This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This easy super viral cottage cheese queso dip is insanely good, high protein, and only uses four ingredients. It’s creamy, flavorful and takes less than 5 minutes to make. Enjoy as a high-protein snack with tortilla chips, on top of nachos, or drizzled on your favorite tacos.
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Queso
As soon as I saw this viral Tiktok recipe (and all over social media in general!), I know I had to create my own version of this high protein cottage cheese queso. It’s easily one of my favorite cottage cheese recipes, and I’ve made a lot of them!
Here’s why you’ll love this high protein queso dip:
- High protein. Unlike traditional queso, one serving packs 14 grams of protein, making it a great high protein snack or dinner option!
- Only 4 ingredients. You only need four simple ingredients to throw it together.
- Perfectly creamy. High-protein cottage cheese is blended up so it’s silky smooth and it has so much flavor, you’d never even guess that it was made with cottage cheese.
- Quick and easy. Four ingredients and truly only 5 minutes to make. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Using cottage cheese is such a game changer for making a healthy dip. It’s mildly flavored, high protein, and blends up shockingly smooth. If you love cottage cheese dip like I do, you’ll love my Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing and Cottage Cheese Taco Dip too!
Ingredients
You only need four simple ingredients to make this high protein, cottage cheese queso recipe! Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Cottage cheese: Cottage cheese is such a versatile ingredient. It blends into a silky smooth texture and even if you’re not a cottage cheese lover, you’d never know this is made with it! I recommend full-fat cottage cheese. Any type of cottage cheese will work, but I like Good Culture.
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese: Real shredded cheese from a block over pre-shredded cheese works best, but any will work! You can also sub in the cheeses like Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar cheese.
- Fresh garlic: A fresh garlic clove adds the perfect punch of garlicky goodness to this dip. You can sub 1 teaspoons of garlic powder if you don’t have any fresh on hand.
- Diced green chiles: Grab a 4-oz can of diced green chiles or you can use jalapeños too.
You’ll also need a blender or food processor:
Variations and substitutions
- Make it spicy. Add fresh jalapeño, pickled jalapeños, hot sauce, or cayenne pepper before blending.
- Add taco seasoning. Use a tablespoon or two of taco seasoning for a taco-flavored queso dip. You can also add other spices like garlic powder, onion powder, or chili powder right to your cottage cheese mixture.
- Change up the cheese. Instead of a Mexican cheese blend, sub in sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, pepper jack cheese or your fave shredded cheese for a different flavor profile.
- Use nutritional yeast: Instead of cheese, you can also use nutritional yeast to give the queso it’s cheesy flavor.
- Add toppings! I love adding pico de gallo, chopped tomatoes, diced red onion, jalapeños, green onion or cilantro.
- Use as a veggie dip: This queso isn’t just for tortilla chips! You could also serve with fresh veggies like mini bell peppers.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Queso
- Add to blender. Add cottage cheese, shredded cheese, diced green chiles and garlic clove to a high-speed blender or food processor.
- Blend. Blend on high until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Heat. Heat on low in a small sauce pan, stirring often. Do not overheat or the queso will separate. You can also heat in the microwave in 15 second intervals, but stovetop is preferred!
- Enjoy! Serve with tortilla chips, on top of nachos, or even on tacos.
How To Store
This cheesy dip is best served fresh, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Just make sure to follow the heating instructions (low and slow) for leftover queso.
Serving Ideas
You can enjoy your as a snack with your favorite tortilla chips, or some of my favorite ways to enjoy it are with these meals:
Jamie’s tips
Tips For Success
- Use 2% or full fat cottage cheese. Full fat cottage cheese is the creamiest and less likely to separate when heated. Fat free and low fat is more likely to not be as creamy, but any will work! Good Culture 4% is my favorite.
- Use low heat. Cottage cheese can be a bit finicky when heated, so make sure to go low and slow to prevent separation! Heat your queso on low, stirring regularly until it’s heated through.
- Shred your own cheese. This is optional, but shredded cheese without any filler ingredients helps it melt smoother!
- Microwave tips. I recommend using a stovetop to heat. But, if you need to use a microwave, heat in very small increments of 15-20 seconds in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring regularly.
More Cottage Cheese Recipes
If you’ve made and loved this Cottage Cheese Queso Dip or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and comments below!
Cottage Cheese Queso Dip
Ingredients
- 16 oz Cottage cheese
- 1 4-oz can diced green chilis
- 1 clove garlic
- 1-2 cups Mexican shredded cheese
Instructions
- Add cottage cheese, shredded cheese, diced green chilis and garlic clove to a high-speed blender or food processor.
- Blend on high until the queso dip is smooth and creamy. Taste test and add salt, pepper, or any additional seasonings to taste.
- Heat on stovetop (recommended): In a small sauce pan, heat the cottage cheese queso on low heat, stirring often until hot. Do not overheat or the queso will separate and lose it's creamy texture.Heat in microwave: In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave queso slowly in 15 second increments until hot. Stir in between microwave sessions. *Important note*: If you microwave the queso for too long or too quickly, it will separate and lose its creamy texture- heat carefully until it's just warm enough so that the queso stays nice and creamy!
- Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips, tacos or nachos!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
This is SO good and an easy protein option to add! I only had some green enchilada sauce in the cabinet so poured a little in instead of the green chiles, still worked well!
So glad you enjoyed it Emily! Enchilada sauce is so smart!
Really love this recipe! I’ve been using it with tortilla chips and rotisserie chicken as sort of a nachos meal prep and the queso helps keep me full well past dinner! Looking forward to trying some of the variations, I love that you include those.
Yay! So glad you love this one Elizabeth! I love love the idea of using it with rotisserie chicken and tortilla chips for nachos- so smart!!
Hi Jamie, are you using 4 oz or 7 oz can of diced chiles? And are you draining them? I’m going to try this using fat free shredded cheddar with a little reduced sodium taco seasoning tossed in. (Normally I make my healthier queso with fat free cream cheese, but struggling to find that in stock anywhere!) Thanks!
I use the 4 oz can but I’m sure a 7 oz can would still be delicious!
Can this be done in a small slow cooker?
I find that when it’s heated up too much it tends to separate a little bit, so I’m not sure because I haven’t tried it. It does need to be made in a blender first, though, even if you try heating in a small crockpot.
Made this with cream cheese instead of Mexican shredded cheese and it came out great!
Yay, so glad you liked it!
Could this be used as a white enchilada sauce? Or would baking it on enchiladas cause it to separate?
I’m not sure! My guess is that it would separate a bit when baking. You can always experiment 🙂
YUM! So good and SO easy! I didn’t have green chiles, but I had jarred jalapeños so that was perfect (used about 1/4 cup of those). Can’t wait to enjoy this all week! 🙌🏼
I was so lucky to find this recipe. I was just ready to throw out my cottage cheese. I accidentally bought large curd and I hate large curd. Use that to make this dip and it was absolutely phenomenal!
Love, love love it. This will definitely be in regular rotation! So easy and delicious.
Wow. Husband found this and it’s a super hit! Never too old to learn a new recipe! Will try all your variations too. Thanks!
Glad you loved it!!
How much nutritional yeast should be used?