Easy Cottage Cheese Dip

Smooth and spicy cottage cheese dip, using simple ingredients, and perfect for dipping or spreading. The star of this dip is the cottage cheese, which has been whipped to perfection, resulting in a luscious and silky texture.

This delicious whipped cottage cheese dip is protein-packed and made with blended cottage cheese, which gives it a creamy texture. We've added a bit of horseradish for a hint of spiciness and ginger for freshness. A touch of balsamic vinegar gives it a little sweetness and tang. If you like some heat, there's a touch of chili.

You can enjoy this easy recipe with crackers, veggies, or sandwiches. It's a simple and delicious way to get your protein fix while snacking or entertaining.

Check out more creamy cottage cheese recipes: Blended Cottage Cheese, Cottage Cheese Toast with Avocado, or Cottage Cheese with Fresh Fruit.

Jump to:

• What is cottage cheese?
• What do you need to make cottage cheese dipping sauce?
• How to make a creamy cottage cheese dip?
• Perfect vegetables for dipping
• Top tips
• How to store?
• More dips and spreads
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

What is cottage cheese?

Fresh cheese made from the curds of cow's milk. It is a soft, creamy, and slightly lumpy cheese with a mild, slightly tangy flavor. 

Its production involves curdling the milk with acid, typically by adding lemon juice, vinegar, or another acidifying agent, which causes the milk proteins to coagulate and form curds. These curds are then separated from the whey (the liquid portion of the milk), resulting in the curd-like texture characteristic of cottage cheese.

This type of cheese can come in various forms, such as small-curd or large-curd varieties, with different levels of milk fat content, including full-fat and low-fat options. 

It is a versatile ingredient and can be eaten on its own, mixed with fruit or honey for a sweet treat, or used in savory dishes like salads, lasagna, and dips. 

What do you need to make cottage cheese dipping sauce?

• Plain cottage cheese is the main ingredient. You can use low-fat or full-fat. But full-fat offers a bit more flavor and a creamier texture. Use your favorite brand.
• Olive oil: Adds flavor and contributes to a smooth texture, but you can leave it out if you like. 
• Balsamic vinegar: It adds a bit of tanginess and brightens the flavor of this savory dip. Use it to taste. I start with 1 teaspoon and might add a drop or two more when adjusting the taste. The quantity may vary depending on the brand; some balsamic vinegars are more tart, while others are sweeter.
• Ginger: Finely grated fresh ginger. I would not replace it with ground ginger in this recipe. Fresh ginger is spicier and moister and adds a nice crunch, making the spread tastier and smoother. Dried ginger, being powdery and less moist, can make the dip drier and less flavorful.
• Creamed horseradish: Adds a zesty and spicy kick to the cottage cheese dip. Its creaminess helps balance the flavors and adds a smooth texture to this flavorful dip.
• Red chili flakes, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or finely chopped fresh chili. You can use any of them and always to taste.
• Other ingredients: A bit of fresh parsley, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper.

Equipment

Food processor vs. blender

• While both appliances can be used to whip cottage cheese, a food processor works best.
• A food processor yields the best texture; it gives you more control over it. It's less likely to make a mess or turn the cheese into a liquid. Food processors are also easier to scrape down the sides, and you can adjust the speed to get the texture you want. Blenders may not be as precise for this task.

How to make a creamy cottage cheese dip?

• Process cheese in the food processor until smooth, light, and fluffy (1). Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times in between. 
• Transfer to a medium bowl, fold in the remaining ingredients, adjust the taste, and serve (2). 
• If desired, sprinkle it with chili flakes, nigella or sesame seeds, hummus topping, roasted pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or pepitas.

Variations

Make a creamy ranch dip: Blend cheese with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, leaving out all the other ingredients. Once blended, mix in 2-3 tablespoons of dry ranch dressing mix (or to taste) using a spoon. 

Make a herb dip: Add 2-3 tablespoons of fresh herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro, chives, or a mix of several herbs. Or add a bit of grated fresh garlic for extra flavor.

Perfect vegetables for dipping

• Raw vegetables cut into sticks, such as carrots (or baby carrots), celery, kohlrabi, cucumbers, and bell peppers.
• Other fresh veggies, such as broccoli or cauliflower florets, radishes, cherry tomatoes, or sugar snap peas. 
• Other stuff for dipping: Pita bread or pita chips, potato chips or any other favorite chips, crackers, pretzel or pretzel sticks, or tortilla chips. 
• Spread this luscious dip on any bread you like, rice cakes, bagels, croissants, rolls, or tortillas. Try it on top of hard-boiled eggs. 

Top tips

• Vinegar: Consider its acidity and add it to taste. 
• Ginger: Don’t substitute fresh with dried ginger; it will change the taste and texture of the cottage cheese spread. 
• It’s preferable to use a food processor and not a blender; a blender needs to be scraped more often, and it might turn the mixture into a liquid. 
• Remember the size of your food processor: I have a large one, and it works best when I blend at least 1 lb (450 g) up to 1.5 lb (750 g). If you go lower than 1 lb, it can get a bit tricky, as the cheese often sticks to the sides, so you'll need to scrape it frequently.
• Don’t freeze the dip! While freezing is safe, it will also change the dip’s texture, making it grainy; I guarantee you will not like it.

How to store?

Refrigerate the cottage cheese veggie dip in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

More dips and spreads

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