The Case For Topping Your Smoothie With Cheese – Yep, You Read That Right

Yogurt and milk are hailed as protein boosters for smoothies (and let's be honest, nothing beats a spoonful of peanut butter). Yet there's another tasty dairy that's too often excluded from smoothies: cheese. Honestly, I am enraged on its behalf. After topping my mixed-berry smoothies with cheese for the first time, I'm a total convert.

This wasn't my first cheesy beverage encounter — although the traditional Colombian hot chocolate con queso left me feeling more queasy than inspired. Once burned, twice shy, I decided to start simple, adding a few spoonfuls of Italian mascarpone. Despite initial reservations, the result was pleasantly surprising. The mascarpone blended effortlessly with some frozen berries and water — and dolloping another spoonful on top, it resembled a cheesy parfait. The first taste revealed a delightful creaminess, which softened some of the tang from the harsher-tasting berries like blackcurrants. Delicious.

Let's be honest, cheese is too often restricted to savory-only categories. Yet softer types, like mascarpone, play an important role in layered desserts, including tiramisu and cheesecake. Yes, moderation is key (some cheeses have higher levels of saturated fat and sodium than others). But, overall, cheesy smoothies are both flavorsome and nutritional — adding calcium and protein to recipes already rich in fruit-based fiber. My faith in fromage is restored. Yours should be, too.

Be careful what you sprinkle over smoothies. Not every queso gets the green light; the trick to incorporating cheese in your smoothies like a real foodie is understanding texture. Colombian hot chocolates use semi-hard Oaxacan or Swiss, but that's because the heat melts them. In cold smoothies, softer cheeses are the way forward for easy blending. Anything squishy is fair game; think whipped, cottage, cream, ricotta, or even brie.

Emboldened by the success of mascarpone, I decided to dabble in cottage cheese. I blended two tablespoons with water and mixed berries, and (reassured that cheese is among the best toppings to dress up your smoothies) crumbled some on top. The result was impressive, to say the least. Cottage cheese has a stronger tang and thicker texture than mascarpone, which came to the forefront as a topping. I am admittedly sour, not sweet-toothed, so that instantly took the crown for me. Moving forward, I'd confidently add half a cup per smoothie, which accumulates around 14g of protein. It's the perfect post-gym snack. 

Ultimately, these cheesy concoctions hinge on creativity. Some people even dust smoothies with Parmesan, although presumably finely-grated to avoid icky lumps. Follow your own taste buds and discernment; I'm reserving harder cheeses as toppings for pasta or crackers.