Vanilla Frosting Surprise (Healthy Secret Ingredient)

This Vanilla Frosting Surprise (Healthy Secret Ingredient) contains an ingredient you would probably never have thought to utilize for frosting. But it’s perfect for a light and healthy option that can be used to frost your favorite cakes, cupcakes, or as a filling. It’s smooth, creamy, delicious, and much healthier than traditional vanilla frosting. 

This post has been updated since its original publication on January 12, 2015. The recipe has been reworked to produce even more creamy mouthfeel. The content has been refreshed for a better user experience.

There is a secret ingredient in this frosting that I did not want to give away by putting it in the title. I wanted you to see a photo first to show that this ingredient makes perfect sense as a dessert item. As you can see, there is nothing unusual looking about this frosting—and there lies the beauty of it. So, would you believe COTTAGE CHEESE is what makes up the bulk of this frosting? Yes!!! And let me tell you, this frosting tastes NOTHING like cottage cheese as you know it!

Why use cottage cheese?

I personally think this healthy, nutritious, and under-utilized cheese has so much more potential than to be eaten on celery sticks, with crackers, or as a ricotta substitute in lasagnas. When I came up the the idea to puree cottage cheese into a smooth and creamy consistency, a whole new world of possibilities opened up. Cottage cheese as a dessert item? Yes! It works wonderfully…and with benefits! It adds protein without the extra fats and calories of cream cheese, mascarpone, or butter. Today, I will show you how to transform cottage cheese into vanilla frosting that is low-calorie, low-fat, and reduced sugar.

Why was the original recipe changed?

I reworked the recipe to obtain a creamier mouthfeel, and it holds up better than the original. My original frosting was smooth and very tasty. However, at times, it can feel a little chalky. The major change was to remove the cornstarch that acted as a thickener and replace it with gelatin. It was the perfect solution. A small amount of gelatin provides just the right amount of body and structure without a chalky feel.

What type of cottage cheese is best?

For best results, use whole milk (4% milk fat) cottage cheese. It’s creamier and richer than the low-fat. Low fat is fine as well, but with the higher water content, it may have a thinner consistency.

What kind of sugar is used?

This healthy vanilla frosting requires significantly less powdered sugar than traditional frosting. A sugar substitute is also used to enhance the sweetness without adding extra calories. I use Splenda, but you can choose any substitute you prefer. You will need to determine how much to add, as different sugar substitutes vary in sweetness levels.

To keep it light and healthy, this frosting has sweetness but not too sweet. You can easily increase the sweetness with added powdered sugar and/or sugar substitute.

How to store:

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep anything that has this frosting on refrigerated as well.

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

• Use a blender or food processor to puree the cottage cheese. This blender rates high and is powerful. The design allows you to blend and drink from the same cup. This 3.5-cup capacity food processor makes the cottage cheese creamy and smooth.
• Microwave safe small prep bowl for blooming and heating the milk and gelatin.
• Silicone spatula is great for a multitude of uses.
• Splenda sugar substitute or any sugar substitute that you like.

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