These cottage cheese filled strawberries offer a nice bit of protein, along with two tasty berries, in one tasty bite. This is the perfect dessert option for those looking to watch their waist line. It is a light and healthy dessert option with built in portion control. For all my Weight Watcher friends, these are zero points for one or up to five of these for 1 point (it is WW math, not mine…LOL) I’ve mixed high protein cottage cheese with a little light cream cheese to get this creamy and slightly better for you filling. I’m always on the hunt for better options that don’t compromise taste, and this is one of those recipes. Cottage cheese and strawberries is a great combo, as is, cottage cheese and fruit in general.
Let’s talk about substitutions for the filling. Why? Because I constantly get people that refuse to try cottage cheese or have sugar preferences or just, plain want to be difficult (only kidding!!!) I’ve made this using full fat cream cheese with regular sugar and it was great. I’ve made this with just light cream cheese and a little fat-free Greek yogurt, and that worked just fine. I finally settled on cottage cheese and a little light cream cheese so I could add some protein to this dish. I chose fat-free cottage cheese, but a light or full-fat cottage also work. I wound up adding the two tablespoons of light cream cheese to thicken up the filling a bit and the proportions I used in this recipe worked great. When they are blended together, you get a great creamy filling. One note on the fat-free cottage cheese I’ve used here. Drain it well to remove excess liquid so the mix doesn’t get watered down. You can do this in a sieve sitting over a bowl. I just let it drain for about 15 minutes. If you are in a rush, just use a slotted spoon and press the excess liquid out with the back of another spoon.
The options for ingredients make this a very versatile filling. I would just keep the proportions the same as the recipe.
When it comes to sugar, again, you can use the sugar sweetener of your choice. I’m a fan of the monk fruit by Lakanto and often use Swerve too. I find both of them great zero calorie sugar substitutions. You can certainly use real sugar. NOTE: I used granular sugar substitute but powdered sugar would also work, so use what you have on hand.
I wanted the filling to be super smooth. When working with cottage cheese, it is often the lumpy texture that turns people off. The best way to “fix that” and to get this super creamy filling is to use a small blender. The blender makes faster work of whipping this mix smooth. I have used a hand mixer on the highest speed and let it whip until really smooth. It just takes longer. BTW, cottage cheese and fruit is one of my go tos for breakfast and as a treat at night. I’ve now upped my game by serving this cottage cheese filling in a bowl topped with fresh fruit as a sweeter option in the morning or as a light dessert. I’m loving it!
You certainly can use a small spoon to add the filling to the hulled out berries but using a piping bag is the way to go. It is not to be fancy, but rather to control the filling, make it neat, and getting it into that small cavity in the berry. I personally think everyone should have a piping bag…they come in handy for everything. You can buy a disposable bag and tip set at the grocery store if you must, but getting a good piping tip kit will give you a tool you’ll have forever.
When it comes to prepping the strawberries, you’ll cut off the top and slice a small piece off the pointy end so they stand up straight. Then, it is time to create the cavity in the strawberry so you have a place to put the filling. The absolute best “tool” for creating that cavity is a grapefruit spoon. I discovered this tool years ago and use it for digging out the pits in a peach, hulling my strawberries and scraping out the seeds in a cucumber too! Having that spoon has come in so handy over the years. But, I digress. Back to the berries…LOL.
Using the grapefruit spoon, scoop out the middle of the strawberries. You can put them into a freezer bag and save for a smoothie or another use. Once you have all your strawberries prepared, you are ready to create the filling.
I recommend using a blender for mixing the ingredients since it will get the mixture smooth quicker. Add the cottage cheese, light cream cheese, vanilla and sugar substitute and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer but it will take much longer to get smooth. Once it is smooth, taste and adjust the sweetness if needed. Spoon the filling into a piping bag with a plain tip or a star tip, and pipe the filling into the strawberries.
Once all the berries are filled with the cottage cheese filling, top each one with a blueberry. You can keep these covered in the refrigerator for several hours before serving or serve right away. They make the greatest red, white and blue dessert option for the 4th of July and Memorial Day. I just serve them on a platter. How’s that for an easy and simple cottage cheese with strawberries dessert? If you like this recipe, and if you enjoy small bite sized desserts, be sure to try my Mini Fruit Parfaits. I like to serve those for these holidays too.
Need ideas for a 4th of July Barbecue? I’ve got your covered!
If you like this recipe, be sure to leave a rating and comment below. If you are looking for other fun, summer desserts, be sure to try some of these:
Hami Melon and Kiwi Smoothie Bowl
Cherry, Acai, Pomegranate & Raspberry Smoothie Bowl
Sugar Free Chocolate Protein Truffles
Chocolate Dipped Yogurt & Berry Bites
Cottage Cheese Filled Strawberries
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 12 Large Strawberries, washed and dried
- 3 Oz. Fat-free cottage cheese, drained
- 2 Tbsp. Low-fat cream cheese
- 1 Tbsp. Lakanto or Swerve Confectioner’s Sugar Substitute
- ½ Tsp. Pure vanilla extract
- 12 Small blueberries, washed and dried
Instructions
- Prep your strawberries by cutting off the stem end. Then, cut a small slice off the pointy side of the berry. Using a grapefruit spoon, small melon ball scoop or teaspoon, scoop out the middle of the berry. Save for another use.
- In a medium size bowl, add your drained cottage cheese and room temperature cream cheese, along with the sugar and vanilla. Using a hand mixer or blender, beat until smooth. Add the mixture to a piping bag with a plain tip or star tip.
- Fill each hulled out strawberry and top each with a blueberry. Place on a platter and chill until ready to serve. Enjoy.
