Cottage Cheese Oatmeal
Your morning bowl of oatmeal gets a protein boost, thanks to cottage cheese! These rich and creamy oats are so satisfying and you can make them in just 5 minutes!

Oatmeal is one of my go-to breakfasts, but I’ve been trying to make an effort to eat more protein. A serving of rolled oats has about 5g of protein and I usually top my bowl with some peanut butter or almond butter for another 5g of protein. But I wanted to see if I could bump it up a little more, since I often eat my oatmeal after a workout. I loved cottage cheese in my overnight oats so I thought, why not add it to my regular oatmeal? It turned out great!
Why I Love This Recipe
- This oatmeal is packed with protein!
- You can make this quickly in the microwave
- It’s filling and delicious!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Rolled oats: Also known as old-fashioned oats, these oats have a hearty, chewy texture. You can also use instant oats. Do not use steel-cut oats as they take much longer to cook.
- Cottage cheese: I used 4% milk fat cottage cheese but 2% works well, too.
- Honey or maple syrup: Feel free to substitute with any sweetener you like.
- Vanilla extract: A splash of vanilla extract adds a little sweetness but you can skip it if you don’t have it.
- Toppings: I added fresh fruit, a drizzle of peanut butter, and chia seeds but you can use any topping you like.
Tips for Making Oatmeal in the Microwave
I like to make my oatmeal in the microwave because it’s fast and easy! Here are my tips for making oatmeal in the microwave:
- Use a very large bowl as oatmeal will expand rapidly while cooking. To be safe, I use a bowl that holds about 6 cups when cooking 1/2 cup of oats.
- You’ll want to add about one cup of water for every 1/2 cup of rolled oats.
- Microwave for 2 1/2-3 minutes on 70% power. You may need to adjust slightly based on your microwave. You can avoid the oatmeal boiling over by not cooking at full power.
- After 2 1/2 minutes, use oven mitts to remove the oats from the microwave and stir. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to let it thicken.
- If the oatmeal is still runny, microwave for another 30 seconds for a thicker consistency.
How to Make Oatmeal with Cottage Cheese
then stir in cottage cheese. The cottage
cheese will melt into the oats.
with fruit and/or nut butter.
How do you add protein to oatmeal?
For this recipe, I added cottage cheese to give this oatmeal a protein boost. But there are other ways you can increase the protein! Add half a scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder to the mix. Adjust the sweetener to taste. Or you can add a tablespoon of flaxseeds or chia seeds for a boost of protein and fiber.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make oatmeal without cottage cheese? Yes! Try my blueberry oatmeal for a recipe without any cottage cheese.
- Can I make these into overnight oats? Yep! Try my Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats recipe.
- Can I make my oats on the stovetop? Yes, just follow the directions on the package as cooking times vary by type.
- Are oats healthy? Oats are a whole grain which means they’re a good source of fiber and protein. They’re a great option for a healthy breakfast!
Cottage Cheese Oatmeal
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 bowl 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Microwave
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Your morning bowl of oatmeal gets a boost of protein thanks to cottage cheese! These rich and creamy oats are so satisfying and you can make them in just 5 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup water or almond milk
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese
- Sweetener to taste
Instructions
- Add the oats and water to a very large bowl.  (The oatmeal will bubble while cooking so I use a bowl that holds about 5 cups when I’m cooking 1/2 cup of oats.)
- Microwave for 2 1/2-3 minutes on 70% power. You may need to adjust slightly based on your microwave. By not cooking at full power, you can avoid the oatmeal boiling over.
- After 2 1/2 minutes, use oven mitts to carefully remove the oats from the microwave and stir. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to let it thicken.
- Stir in the cottage cheese and any sweetener.
- Top with desired toppings.
Notes
I normally add salt to my oatmeal but since cottage cheese is typically salted, I don’t add any additional salt.
I do this but sub the whey from making cottage cheese or yogurt for the cottage cheese. Makes such a creamy, delicious breakfast
This was really good! I love cottage cheese and actually prefer it to using yogurts and milk. I added some frozen berries and a few cocoa nibs to mine.
I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this, but my daughter sent the recipe over to me as I have been told I need to up my protein but I am not really a big meat eater.
So I thought I would give it as go and it was delicious. Really creamy and rich. I added maple syrup to my oats and they were so good!
I’ve been trying to increase my protein intake as a vegetarian and so glad I found this recipe – I thought I was not a big fan of cottage cheese, but this actually turned out really delicious! Will be making this again.
I’ve been looking for a way to get more protein in oatmeal! I never love the protein powder mixed in. This, however, was delicious! My new morning bowl of oats!
Delicious! The cottage cheese makes the oatmeal extra creamy and gives a nice little boost of protein.