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This high protein cottage cheese cornbread is moist, tender, and lightly sweet, with about 12g of protein per slice and zero protein powder. Blended cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and eggs replace the buttermilk, and the whole thing bakes in one skillet in just 20 minutes. Once it’s blended, the cottage cheese disappears completely, so all you taste is buttery, honey-kissed cornbread!
Quick Look: High Protein Cottage Cheese Cornbread
- 🌽 What it is: Skillet cornbread where blended cottage cheese and Greek yogurt replace the buttermilk.
- ⭐ Why it works: Blending the cottage cheese silky smooth keeps the crumb tender with no curd pockets.
- 💛 Why you’ll love it: Classic cornbread flavor with the protein coming from real food, not powder.
- ⚠️ What to watch for: Let it cool 15 minutes before slicing, or the center looks gummy.
- 🍳 Pan notes: A 10-inch skillet bakes it in 20 minutes with crisp, golden edges.
Why This Recipe Works
- About 12g of protein per slice from cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and eggs, with no protein powder
- Blended cottage cheese does the job of buttermilk, the same trick behind my high protein cottage cheese biscuits
- A 10-minute batter rest hydrates the cornmeal, so the crumb is soft instead of gritty
- One skillet, 20 minutes in the oven, and crispy golden edges every time
- Lightly sweet with honey, so it works with chili, soup, or a drizzle of butter and honey on its own
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need (and Why)
- Cottage cheese: Blended completely smooth, it replaces the buttermilk and brings most of the protein (about 39g in the whole pan). I use 2%, and it’s the same creamy trick that makes my high protein cottage cheese queso work.
- Nonfat Greek yogurt: It adds tang and a little more protein, and its acidity reacts with the baking soda for lift. Since it’s nonfat, I add an extra tablespoon of butter to keep the crumb tender.
- Yellow cornmeal: Use fine or medium grind. Coarse cornmeal stays gritty, even after the batter rests.
- Honey: Just enough for a lightly sweet cornbread. It also balances the tang from the yogurt and cottage cheese.
Full ingredient amounts in the recipe card.
Substitutions and Additions
- 4% cottage cheese: Use it for a richer cornbread and drop the butter back to 4 tablespoons. Protein stays about the same. (Extra in the tub? Make my high protein cottage cheese cheesecake.)
- Whole milk or 2% Greek yogurt: Swap it in for the nonfat and use 4 tablespoons of butter.
- Sugar instead of honey: Use 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Jalapeño cheddar: Fold in 1 cup of shredded cheddar and 1 to 2 diced jalapeños. The cheddar adds about 3g of protein per slice.
- Short on time? My Jiffy cornbread secrets show you how to make a boxed mix taste homemade.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Cornbread
- Add the wet ingredients. Heat the oven to 400°F and grease a 10-inch skillet. Add the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, eggs, melted butter, and honey to a large bowl.
- Blend until smooth. Blend with an immersion blender (or in a regular blender) until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. No curds should be left, or they’ll show up as little wet pockets.
- Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together, then add them right on top of the blended mixture.
- Fold and rest. Fold everything together just until no dry streaks remain. If the batter feels stiff, add up to 2 tablespoons of milk. Let it rest for 10 minutes so the cornmeal can soak up the moisture.
- Fill the skillet. Spread the batter in an even layer in the greased skillet.
- Bake and cool. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let it cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Texture note: It’s tender and moist inside with crispy edges, a little heartier than classic cornbread in the best way. If you want a smaller batch, my small batch cornbread in a loaf pan is the one to make.
My favorite way to eat it: Warm, with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey. It’s also perfect next to a big bowl of my Mediterranean chili.
Expert Tips
- Blend the cottage cheese mixture until it looks like thick pancake batter. Any curds left will bake into wet pockets. I blend it the same way for my high protein cottage cheese wraps.
- Don’t skip the 10-minute batter rest. It’s what keeps the cornmeal from tasting gritty.
- Preheat the skillet if you love crispy edges. The batter sizzles when it hits the pan and the edges bake up golden.
- Check at 18 minutes. Every oven runs a little different, and overbaking dries out the crumb.
- Let it cool 15 minutes before slicing. With this much protein, it keeps setting as it cools, and cutting it hot makes the center look gummy.
High Protein Cottage Cheese Cornbread FAQs
No. Once the cottage cheese is blended completely smooth, it bakes into high protein cottage cheese cornbread the same way buttermilk would, adding moisture and a light tang. All you taste is buttery, lightly sweet cornbread. The key is blending until there are zero curds left, since small curds can bake into wet pockets.
This high protein cottage cheese cornbread has about 12g of protein per slice when you cut the skillet into 8 wedges, with no protein powder. Most of it comes from the 2% cottage cheese, nonfat Greek yogurt, and eggs. Folding in 1 cup of shredded cheddar adds about 3g more per slice.
Yes. 4% cottage cheese makes a richer high protein cottage cheese cornbread, and the protein stays about the same. Since it adds more fat, drop the butter back to 4 tablespoons. Nonfat cottage cheese also works, but add an extra tablespoon of butter so the crumb doesn’t turn rubbery.
High protein cottage cheese cornbread usually looks gummy when it’s sliced too soon or slightly underbaked. The eggs and dairy keep setting as it cools, so let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting. If it’s still gummy after resting, bake it 2 to 3 minutes longer next time, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Let the high protein cottage cheese cornbread cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Since it’s made with cottage cheese and yogurt, keep it refrigerated rather than on the counter. Warm slices in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, or in the air fryer at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes for crispy edges. I personally LOVE it rewarmed in the microwave with a drizzle of honey on top, thank me later ◡̈
More Recipes You’ll Love
If you tried this High Protein Cottage Cheese Cornbread or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments! I love hearing from you!
High Protein Cottage Cheese Cornbread
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups 2% cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 large eggs
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp milk optional, only if the batter is too thick
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal fine or medium grind
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F and grease a 10-inch skillet. For crispier edges, heat the skillet in the oven while it preheats.
- Blend the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, eggs, melted butter, and honey until completely smooth, about 30 seconds, with no curds left.1 1/2 cups 2% cottage cheese, 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, 3 large eggs, 5 tbsp unsalted butter, 3 tbsp honey
- In a large bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold just until no dry streaks remain. If the batter is stiff, add up to 2 tbsp milk. Rest the batter for 10 minutes.2 tbsp milk
- Spread the batter in the skillet and bake for 20 minutes, until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 15 minutes before slicing into 8 wedges.
Notes
- If using 4% cottage cheese or full-fat Greek yogurt, use 4 tbsp butter.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds or in the air-fryer for 2-3 minutes before enjoying.
- Nutrition is an estimate based on 2% cottage cheese and nonfat Greek yogurt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve tested a lot of high protein bakes, and this cottage cheese cornbread is the one I keep coming back to. It’s moist, lightly sweet, and you truly can’t taste the cottage cheese once it’s blended. My favorite way to eat it is a slice warmed in the microwave with a drizzle of honey on top. Let me know if you try it and how you serve yours!