to your cottage cheese with a satisfying variance in taste and texture.

If your tastes lean toward the sweeter side, try crushing up a little bit of sweet cereal and using that as a topping for your cottage cheese bowl. Something simple like Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Froot Loops will enhance your snack time with a bit of fun flavor. You can also try freeze-dried fruits like strawberries, apples, or blueberries for a crunchy ingredient with extra nutritional value. Any way you top your cottage cheese, it will surely satisfy.