Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cottage Cheese
Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cottage Cheese
If you’re like me, then you’ve probably seen these whipped cottage cheese recipes floating around the internet. I’ve wanted to try them for a while, but it took this one to get me to take action. My friend sent me one with pumpkin and I am so ready for fall (as I sit in sunny LA) that I had to try it.
Super simple recipe. All you need for equipment is a food processor and some measuring cups (but even those aren’t a must).
So what makes this recipe worth trying, you ask?
Packed with protein- I love to start my day with a protein-rich breakfast because it sets the tone for balanced blood sugar for the rest of the day. Cottage cheese is a great way to get in a good amount of protein. For example, the cottage cheese I buy has 14g of protein for a ½ cup serving – that is a lot of protein in a tiny package!
Pumpkin adds a nutritional punch - while most of us may associate pumpkin with pies and lattes, pumpkins are a vegetable that actually have a lot of benefits to offer! Beta-carotene is a compound that can be converted into vitamin A in the body, which is beneficial for vision, skin, immunity, and is an antioxidant. Speaking of eyesight, pumpkin also contains lutein and zeaxanthin – two additional compounds that protect our vision. Pumpkin is also rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, potassium, and folate. (1)
Pumpkin adds some fiber - another reason I love pumpkin which is totally worth calling out on its own is fiber. By adding fiber to our protein-rich breakfast, we are slowing down digestion and really keeping our blood sugar balanced, while keeping us fuller for longer. Not to mention that fiber makes our microbiome happy. (1)
Without further ado..
THE RECIPE
Ingredients
1 cup cottage cheese
½ cup pureed pumpkin
3 tbsp 100% maple syrup (add more or less depending on your preference)
Few dashes of pumpkin pie spice
Dash of vanilla extract
Method
Put all ingredients in food processor and blend until mixture is smooth and creamy.
Put in your desired serving dish, top with desired topping, and enjoy!
Some additional topping ideas
-drizzle of maple syrup or honey
-pecan pieces
-pumpkin seeds
-granola
-hemp hearts
-chia seeds
-whipped coconut cream
Resources
Yadav, M., Jain, S., Tomar, R., Prasad, G. B. K. S., & Yadav, H. (2010). Medicinal and biological potential of pumpkin: An updated review. Nutrition Research Reviews, 23(2), 184–190. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422410000107