High-Protein Cottage Cheese Lemon Chia Pudding
This High-Protein Cottage Cheese Lemon Chia Pudding is thick, creamy, high in fiber, and has about 20g of protein per serving. It tastes a little like lemon cheesecake in a jar and makes an easy prep-ahead breakfast, snack, or healthy dessert.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 335kcal
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 cups coconut milk unsweetened, refrigerated
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp maple syrup sugar-free, or honey, or any sweetener you prefer
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1/8 tsp turmeric optional for color
Instructions
- Add the cottage cheese to a bowl or tall container. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the coconut milk and blend again until silky smooth.
- Add the remaining coconut milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, sweetener, vanilla extract, salt, and turmeric if using. Whisk until fully combined.
- Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness if needed. It should taste slightly sweeter than you want because the flavor softens after chilling.
- Add the chia seeds and whisk well so they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes, then stir again to break up any chia seed clumps.
- Return to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, until thick and creamy.
- Give the pudding one final stir, then divide it between serving glasses or jars.
- Top with extra lemon zest, fresh berries, toasted coconut, or chopped pistachios before serving.
Notes
- If using canned coconut milk, use 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk mixed with 1 1/2 cups water or milk instead of 2 cups refrigerated coconut milk.
- Full-fat cottage cheese gives the creamiest texture, but low-fat cottage cheese also works.
- For a smoother pudding, blend the chia seeds with the other ingredients. For a classic chia pudding texture, stir them in after blending.
- Taste the lemon cream before adding the chia seeds and adjust the sweetness as needed. It will taste slightly less sweet once chilled.
- Nutrition is calculated using sugar-free maple syrup. Values may vary depending on the cottage cheese, coconut milk, and sweetener used.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 437mg | Iron: 3mg | Net Carbs: 11g