Definitive Ranking of the Best Cottage Cheese Brands

If you have been to look into my fridge at this very second, you’d assume I used to be making ready for an apocalypse, and my weapon of selection was…cottage cheese.

Why? Properly, for the previous few days, I’ve been working round city scooping up tubs of ‘em to crown the most effective cottage cheese manufacturers of all of them.

Cottage cheese ice cream has been all the trend on social media currently, which is fascinating as a result of cottage cheese might be… fairly polarizing. So earlier than we leap in, let’s simply have out with it: Cottage cheese is much from being *simply* your Florida grandparents’ chosen breakfast meals. Fellow long-time cottage cheese stans know: The good things (see additionally: the evaluations under) is god-tier.

Do not imagine me? We’ve rounded up eight of the most effective cottage cheese manufacturers ranked by style, texture, and dietary worth under—and there is one thing to fulfill each dairy queen’s palate.

The 6 finest cottage cheese manufacturers, at a look:

A rating of the most effective cottage cheese manufacturers

A few fast disclaimers earlier than we dive in. I’ll preface by saying that regardless of having a complicated culinary diploma and having fun with cottage cheese myself, I’ve by no means been aligned with a selected cottage cheese model. This, I hope, lended to my capacity to be as neutral as potential when tasked with selecting the most effective one. Subsequent, as a result of restricted availability of sure merchandise in my space, I branched out to incorporate quite a lot of choices, together with low-fat, full-fat, flavored, and a few native favorites within the combine.

Associated Tales

And since visuals are key in the case of any meals’s attract (however let’s be sincere, particularly this one), I took the time to capsure the feel of every cottage cheese model I attempted in photographs. Take pleasure in!

Lastly, no cottage cheese will likely be harmed on this take a look at. Because it seems, opened cottage cheese might be frozen for as much as three months. (It seems like… I will be making protein-rich meals starring copious quantities of cottage cheese for the foreseeable future.)

Greatest total: Good Culture’s Low-Fat, 2 Percent Milkfat Classic Cottage Cheese ($3.79)

Style: Out of the bunch, this one was by far my favourite when it comes to taste. It has a barely tangy style, akin to bitter cream, that’s not too overpowering. That stated, it does run a bit on the savory (vs. candy) aspect—which is presumably why I discovered that it tasted probably the most balanced by itself and my go-to when consuming cottage cheese by itself. Nevertheless, because it’s largely neutral-tasting, it additionally pairs effectively with different added components if toppings are in your thoughts. Say, contemporary strawberries and a drizzle of honey?

Texture: The small to medium-sized, smooth curds collapse on the tongue and aren’t dense in anyway. The feel jogs my memory of the within of a ball of freshly-made burrata cheese, however with further nooks and crannies.

Dietary content material (per half-cup serving): 100 energy, 3g complete fats, 2g saturated fats, 0g trans fats, 15mg ldl cholesterol, 340g sodium, 4g complete carbs, 0g fiber, 3g sugar, 14g protein

Components: Skim milk, complete milk, cream, sea salt, reside and lively cultures (Lactobacillus paracasei)

Greatest lactose-free: Lactaid’s Lactose-Free, 4 Percent Milkfat Cottage Cheese ($4.29)

Style: I’ll be frank: I observed this product had a barely bitter and even acetone-like taste upon the primary chew. Nevertheless, it rapidly dissipated after a couple of moments, abandoning a pleasing and creamy aftertaste. After all, this is a wonderful selection for these in search of a lactose-free possibility. (Be aware: There aren’t many lactose-free cottage cheese merchandise available on the market, so this feature didn’t have a lot competitors within the first place.)

Texture: The packaging says small curds, however I discovered that the curds really ranged in dimension, from small to massive, relatively than trying fully homogenous.

Dietary content material (per half-cup serving): 110 energy, 5g complete fats, 3g saturated fats, 0g trans fats, 30mg ldl cholesterol, 440g sodium, 5g complete carbs, 0g fiber, 4g sugar, 13g protein

Components: Cultured pasteurized skim milk and cream, whey protein focus, whey, salt, pure taste, lactase enzyme (ingredient not present in common cottage cheese), xanthan gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, lactic acid, sorbic acid and carbon dioxide (to keep up freshness), and enzymes

Greatest price range: Trader Joe’s Small Curd, 4 Percent Milkfat Cottage Cheese ($2.99)

Style: I get the hype. This product is form of what I think about cottage cheese ought to at all times style like. It’s probably the most impartial in taste, which means it’s extremely versatile and pairs effectively with candy or savory components. In a phrase: Inoffensive.

“I have been getting my cottage cheese from Dealer Joe’s lengthy earlier than I began doing my grocery purchasing. It was the cottage cheese my mother at all times obtained from the shop, and it is the cottage cheese I now purchase for myself—it really does stand the take a look at of time. I get the small curd, full-fat selection, which is extremely creamy, a bit of bit tangy, and has the right quantity of sweetness to be eaten by itself, complement a aspect of fruit, or work as a savory topping for a salad or some slices of cucumbers and tomato. I’ve additionally been including it to my scrambled eggs for further protein, and it provides a very nice fluffy, creamy texture and style. It is no-frills, budget-friendly, and attractive,” says Gina Vaynshteyn, Properly+Good editorial commerce director.

Texture: The curds have a scrumptious melt-in-your-mouth consistency and are extraordinarily uniform all through.

Dietary content material (per half-cup serving): 110 energy, 5g complete fats, 3g saturated fats, 0g trans fats, 20mg ldl cholesterol, 320g sodium, 5g complete carbs, 0g fiber, 3g sugar, 12g protein

Components: Cultured pasteurized nonfat milk, pasteurized milk, pasteurized cream, sea salt, stabilizer (nonfat milk, locust bean gum, Agar), and carbon dioxide (to keep up freshness)

Greatest texture and minimal components: Daisy’s Low-Fat, 2 Percent Milkfat Cottage Cheese ($3.29)

Style: I really like Daisy’s bitter cream, and that is positively its cottage cheese sibling. It has an analogous barely bitter word that’s very palatable with a impartial aftertaste, which might pair effectively in most preparations.

Texture: As promised on the packaging, this product is, actually, further creamy and splendid. The curds have been extra within the medium-sized vary (as an alternative of small), however they have been so clean it wasn’t bothersome in any respect.

Dietary content material (per half-cup serving): 90 energy, 2.5g complete fats, 1.5g saturated fats, 0g trans fats, 10mg ldl cholesterol, 350g sodium, 5g complete carbs, 0g fiber, 4g sugar, 13g protein

Components: Cultured skim milk, cream, and salt

Greatest low-sodium: Lucerne’s Low-Fat, 1 Percent Milkfat Cottage Cheese ($3.49)

Style: Sure, it’s form of bland. However it’s additionally the one possibility I discovered made with out added salt. For these in search of a low-salt product, this one’s your finest wager. It tastes like a glass of milk, and though it may not tingle your tastebuds with a punch of taste, it does have a pleasing mouthfeel. Plus, the no-salt issue makes it good for whipping up a batch of, say, cottage cheese ice cream.

Texture: The mouthfeel is all the pieces in the case of this product. It’s creamy, has very small curds, and really minimal wateriness, which is an enormous promoting level in my e book.

Dietary content material (per half-cup serving): 90 energy, 1.5g complete fats, 1g saturated fats, 0g trans fats, 10mg ldl cholesterol, 60g sodium, 7g complete carbs, 0g fiber, 5g sugar, 12g protein

Components: Cultured pasteurized Grade A fat-free milk, pasteurized fat-free milk and milk, salt, cultured, Grade A dairy solids (Grade A whey, citric acid, and lactic acid tradition), and dry, Grade A whey, maltodextrin, titanium dioxide (shade), guar gum, citric acid, potassium sorbate (preservative), carrageenan, locust bean gum, carbon dioxide (to assist keep freshness), vitamin A palmitate

Greatest crowd-pleaser: Knudsen’s Low-Fat, 2 Percent Milkfat Cottage Cheese ($4.29)

Style: By far, the highest-ranked crowd-pleaser amongst my friends, this cottage cheese model is tried-and-true. “I grew up consuming Knudsen cottage cheese with pears at my grandma’s nursing dwelling, so it is a very particular meals to me, and now that I am attempting to be a health club girlie once more, it is actually serving to me hit my protein objectives,” says Helen Carefoot, Properly+Good way of life author. In the meantime, Properly+Good health author Rachel Kraus provides that she enjoys it most when it’s just-out-of-the-fridge chilly and slathered on toasted wheat bread or paired with contemporary cantaloupe.

That stated, I attempted their pineapple-flavored version—which I wouldn’t suggest, personally. The pineapple tasted like cotton sweet greater than tropical fruit. It was overly candy and tasted virtually synthetic. Admittedly, I’d relatively combine in contemporary fruit than the syrupy pineapple chunks I discovered swimming within the tub.

Texture: The feel, nonetheless, of all Knudsen cottage cheeses are, certainly, very good. They’re barely dense and have a pleasing chewiness in each chew. The combination can be considerably watery, however the creamy curds assist give this cottage cheese construction and texture.

Dietary content material (per half-cup serving): 90 energy, 2.5g complete fats, 1.5g saturated fats, 0g trans fats, 15mg ldl cholesterol, 420g sodium, 6g complete carbs, 0g fiber, 4g sugar, 11g protein

Components: Cultured pasteurized Grade A nonfat milk, milk and cream, whey, accommodates lower than 2 % of modified meals starch, salt, calcium phosphate, xanthan gum, citric acid, guar gum, pure taste, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3

The opposite cottage cheeses I attempted

365 by Whole Foods Market’s Organic, 4 Percent Milkfat Cottage Cheese ($3.99)

Style: I observed a relatively funky scent after I opened the container, which made me really feel the necessity to double-check that the bathtub wasn’t expired. (It wasn’t.) Though the tinge largely went away as soon as the container had an opportunity to air out for a couple of seconds, the scent carried over into the flavour, which I didn’t love. The curds themselves had extra style than the milky liquid they swam in, and every chew of this product left an total acidic aftertaste on the palate.

Texture: The product has smaller, extra uniform curds. Nevertheless, they have been chewier and denser than the remainder of the choices.

Dietary content material (per half-cup serving): 110 energy, 5g complete fats, 3g saturated fats, 0g trans fats, 20mg ldl cholesterol, 350g sodium, 4g complete carbs, 0g fiber, 3g sugar, 12g protein

Components: Cultured pasteurized Grade A natural nonfat milk, pasteurized Grade A natural milk, pasteurized natural cream, sea salt, stabilizer (pasteurized Grade A natural nonfat milk, natural locust bean gum, Agar), carbon dioxide (to keep up freshness)

Happy Belly’s Low-Fat, 2 Percent Milkfat Cottage Cheese ($2.49)

Style: This was probably the most watery of the choice. The liquid-to-curd ratio was about three to at least one, which could swimsuit people who aren’t keen on the feel of most cottage cheeses. By way of taste, it tasted very impartial, like ingesting a glass of plain ol’ milk—which suggests it may be utilized in quite a lot of alternative ways. To not point out, the worth level was, by far, probably the most wallet-friendly of all of them.

Texture: It’s very watery, with minimal quantities of curds, and extra like a hybrid between yogurt and your customary cottage cheese merchandise.

Dietary content material (per half-cup serving): 90 energy, 2.5g complete fats, 1.5g saturated fats, 0g trans fats, 15mg ldl cholesterol, 360g sodium, 5g complete carbs, 0g fiber, 4g sugar, 12g protein

Components: Cultured nonfat milk, milk, cream, accommodates lower than 2 % of: nonfat milk, whey, salt, maltodextrin, citric acid, carrageenan, mono and diglycerides, locust bean gum, guar gum, pure flavors, vitamin A palmitate, carbon dioxide (to protect freshness), enzyme

A number of extra honorable mentions

A number of colleagues additionally really helpful some extra (beloved) native choices, together with Michigan Brand’s Small Curd Cottage Cheese. “Michigan Model is the most effective cottage cheese model, and nobody can change my thoughts; it’s finest on some gluten-free crispy toast with chili crisp or a bit of honey and salt,” says Hannah Schneider, Properly+Good well being author. In the meantime, Properly+Good senior meals editor, Betty Gold, swears by Meijer’s Low-Fat Cottage Cheese. “Stay it, study it, like it. Sincerely, Grandma Betty, lengthy lover of cottage cheese,” Gold says.

TL;DR? 

Concerning taste, texture, and dietary worth, Good Culture’s Low-Fat, 2 Percent Milkfat Classic Cottage Cheese ($3.79) ranks on the prime of the checklist. What’s extra, the product encompasses a easy checklist of components and has the very best quantity of protein out of the entire choices we ranked. To not point out, it’s impartial however extremely nice, taste pairs effectively with nearly all the pieces. And let’s take a second for the feel: It’s ethereal, creamy, and splendid. What extra are you able to need?