What is cottage cheese, and what should you buy?
Those white lumps in the tub are soft cheese curds. For a creamy pasta sauce or a recipe from TikTok, you'll often blend them smooth before cooking.
Quick answer
Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese made of soft, loose milk curds, usually mixed with a little cream or milk. It tastes mild and slightly salty. In the UK, Australia and Canada, look for plain cottage cheese in the chilled dairy section. Germany calls it Hüttenkäse or körniger Frischkäse; in Italy, buy fiocchi di latte. Ricotta and smooth Quark are different cheeses.
What to buy where you live
Start with an unflavored tub when you're following an American recipe. Cottage cheese comes in small-curd and large-curd versions. Either can be blended, though the difference is noticeable if you're eating it straight from the tub.
| Country | Look for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| UK | Cottage cheese | Choose plain rather than a flavored variety for cooking |
| Australia | Cottage cheese | Check whether the recipe calls for a particular fat level |
| Canada | Cottage cheese | Use the creamy, loose-curd kind for a US recipe calling for a tub |
| US | Regular, low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese | Regular has at least 4% milk fat; low-fat versions have 1-2% |
| Germany | Hüttenkäse or körniger Frischkäse | Quark is smooth and is a different product |
| France | Cottage cheese | Fromage blanc is smooth; faisselle is a close local cousin, with a different texture |
| Italy | Fiocchi di latte | Ricotta is a different cheese |
| Spain and Mexico | Queso cottage | Requesón is closer to ricotta |
| Brazil | Queijo cottage | Ricota is the ricotta-style cheese |
| Indonesia | Cottage cheese, often among imported dairy | It is less common than cream cheese |
If the recipe specifies regular cottage cheese, buying nonfat changes the richness. The word creamed means the curds have cream or milk mixed through them; you should still see soft lumps.
Cottage cheese vs ricotta and other look-alikes
| Cheese | Texture and flavor | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Cottage cheese | Loose curds, mild and slightly salty | Usually has milk or cream around the curds |
| Ricotta | Fine, smooth and slightly sweet | Traditionally made from whey; less salty |
| Quark or fromage blanc | Smooth fresh dairy | Doesn't have cottage cheese's loose curds |
| Faisselle | Molded fresh curd | A close relative rather than the same product |
| Requesón | Finer and less salty | Closer to ricotta than cottage cheese |
Cream cheese is different too. A recipe that depends on a firm, smooth cheese for frosting won't behave the same with a wet tub of curds. Check the cream cheese guide before switching between them.
Drain it for thickness, blend it for smoothness
Blending removes the lumps, which is why cottage cheese appears in so many smooth sauces and high-protein recipes. It is used in flatbreads and frozen desserts, as well as stirred into scrambled eggs. A recipe using blended cottage cheese can look nothing like the contents of the tub.
- If you're making a thick dip, cheesecake mixture or flatbread, drain the cottage cheese in a sieve for 15-30 minutes first.
- Transfer it to a blender, or use a stick blender in a suitable container. Blend for a minute or two, until the curds are smooth.
- Follow the recipe's instructions for adding it. Taste savory mixtures before adding more salt, because the cheese already has some.
Blending and draining do different jobs. Blending breaks down the curds; draining removes liquid. Running the blender longer won't fix a mixture that's too wet.
Choose a cottage cheese substitute by the dish
Ricotta is useful for a pasta filling when you can't find cottage cheese. Expect a finer, less salty filling, and check its thickness before adding other wet ingredients. For the reverse swap, drain and blend cottage cheese before using it instead of ricotta in lasagna or baked pasta.
Smooth Quark or fromage blanc may suit a dip where texture matters less, but they aren't automatic replacements in a baked recipe. For a topping that mainly needs tang, sour cream may suit the dish better. It won't give you the same curds or protein-rich cheese base.
Mistakes that leave recipes wet or lumpy
- Skipping the blending step when the recipe expects a smooth mixture. Stirring with a spoon leaves the curds intact.
- Pouring all the loose liquid into a filling that needs drained cheese. Check the preparation instructions before combining ingredients.
- Buying a flavored tub for a sweet recipe. Savory additions will still taste savory after blending.
- Assuming every soft white cheese is interchangeable. Moisture and salt affect the result as much as appearance.
Questions
Is cottage cheese the same as ricotta?
No. Cottage cheese has loose, slightly salty milk curds; ricotta is traditionally made from whey and is finer, slightly sweet and less salty. Drain and blend cottage cheese if you're using it instead of ricotta in baked pasta.
What is cottage cheese called in the UK?
It is called cottage cheese. Buy a plain tub from the chilled dairy section for an American recipe, checking the fat level if the recipe specifies one.
Can you blend cottage cheese until smooth?
Yes. A blender or stick blender removes the lumps in a minute or two. Drain it for 15-30 minutes first if the recipe needs a thicker result.
Is Quark a cottage cheese substitute?
Quark is a different, smooth product. It can suit some dips, but don't assume it will behave like cottage cheese in flatbread or other baking.
Keep reading
- Ingredients explainedWhat is cream cheese, and which kind do you need?Learn what cream cheese is, what UK soft cheese labels mean, and why blocks, tubs, mascarpone and Quark behave differently in baking.
- Ingredients explainedWhat is sour cream? Names and useful swapsLearn what sour cream is, why the UK calls it soured cream, and how crème fraîche or Greek yogurt work instead in dips, hot sauces and baking.
- Free kitchen toolsRecipe scaler for the portions you needUse a recipe scaler to halve or double ingredient amounts. Work out the serving ratio, divide eggs, choose a pan and check what needs tasting.