Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Bars

Incredibly creamy and deliciously sweet, these ice cream bars will quickly become your new favorite dessert! I know cottage cheese sounds crazy, but trust me on this one; you’ll never guess that it’s there. And who doesn’t want a fun dessert/snack that’s packed with 8 grams of protein per serving and no refined sugar?! Count me in!

If you don’t already know me, then I need to let you in on a not-so-secret secret: I love ice cream. Ice cream sundaes, ice cream cones, ice cream bars…say the word ice cream and I’m listening! There is always a time and place for the real thing in all its rich, creamy goodness. However, if you’re like me and need ice cream a little more often, this recipe is for you.

Now I know, you’re probably still doubting me after reading the title of this post; I mean, cottage cheese? What??! Before you run away, let me talk for just a minute, okay? Cottage cheese undoubtedly has a strange texture, but when blended it creates this super thick, creamy mixture, reminiscent of an ice cream base. And, once you add peanut butter, bananas, cinnamon and a little honey, you’ve got a mixture so deliciously creamy and sweet that you’ll forget all about the cottage cheese! I’ll be honest, I was skeptical of this novel food trend too, but I quickly came to realize that cottage cheese really is worth the hype. Hopefully these ice cream bars will convince you too 😉

Ingredients You Need

Cottage Cheese~ Since this ingredient is the star of the show, make sure to use full-fat cottage cheese. Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese will result in an icy texture that isn’t as creamy.

Bananas~ Overripe bananas are super important in this recipe because they are the main source of sweetener. Be sure to use bananas that are very brown and spotted for optimum sweetness and flavor.

Peanut Butter~ For this recipe, only use creamy peanut butter. Any brand works. Nut butter adds creaminess and an extra pack of protein, so I don’t recommend omitting it. If you prefer, you can substitute with a different nut butter or an allergy friendly alternative.

Honey~ A touch of honey adds a bit more sweetness, without using any refined white sugar. However, if you don’t have honey on hand, white or brown sugar, or maple syrup will work too.

Cinnamon~ I love adding cinnamon to enhance the flavors of the banana and peanut butter!

Dark Chocolate~ To make an ice cream bar chocolate shell, you will need dark chocolate chips or a dark chocolate bar broken into pieces. Try to look for dark chocolate that is at least 75% cacao for the healthiest option. However, if you don’t like dark chocolate, semi-sweet, milk, or even white chocolate will work.

Coconut Oil~ In order for the chocolate shell to harden, you will need to use coconut oil. No substitutions can be made here.

The Dance

These cottage cheese ice cream bars are so easy to make; the hardest part is waiting for them to freeze! To start, add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor, minus the chocolate and coconut oil, and blend until smooth. Make sure that the cottage cheese is thoroughly blended. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze for several hours until solid.

Although you can leave your popsicles plain for a healthy breakfast treat, you can also opt to dip them in dark chocolate for a more indulgent treat. Either way is delicious! If you want chocolate dipped ice cream bars, melt together the chocolate and coconut oil until smooth. Dip each popsicle into the chocolate and watch as the chocolate quickly freezes and hardens. So cool! Be sure to serve immediately so the ice cream bars don’t melt. View the video below for a recipe visual:

These cottage cheese ice cream bars are perfect for dessert, breakfast or a post-workout snack. Not only did I enjoy them, but everyone in my house, including my little brother, loved them too! These will definitely be on repeat at my house throughout the hot summer days that are fast approaching. And I have a feeling you’ll be making these all summer too… 😀

Need more popsicle/ice cream ideas? I’ve got you covered! Check these recipes out below:

Patriotic Pops

Grandma’s Banana Pudding Ice Cream

Tropical Pineapple Popsicles

Peanut Butter and Jelly Popsicles

Chocolate PB Breakfast Ice Cream

Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Bars

Incredibly creamy and deliciously sweet, these ice cream bars will quickly become your new favorite dessert! I know cottage cheese sounds crazy, but trust me on this one; you'll never guess that it's there. And who doesn't want a fun dessert/snack that's packed with 8 grams of protein per serving and no refined sugar?! Count me in!

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Freeze Time 5 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 6 popsicles

Calories 160 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup full-fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 large, overripe bananas
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional Chocolate Ice Cream Bar Shell

• 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

 

• To a blender or food processor, add the cottage cheese, peanut butter, bananas, honey and cinnamon. Blend ingredients until smooth and creamy.
• Pour mixture into popsicle molds and insert popsicle sticks. Freeze 4-5 hours or overnight until frozen solid.
• If you want to make the optional chocolate ice cream bar shell, melt chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 30 second increments until completely melted. One by one, dip popsicles in the melted chocolate and allow the chocolate to harden. The chocolate should harden in about 30-60 seconds. Serve ice cream bars immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

*Calories calculated without the optional chocolate shell.

Keyword banana, ice cream, peanut butter, popsicle, protein desserts