It's Time To Add Protein-Rich Cottage Cheese To This Iconic Baked Good
In recent years, we've watched cottage cheese become the comeback kid of the dairy section as an incredibly versatile ingredient that can add a healthy dose of protein to just about anything. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that cottage cheese can also work its magic in a brownie recipe, satisfying your chocolate cravings while also helping meet your daily protein requirements. Although the first brownie recipe ever was invented at a Chicago hotel, one of the most traditional and delicious to this day is actually credited to someone just as beloved as the baked good itself.
Katherine Hepburn's famously fudgy brownie recipe is already made with simple ingredients, but it couldn't be easier to swap in cottage cheese to make it even more delectable. The stick of butter (1/2 cup or 113 grams) is substituted one to one for whole or reduced-fat cottage cheese, blended. Blending the cottage cheese is crucial to prevent a lumpy batter and to achieve the typical brownie consistency. Once baked, you'd never know by the appearance or taste that cottage cheese is hiding in it. The remaining ingredients in Hepburn's brownie recipe include cocoa powder, flour, sugar, eggs, chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans), chocolate chips, vanilla, and sea salt.
These ingredients can remain the same or be modified based on flavor or dietary preferences. To make these high-protein brownies gluten-free, replace the all-purpose flour with almond flour one-to-one. For an egg-free version, substitute each egg with 3 tablespoons of nut butter. If you prefer a brownie with less added sugar, reduce the cup of sugar to a half cup (this may result in a dry brownie with a stronger chocolate flavor).
Same delicious brownie, now with double the protein
Katherine Hepburn's original brownie recipe yields about a dozen brownies, and according to nutrient calculations made by a nutrition analysis app, each one contains approximately 3.5 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbohydrates, and 2 grams of fiber, totaling 230 calories. When substituting butter with whole milk cottage cheese, for the same number of calories, the recipe can be sliced into slightly larger brownies, yielding 9 brownies instead of 12, while doubling the protein content to 6 grams and reducing the fat content to 12 grams, while the carbs and fiber stay almost the same (27 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber). The extra protein not only helps reduce blood sugar spikes from the added sugar, but specifically using cottage cheese may keep you feeling satisfied for longer too.
While any meal or snack high in protein can promote balanced blood sugar levels and satiety, cottage cheese is uniquely rich in casein, a specific type of protein that digests slower than dairy proteins such as the whey found in yogurt. Whether you substitute cottage cheese in Hepburn's brownie recipe or a similar one (like Dominque Ansel's famous brownie recipe, for instance) the simple ingredients, satisfying protein boost, and nutrient ratio make this an excellent choice as a dessert or a snack when your sweet tooth strikes.