Add A Dollop Of This Cheese To Your Next Smoothie And Thank Us Later (Yes, We Said Cheese)

From the title, you're probably assuming it's the notorious cottage cheese, and while that works well in a smoothie too, we're talking about a highly underrated, dessert-like Italian cheese here — mascarpone. If you've never had mascarpone cheese, it's somewhat of a cross between cream cheese and ricotta in both flavor and texture. It's famously used in tiramisu and is largely what makes the dessert taste ultra rich and decadent, without feeling heavy, thanks to its light, airy consistency. Adding just a dollop of mascarpone to your next smoothie is all you need to trick your taste buds into thinking you're drinking a milkshake.

Part of what makes mascarpone the perfect creamy touch for a smoothie is its concentrated fat content. Just one tablespoon — roughly the size of a dollop — contains about 7 grams of fat, compared to the 5 grams contained in cream cheese. That richness means a little goes a long way, adding a noticeably smoother, silkier mouthfeel once blended. If your go-to, protein-filled morning smoothie with a dollop of mascarpone added to it tastes decadent, don't panic, because it doesn't mean the healthy start to your day has been wrecked. 

In fact, mascarpone has no carbohydrates or sugar, and contains 1 gram of protein per tablespoon. At only 60 calories, it's a great keto or low-carb friendly addition too. The fat in a tablespoon of mascarpone may also help keep you fuller for longer if your smoothie only contains fruit, liquid, and a bit of protein, as fat slows the emptying of your stomach, which prevents rapid blood sugar spikes and keeps you feeling full for hours.

The beauty of using mascarpone in a smoothie, as opposed to cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, or even Greek yogurt, is that it enhances all of the other ingredients without competing with them. Mascarpone lacks the pronounced tang found in cream cheese, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt — which are often seen as breakfast competitors — allowing fruit and flavor add-ins to remain front and center. While ricotta shares a similarly mild, slightly sweet flavor profile, it doesn't deliver the same level of rich creaminess, especially when it's homemade ricotta, unless used in larger quantities, which can actually dilute the smoothie's overall flavor.

Mascarpone is about as foolproof as it gets, working just as seamlessly in a classic strawberry-banana blend as it does in a dessert-inspired chocolate–coconut–almond smoothie or even one packed with hidden veggies to elevate the flavors as it creates lush creamy textures. In fact, the only time mascarpone won't fit the bill is if dairy isn't part of your diet. 

In that case, coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk are fantastic non-dairy alternatives with a similarly rich, luxurious consistency, especially when whipped. While it does bring subtle coconut notes, it still complements a wide range of smoothie flavors without overpowering them.