Rice pudding has lots of nostalgia for me. It was the only thing my grandmother made that was actually edible. The thought of her rice pudding got me through many a horrifying family Sunday lunch.
Of course rice pudding hasn’t been high on my list of foods to eat given my low carb journey. To be honest I didn’t miss it at all.
But when I saw a ‘not rice’ pudding recipe in one of the Greek Kitchen Stories cookbooks using cottage cheese and Greek yoghurt, it sparked some of those childhood memories and it wasn’t long until a tub of cottage cheese found its way into my shopping trolley.
Speaking of cottage cheese, I’d forgotten how much I love it. It has a bad reputation as ‘diet food’ but I love it on it’s own. And also mashed with tuna or salmon as a filling for lettuce wraps.
Back to the important topic of pudding…
I love, love, love this idea as a simple dessert.
Basically plonk cottage cheese in a bowl then top with some sort of fruit and some sort of nuts. And it has all the creamy goodness of rice pudding – with that nubbly texture.
So many possibilities.
Creamy Not-Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 2 drops vanilla extract optional
- 1 pinch cinnamon optional
- 2 tablespoons apple sauce or other fruit
- 25 g walnuts or other nuts or seeds
Instructions
- Place cottage cheese in a small bowl or glass. If using vanilla and / or cinnamon stir it into the cottage cheese.
- Top with the apple sauce (or other fruit) and finish with the nuts / seeds.
Nutrition
Variations & Substitutions
extra creamy – use a combo of cottage cheese and whipped cream or double cream.
extra tangy – use a combo of greek yoghurt and cottage cheese.
different fruit – roast pears, rosy roast rhubarb, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, mango, pineapple, roast peaches, chopped dates, chopped prunes, figs, any fruit really.
Keto / ultra low carb – replace the apple sauce with melted dark chocolate or this quick chocolate sauce.
dairy-free – replace cottage cheese with this macadamia ‘ricotta’ or this cashew ‘sour cream’.
nut-free – use seeds or extra fruit or some chopped chocolate chunks,
other flavour ideas – maple syrup, honey,
Waste Avoidance Strategy
cottage cheese – in a sealed tub it usually has a shelf life of a few weeks in the fridge. If in an opened container, will only keep for a few days so use for another meal or freeze.
vanilla extract / cinnamon / walnuts or other nuts or seeds – keep them in the pantry.
apple sauce or other fruit – freeze it.
Prepare Ahead
Not really – best when freshly made. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or can be frozen.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
I had this for lunch today with some stewed blackcurrants, a few walnuts and a sprinkling of Truvia. So good! The texture really is like rice pudding!
Yum Zelie!
Hmmm, it’s kind of okay. The cheese is more sour than I was expecting, so I’d want to sweeten it a bit more. I used a bit of cinnamon and vanilla but added a dash of maple syrup. I used stewed strawberries with tapioca balls (added them when the sauce was too liquid) and cashew pieces. Not bad.
I might try a savoury version. I’m wondering if smoked paprika and some kind of veg would taste good with cottage cheese.
Also, question: what is difference between cottage cheese, quark, ricotta, and marscapone? I’ve never tried quark, and I know the last two are smoother and maybe more neutral less sour.
I find cottage cheese varys a lot between brands Colleen – so maybe next time try a different one – or use more maple syrup!
It’s fantastic savoury – I hadn’t thought to try veggies – but I have it with seeds and my magic sprinkle all the time. It’s so delicious.
Cottage cheese tends to be made with skim milk and has the little curds. Quark is another fresh cheese that’s smoother. Ricotta is definitely less sour and more creamy but it’s made from whey – so again is pretty low fat. Mascarpone is the italian version of cream cheese – so it’s really rich and creamy and yes less sour.
Have fun experimenting!
Hi Jules, I spoke with a couple of friends, and they both love cottage cheese, but buy the full-fat version. I bought the only one on the shelf, which was a low-fat cheap brand. Will try a full-fat and different brand next time.
One of my friends spreads her cottage cheese on a rice cake or cracker with whatever topping she likes.
Thanks for explaining the difference between the four types.
I’ll play around more with this stuff!
Excellent Colleen!
I have never eaten cottage cheese in my life. I always thought it was something horrible, probably because it was associated with dieting. Maybe I’ll have to give it a try.
I used to be the same Colleen – now I LOVE it!
Since I don’t make or eat dessert (I’ll make an exception to that next week for our anniversary), I like this as a snack idea.
Yes it’s a fantastic snack I’ve been having it every day with some seeds and tahini or peanut butter.