Protein Chocolate Mousse Starts With Cottage Cheese And Ends With A Rich Dessert

A single cup of cottage cheese has about 25 grams of protein in it, which is a substantial amount that will leave you feeling full and satisfied for hours. But, if you've grown weary of eating bowl after bowl of plain cottage cheese, there are plenty of ways to jazz up those curds including, most delectably, a cottage cheese mousse. Making a protein-packed cottage cheese chocolate mousse is actually much easier to whip up than a standard chocolate mousse. Even better, you can eat it as soon as it's made and you don't have to deal with separating egg yolks from whites or melting chocolate to the proper temperature. 

Our recipe for citrusy cottage cheese chocolate mousse is simple, and you can always omit the orange zest entirely if you don't have a fresh orange lying around, since chocolate and cottage cheese are the real stars here. Start by draining out any excess liquid from your cottage cheese, as you want the mousse to be as thick as possible. Add the drained cottage cheese to a blender or food processor along with cocoa powder, a sweetener like honey or maple syrup, and a small pinch of salt. Blend the ingredients together until everything is smooth. If the mixture feels grainy, keep blending until silky smooth. 

Then, taste the mousse and add more sweetener or salt to your liking, if needed, before finally pouring the mousse into individual bowls, or one larger air-tight container with a lid. You can serve immediately, or place it in the refrigerator to enjoy later. 

While optional, there are all sorts of fun add-ins and toppings for your cottage cheese chocolate protein mousse. You could add vanilla or even peppermint extract as you're blending, or cinnamon for a bit of warming spice if it's cold out. Cacao nibs are a great topper for a cottage cheese chocolate mousse as they provide a fun crunch along with a bitter, even deeper chocolatey flavor (and extra protein). If you're seeking pure chocolate indulgence, you can either pour some melted baking chocolate into the mixture as you're blending it, or drizzle some on top before you serve. To feel fancier, garnish each serving with a dollop of whipped cream or crème fraîche followed by a bit of shaved chocolate on top. For a healthier twist, add berries instead.

Ground flaxseed can help act as a binder to substitute the eggs that are normally found in a chocolate mousse, and this also cuts out the usual overnight chilling time needed for more traditional mousse, as the eggs, melted chocolate, and cream used to set it need a long time to firm up in the refrigerator before reaching the proper texture. However, with your protein-packed cottage cheese as the base, replacing the heavy cream and eggs, there is almost no chill time required, since it's thick enough to bring the mousse together on its own. If you're wondering what to do with any leftover cottage cheese after making the mousse, to ensure you don't waste a gram of protein, choose from one of our many other delicious protein-packed cottage cheese recipes.