If you’re fully sucked into the latest recipes with cottage cheese like me, you’ve probably seen this viral cottage cheese pizza bowl on TikTok. It’s high protein and packed with delicious flavors. I’m going to share exactly how I’ve been loving it (dip-style!) and how to make it the original way, too.

PS- you’ll love my Cottage Cheese Queso too, don’t miss that one!

About this recipe

This cottage cheese pizza bowl combines cottage cheese with spices, marinara sauce, cheese and your favorite toppings for a pizza-esque mixture that you can eat with a spoon or serve up with chips (my fave). The original recipe comes from this creator named Tonya, and it’s been an absolute hit.

Her version calls for mixing the ingredients up in a bowl, microwaving it and then eating it straight with a spoon. Personally, I love making this in a casserole dish and baking it in the oven. Then, I add the mixture to a bowl with pita chips and baby bell peppers for a complete and balanced meal.

One of the reasons cottage cheese is so popular right now is because of its nutrition content and versatility. It has a creamy mild taste, its convenient to throw into meals, and its high protein. 1 cup of cottage cheese can have up to 25 grams of protein.

Whatever way you prefer to make it, it uses the same simple ingredients. It’s not a total swap for your favorite pizza night, but it’s a great option if you’re in the mood for pizza flavors. Let’s get into what you’ll need next.

Ingredients you’ll need

Cottage cheese: The base for these bowls is cottage cheese. I prefer to blend it first, but if you’re not blending it, be sure to buy small curd cottage cheese. I don’t recommend using fat-free cottage cheese for this one.

Parmesan cheese: Grated parmesan cheese works perfectly in this recipe to up the pizza flavor and to use for extra topping!

Marinara sauce: You can use pizza sauce or regular marinara sauce.

Bell peppers: The original recipe calls for chopping the bell peppers and mixing them right in. I like to grab the mini sweet peppers and use them to dip! You could also use regular yellow, red or green bell peppers.

Pita chips: This is optional, but this recipe just screams “please dip chips into me”, right? My favorites to use for this are tortilla chips or pita chips.

Turkey pepperoni: You can use regular pepperoni if you prefer it. Personally, I love the Boar’s head turkey pepperoni. You could also use cooked Italian sausage.

Seasonings: For this tasty pizza bowl recipe the seasonings are simple- you’ll need Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

How to make cottage cheese pizza bowls

The oven method (makes 4 servings)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Blend a 16 oz container of cottage cheese using a blender, food processor or immersion blender.
3. In a small bowl or in the cottage cheese container, add Parmesan Cheese and seasonings. Mix well.
4. Cover the bottom of a casserole dish with the cottage cheese mixture.
5. Next, layer tomato sauce and then mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices on top of the cottage cheese mixture.
6. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
7. Top with extra parmesan cheese and serve with pita chips and sliced bell peppers for dipping! Season with black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste.

How to make in a bowl (makes 1 serving)

*Note: To make a single serving, use 1/4 of everything for this version. For example, use 1/2 cup of cottage cheese instead of 16 oz.

1. Blend 1/2 cup cottage cheese with an immersion blender or countertop blender.
2. Add cottage cheese, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese, 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese, 3-4 tablespoons of pizza sauce and 1 oz turkey pepperoni to a bowl. You can also add any other favorite pizza toppings you enjoy like chopped red or green peppers, black olives, mushrooms or onions.
3. Mix well and microwave for 20-35 seconds to let the cheese melt. Top with extra parm and serve with pita chips and mini peppers. Enjoy!
4. Season with black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste.

FAQ

Do you have to blend the cottage cheese?

Nope, if you don’t mind the texture of cottage cheese you can go ahead and skip that step. I prefer to blend it first because when heated, cottage cheese does get a little bit curdy. Blending it keeps it as smooth as possible!

Can I add other toppings?

Definitely! Add absolutely anything that you would like on top of a traditional pizza! You can add them at the end so that they’re cold or heat them with the bowl. See the variation section for some other ideas too.

What if I don’t like cottage cheese?

Because this crustless pizza bowl has so much flavor added, you might still enjoy it even if you’re not a huge cottage cheese fan. If you’re not sure, start with 1/2 the amount of cottage cheese and replace the other half with cream cheese instead.

Will this satsify my pizza craving?

Personally as a Registered Dietitian I’m a big fan of eating the “real thing” when you’re truly in the mood for it. With that said, if you love pizza-flavored stuff, this is a yummy idea to put into your normal rotation that’s so much fun!

Variations and Substitutions

• Cottage cheese chicken pizza bowl: Add shredded chicken!
• Buffalo chicken cottage cheese pizza bowl: Add shredded chicken and swap the tomato sauce for buffalo sauce (adjust based on how spicy you like it).
• Greek-style cottage cheese pizza bowl: Add feta cheese, fresh tomatoes, and kalamata olives.
• Cheeseburger pizza bowl: Add ground beef and swap mozzarella for sharp cheddar.
• Change up the dippers! Use your favorite whole grain crackers or tortilla chips instead of pita chips.
• Change up the cheese! Use your favorite cheeses instead of mozzarella like sharp cheddar, provolone cheese, or pepper jack.
• Add fresh herbs like fresh basil or fresh oregano.

You’ll also love

Easy Cottage Cheese Queso (High Protein)

Viral Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough (High-Protein)

Blended Cottage Cheese High Protein Breakfast Bowls

2-Ingredient Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip