Tastes like Apple Pie for less calories and a lot of protein
I do not recall where I first saw the ideas for cooking and baking with cottage cheese. Cookbooks and recipes sites are my favorite place to peruse. Some people play solitaire, some people surf social media… I read cookbooks to get inspired.
“Oh WOW! We could do that for your birthday!”
“That looks like something that would work better for our salmon bake instead of dill.”
“I love that holiday table. I wonder if I could set that up in blue instead…hmmm”
You get the idea. It is relaxing and fun.
Recipes are not something I follow well though. I learned to cook and bake when I was little. Grandma would not measure with cups and spoons but would use the palm of her hand. After decades of cooking and baking one learns that THESE things need to happen in some form to make something turn out. Yes, I get a few flops along the way, but mostly I get wins and occasionally I write them down. I have a Brazil Nut cookie recipe floating around here that I should share. Wonder were I tucked that?
Cottage cheese pancakes had been a thing happening in my kitchen for a while, and then I started adding cherries and baking it for a fun sheet pan bar. So good with vanilla and cherries. But then THESE showed up along the way and they have been my Go To for a high protein dessert, snack or breakfast slice since.
Ingredients
¾ c of finely chopped apple (you’re going to sauté these with some spice and a little water.)
2 t cinnamon (or to taste)
1 cup cottage cheese
½ cup liquid egg whites
4 eggs
¼ cup of sweetener (or to taste. If you are using a vanilla protein powder, you may not need any sweetener. Read the directions for more on that)
1 t vanilla extract
- Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line 8X8 pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sauté chopped apple with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in 1 T of water until the pieces are soft. You can add more apple if your like. I’ve chopped the apple finely, and left it in chunks. It works both ways.
- Meanwhile whip liquid egg white until almost stiff peaks. Blend in eggs, cottage cheese, the rest of the cinnamon, and the vanilla until smooth.
- At this point you can add in a scoop of egg white protein if you want to increase the protein intake, or a scoop of collagen protein. If you are using sweetener, add it now, but be aware that the protein powder may contain sweetener.
- Add softened apples to the 8×8 pan, pour batter over the apples.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until inserted toothpick is clean. My husband likes this for breakfast and will eat it with a bit of maple syrup. I like it for dessert and will eat it like a brownie.
- Note: you can use 8 eggs and no liquid egg whites if you prefer.
I hope you enjoy this. If you cook and bake anything like me, you will be adapting this. Let me know how your creations turn out.
