This isn’t your ordinary pizza! This is Cottage Cheese Pizza, with a whopping 51 grams of protein per serving. Ba-bam!
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Pizza crust might just be the most genius way to use cottage cheese yet.
If you think pizza is junk food, I’d like to introduce you to this cottage cheese pizza recipe.
51 grams of protein! And all that protein with just 526 calories.
If you’re always on the lookout for ways to work more protein into your day, you’re going to flip for this pizza. (Don’t forget about my Air Fryer Protein Bagels and Cottage Cheese Wrap either!)
As for the taste—well, yes, it’s not exactly like a traditional pizza crust, but you know what? It’s pretty darn close! I also love how the edges of the crust get golden brown and delightfully crispy in the oven.
5 Star Review
“SUPER good. Doubled the recipe and split with hubby. he was skeptical then really liked it!”
— Lindsay —
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
For the Pizza Crust:
- All-Purpose Flour. Although I haven’t tested it, I think a gluten-free all-purpose flour substitute would work just fine. I don’t recommend a single flour (like almond flour or coconut flour), but the kind of blend formulated for baking.
- Baking Powder. A traditional pizza crust is made with yeast; here, we use baking powder for leavening.
- Cottage Cheese. I like Good Culture 2% and that’s what I tested in this recipe.
- Egg. Egg binds the dough and it also adds a bit more protein.
For Topping:
- Sauce. I used pizza sauce and Basil Pesto.
- Cheese. Mozzarella cheese is the classic, but you can use any cheese you like. It adds more protein!
- Meat. Again: more protein! I used shredded chicken, but turkey sausage or plant-based sausage are healthy options too.
- Veggies. I wanted Margherita vibes, so I used cherry tomatoes, but you can truly use whatever you like.
- Garnishes. Chopped fresh basil and balsamic glaze if you want to replicate my cottage cheese pizza, but other herbs, roasted garlic cloves, and Hot Honey are excellent too.
Tips for Making Perfect Cottage Cheese Pizza Crust
- Puree the Cottage Cheese If Needed. Baking takes care of most of the curd-y texture of the cottage cheese, but if you’re really averse to that texture, you can blitz the cottage cheese in your food processor to make it completely smooth.
- Zhuzh Up the Crust. You can add a little garlic powder or Italian seasoning to the dough for the crust if you’d like; this can help if your objection to cottage cheese is the flavor or the smell.
- Parbaking Is Non-Negotiable. You absolutely canNOT shape the crust and add the toppings directly to it like you might with a regular pizza. The cottage cheese crust needs to be dry to the touch before you add the toppings.
More High Protein Cottage Cheese Recipes
- Level up your snack game with this Cottage Cheese Queso.
- I use sheet pan Cottage Cheese Eggs in this Breakfast Burrito Recipe to work in some extra protein.
- Protein Ice Cream is rich, creamy, and secretly healthy. You don’t even need an ice cream maker for it!
- I’ll forgive you if you skip the chips and just eat this Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip with a spoon.
Cottage Cheese Pizza
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 1 personal pizza
Video
With 51 grams of protein per serving, this cottage cheese pizza is supremely satisfying! It's easy to make and shockingly delicious.
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Ingredients
For the Pizza Crust
- ¼ cup all purpose flour or GF AP flour substitute
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup cottage cheese I used Good Culture 2%
- 1 large egg
For Topping
- 2 tablespoons pizza sauce or Basil Pesto
- 3 to 4 tablespoons Mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded chicken or cooked, crumbled turkey sausage or meatless sausage
- Small handful sliced cherry tomatoes
- Chopped fresh basil
- Balsamic glaze optional
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese and egg. Sprinkle the flour and baking powder over the top. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir to evenly combine.
- Place sheet of parchment paper on top of a baking sheet (or pizza stone). Spread the cottage cheese mixture into a round crust shape that is about 8 inches across.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden at the edges and dry to the touch on top. Remove from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.
- Spread crust with the sauce, sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese, and scatter on the chicken and tomatoes. Return to the oven and bake 5 to 8 minutes more, until the Mozzarella is melted.
- Finish with fresh basil and balsamic glaze. Let cool a few minutes, then slice and enjoy.
Notes
To Make in the Air Fryer: Cut a sheet of parchment paper so it’s sized to lower down into your basket. Spread the cottage cheese mixture into a round crust shape that is about 8 inches across. Air fry at 350°F for 8 minutes. Slide out the basket add the sauce, toppings, and cheese (end with the cheese so toppings don’t fly around). Air fry until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden, about 3 to 5 minutes more.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pizzaCalories: 526kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 51gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 278mgPotassium: 685mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 775IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 425mgIron: 4mg
This pizza turned out great! Light but filling!
Looks fabulous! Thanks Nancy!
I was excited but skeptical when I made this last night. It turned out delicious and even my picky teen loved it. Perfect and easy recipe for her to take to college and do for herself if she wanted to. Made a few swaps…used einkorn flour, whole milk cottage cheese. Also added some haloumi cheese we had in the fridge. Love finding recipes like this…healthy, tasty and doable!!
Glad it worked! Thanks Angie!
SUPER good. Doubled the recipe and split with hubby. he was skeptical then really liked it!
Yay so glad to hear it!!
My kids loved this, and it was a really easy way to sneak some extra protein into their dinner!
Great to hear, Katlyn!
Excellent high protein crust for any toppings you want! Dusted with garlic and oregano before baking (will add a little salt next time), then added parm, mozzarella, red onions, cherry tomatoes and chopped chicken. This will definitely go into my rotation. Thank you for the recipe!
YUM, so glad to hear it Christine!
Why am i having a problem with this pizza receipe I have tried with parchment paper, it stuck to it, i have tried without and sprayed heavy with avacado spray same thing. What am i missing?
Hi Barbara, I’m not sure as to why you are having an issue with it sticking, I’ve not experienced it sticking to my parchment paper. How wet does your dough look when placing it on the parchment paper? Is it runny?
I love all your recipes and this one didn’t disappoint. I added salt & garlic powder to the crust & buzzed the cottage cheese with my immersion blender. I would probably leave in oven longer next time, as my crust was soft, not crispy.
I topped it with tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, fresh mozzerella balls, hot Italian sausage, sundried tomatoes & red onions. Even with the soft crust, it was SOOOO good! Cant wait to get it perfected so my crust is crispy! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Lindy! Thank you!
can this crust be done in the air fryer?
Hi Patricia! Yes you can! We have an air fryer version, would you like us to email it to you?
Made this last night for the two of us. It was delicious, actually, it was very filling. Since it was Friday, I used shredded imitation crab and green onions. Next time, I will divide the cheese in half. Half on the crust and the remaining cheese on the topping.
So glad to hear, Barbara! Thank you!
This looks so good! Do you think I could substitute oat flour?
Hi Teresa! I haven’t experimented with it but I’d love to know how it goes if you give it a try!
I would make this recipe again. We used gf flour and it worked really well.
Hi Heather, I would use a GF 1:1 baking substitute.
hello! would love to make this recipe it sounds delicious! I only wonder how did 51 grams were calculated in one serving?
Hi Mimi, roughly, chicken is 21 grams, cottage cheese is 14 grams, one egg is 6 grams, pesto is 3 grams, flour has 4 grams, cheese has 3 grams. For each recipe, it is based on the information available in the calculators themselves. These numbers are meant to be a guide, not a statement of fact. Many elements can cause the dish I make at home to vary nutritionally from the iteration you create, including brands of ingredients, measuring styles, and final serving size. Further, the accuracy is limited by the information available in WordPress Recipe Maker databases. When in doubt I would double check with a free source like myfitnesspal.com. Hope this helps!
I hate cottage cheese. But this was really really good. Have you ever tried to make the cottage cheese crust and either freezer or put it in the refrigerator to make the next day or two? Not adding any of the toppings until it’s time to bake.
Yay! So glad to hear, Linda! I haven’t tried either way but let me know if you give it a try!
can I use almond flour?
Hi Joy, I haven’t tested almond flour so can’t say for use. Other readers have used a gluten free 1:1 baking substitute with no issues. Hope this helps!
This recipe is mind blowing excellent! I made a pepperoni pizza and the Margherita pizza in this recipe. Both came out excellent, the Margherita pizza had so much flavor. We loved it. My teenage sons both requested that one. I also tried both cooking methods in the oven and the air fryer. The oven pizza crust was definitely more golden brown and crisper. The air fryer one was softer. Again, both came out excellent. Thank you for the recipe!!! 10/10!! I’m sharing it with all my people!!
Yay! So glad to hear, Leslie! Thank you for sharing the photo! Looks great!
What an amazing and tasty way to get a lot of protein in for the day! I was a little skeptical, only because it was different, but this was really easy to make and tasty too. Thanks so much for sharing!
Great to hear, Tracy! Thank you!