Frozen Cottage Cheese Bark
Creamy peanut butter cottage cheese meets chocolate-y swirls and crunchy peanuts in this irresistible frozen cottage cheese bark. This high-protein snack takes five minutes to prep and is my personal chocolate peanut butter heaven. My version is viral banana bark meets viral cottage cheese bark for a truly epic snack.
I’m not gonna lie, I’m usually quite skeptical of the viral food trends on social media. Balsamic vinegar in sparking water? Butter in coffee? That weird pink pickle wrapped in candy thing on TikTok? Errrr no thank you. But frozen cottage cheese bark? I’m intrigued.
I have a MAJOR sweet tooth and love to eat a treat every day. Right now in my season of life with little kids, having a cup of tea and afternoon sweet snack helps me get through the day. And when I can find something that doubles as a high-protein snack and delicious dessert? That is a WIN. This recipe is a healthy snack that my whole family loves.
A few reasons this recipe works:
- Blending the cottage cheese makes it virtually unidentifiable as cottage cheese- removing the texture aversion that some people experience. (My husband doesn’t like cottage cheese but totally didn’t recognize it when I fed him a piece!)
- Using whole milk cottage cheese makes this an almost decadent treat with a yummy, creamy texture.
- Fun toppings like a chocolate peanut butter swirl, granola and peanuts add texture and flavor.
- The layer of bananas contributes to the frozen creaminess of the bark while providing natural sweetness.
- This cottage cheese bark recipe takes about five minutes to whip up, uses a handful of wholesome ingredients and stores amazingly well in the freezer for whenever you want a chomp of crunchy frozen dessert.
- Each serving boasts 9 grams of protein, 8 grams of heart-healthy fats and 180 calories.
What you’ll need to make cottage cheese bark:
Bananas: opt for ripe (but not overripe) bananas for perfect sweetness.
Cottage cheese: I recommend full fat cottage cheese for a creamier texture but you can use lowfat cottage cheese or fat-free cottage cheese as well.
Honey: used to sweeten up our base layer and counteract the tanginess of the cottage cheese. You can also use maple syrup or agave nectar.
Peanut butter: I use the Kirkland signature organic natural peanut butter from Costco which is perfectly drizzly which I love. If you use an emulsified peanut butter like Jif or Skippy, warm it in the microwave for a few seconds so you can drizzle it on the bark.
Vanilla extract: for a bit of yummy vanilla flavor in the base layer.
Chocolate: any type of chocolate chunks or chips. I used 72% dark chocolate chunks.
Toppings: I love the combo of crushed peanuts, granola (I love this one!) and a just a pinch of flaky sea salt, but this is where you let your creativity run wild and use your favorite toppings! (see variation section for ideas)
How to make frozen cottage cheese bark:
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat (wax paper should work too).
Arrange the bananas slices in a rectangle. Two bananas should give you about 35 slices to make a 5×7 banana rectangle.
In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese, two tablespoons of peanut butter, honey and vanilla. Blend until super smooth cottage cheese mixture.
Use a spatula to spread mixture over the banana slices in a rectangular shape. It should be an even layer that covers the bananas.
Drizzle another tablespoon of peanut butter over the bark. Melt chocolate chips and drizzle the chocolate in a zigzag pattern.
If you’re feeling fancy, use a toothpick to make a fun pattern. Drag the toothpick in lines one direction and then in between those lines, draw more lines in the opposite direction.
Sprinkle on granola, crushed peanuts and a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt. Place bark in the freezer for two hours (or until completely frozen). Break the bark up with your hands or use a knife to cut into uniform chunks.
Store in a gallon Ziploc bag or freezer-safe airtight container for up to three months.
A tip on serving: this is pretty hard straight from the freezer. I like to let mine sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until it’s softened a bit. It’s still cold, creamy and frozen but more the texture of ice cream versus a hard bark. It is SO good.
Variation ideas:
- Pumpkin cinnamon: blend pumpkin puree, cinnamon and almond butter into the base and top with granola
- Berry cheesecake: blend cottage cheese with frozen mixed berries and top with crushed graham crackers and more berries
- Oreo dark chocolate swirl: add melted chocolate to the base and top with more dark chocolate chips and crushed Oreo pieces
- Peanut butter and jelly: add peanut butter and fruit jam to the base and swirl extra into the top
- Trail mix: top cottage cheese bark with chopped nuts and dried fruits
- Strawberries and cream: add a spoonful of strawberry jam to the base, swirl it into the top and top with chopped fresh strawberries
- Fruit pizza: top with all of your favorite fresh fruits
- Lemon poppyseed: add lemon extract to the base and top with poppy seeds, granola or chopped nuts
- Healthy frozen yogurt bark: replace the cottage cheese with plain Greek yogurt and use the chocolate peanut butter flavor combo of this recipe or any of the above flavor ideas!
FAQs
It has a tangy flavor from the cottage cheese and is slightly sweet (from the honey). Straight from the freezer it is very hard. I recommend letting it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Then it is cold, creamy, peanut butter-y and simply addicting.
I recommend storing the pieces in an airtight container or a gallon Ziploc bag laid flat in the freezer for up to three months.
Yep! Follow the same method and sub equal parts plain Greek yogurt (or vanilla yogurt) for the cottage cheese.
Sure do! Check the above ‘variation ideas’ section for so many yummy flavor combos!
If you love this healthy dessert, check out these other easy snacks!
Watch how to make frozen cottage cheese bark:
Well it’s freezing cold here but I still want a hunk of chocolate peanut butter cottage cheese bark every evening. It’s going to be even better on a hot summer day, I can’t wait for better weather! Y’all are gonna lurrvveee this one 🤩
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
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Frozen Cottage Cheese Bark
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: N/A
- Total Time: 5 minutes + time to freeze
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This frozen cottage cheese banana bark doubles as a healthy snack and delicious dessert, I can’t keep my hands out of the freezer!
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 2–3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons chocolate chips, melted
- 2 tablespoons peanuts, chopped
- 3 tablespoons granola
- Flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
Prep: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.Arrange the bananas slices in a rectangle. Two bananas should give you about 35 slices to make a 5×7 banana rectangle.
Blend: In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese, two tablespoons of peanut butter, honey and vanilla. Start conservatively with the honey and adjust per your desired level of sweetness (I used the full three tablespoons). Blend until super smooth and creamy.
Assemble: Pour mixture over the banana slices and use a spatula to spread it in a rectangular shape. It should be an even layer that covers the bananas. Drizzle another tablespoon of peanut butter over the bark. Place the chocolate chunks in a small microwave safe bowl and melt, stirring at 30-second intervals, for 60-90 seconds until chocolate is smooth and melted. Pour on the chocolate in a zigzag pattern.
If you’re feeling fancy, use a toothpick to make a fun pattern. Drag the toothpick in lines one direction and then in between those lines, draw lines in the opposite direction.
Top it off: Sprinkle on granola, crushed peanuts and a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt. Be careful with the salt, cottage cheese is naturally salty so don’t overdo it!
Freeze: Place bark in the freezer for two hours (or until completely frozen). Break the bark up with your hands or use a knife to cut into uniform chunks. Store in a gallon Ziploc bag or freezer-safe airtight container for up to three months.
A tip on serving: this is pretty hard straight from the freezer. I like to let mine sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until it’s softened a bit. It’s still cold, creamy and frozen but more the texture of ice cream versus a hard bark. It is SO good.
Notes
See above blog post for variation ideas, ingredient substitution suggestions and answers to frequently asked questions!
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary slightly.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 recipe
- Calories: 179
- Sugar: 14.6 g
- Sodium: 201.1 mg
- Fat: 7.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.5 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 8.9 g
- Cholesterol: 6.8 mg
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I made this as a treat for my 4 year old and 2 year old. Everyone in the house LOVED it and went back for seconds. Such a yummy & semi healthy treat. Thanks Erica!
Hooray!! Thanks Kyha! Means a lot coming from a non-dessert gal! 😉
I love everything Erica makes and givres us recipes for and this is no exception!! I was skeptical of liking the cottage cheese at first, but it gives a great tangy taste like Greek yogurt! This is the perfect snack for me as a avid peanut butter and chocolate eater. I love having it stocked in my freezer when I’m feely snacky. Do not be afraid to try this!!
YAAASSS Jules, thank you for this!! I really appreciate your review and thanks for trying my recipe! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
I made this in 2 variations and liked both of them. I will make it again and try new combinations! I didn’t have bananas so I skipped that part-I will definitely use them next time because the cottage cheese wasn’t as sweet as I would have liked. One that I made with natural peanut butter and dark chocolate chips and crushed peanuts and granola, and the other was with sugar free strawberry jam, chopped strawberries, white chocolate chips and graham crackers. Both were very good but probably would have been better with bananas. I may even try using some of our favorite protein powder mixed right into the blender with the cottage cheese. Thank you! Delicious and it definitely sparked my creativity!
This is amazing!! Love the creativity and those flavor combos sound BOMB! Good idea on the protein powder for a little sweetness and even MORE protein.
This is SO yummy! My husband made it with me and he was skeptical, but we both couldn’t stop eating it! Kids loved it too!
I made it to use for my daughter after coming home from the hospital after a c section. I made it last nite and most of it is gone because my daughter tried it and loved it . I tried it and it’s so delicious it is like a wonderful ice cream with a crunchy topping like a nutty buddy . I used almonds on top instead of the peanuts. I’m going to have to make a lot more for her recovery. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Hooray so happy to hear Lisa!
Wow, I loved this so much! I followed the directions and wouldn’t change a thing. This is a must-make and I will do it again. I would note that I do not have a high-speed blender so my little old blender had to work extra hard to get the cottage cheese smooth and creamy. I will be investing in a better blender.
Have you ever tried blending the banana in with the cottage cheese (and the peanut butter, honey, etc)? I’m just wondering if it is still just as tasty this way or if having the chunks of banana tastes better.
I made this and loved it! I love PB but actually never tried it with bananas and now understand the hype lol. Very yummy combo! I used roasted salted pecans and macadamia nuts as the topper instead of peanuts and they worked beautifully. I am chasing protein while trying to lose weight with a sweet tooth that won’t quit, so this checks a lot of boxes for me. Thank you!
I love this so much!! I feel you on the sweet tooth that won’t quit haha!
Delish! It was a toddler-friendly recipe, letting my 2 year old cut the bananas, spread the cottage cheese mixture, add the peanut butter dollops, and chopping the peanuts in a nut chopper and spreading them on top. We ate this for dessert after we had your Teriyaki Chicken Tacos with creamy sesame cucumbers!
I love this so much and love even more that your toddler helped you make it!