Cottage cheese is having a serious comeback, and if you’ve been struggling to find it on supermarket shelves, you’re not alone - it seems us mid-lifers have collectively decided to chase our protein goals, causing a nationwide shortage! Who would’ve thought?

In an effort to make this retro 80s cheese actually delicious (and not just something our mums spooned onto a sad cracker with alfalfa), I’m sharing this high-protein, ultra-creamy Cottage Cheese Chocolate Mousse. It’s smooth, rich, and loaded with protein to keep you feeling satisfied - without a hint of 80s diet food vibes. Oh and, in case it matters, this full recipe clocks in at about 37g protein!

Trust me, you’ll be blending up tubs of the stuff in no time!

1 cup cottage cheese 
1 Tbsp Greek coconut yogurt
2 Tbsp raw cacao (to sub in ceremonial cacao, see below*)
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 heaped tsp marine collagen (optional)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon 
2 tsp chia seeds (or swap for ground flaxseeds)
Pinch of sea salt 

Optional Toppings:
Shaved dark chocolate or cacao nibs (for crunch and extra antioxidants!)
Nuts
Berries
Banana
Yoghurt

Add cottage cheese, yoghurt, cocoa powder, maple syrup, marine collagen, chia seeds (or flaxseeds), vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon to a blender.

Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer to a jar or bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until the mousse thickens.

When you're ready to devour, add your toppings, and enjoy! 

Adjustments for Ceremonial Cacao:

Replace raw cacao powder with 20-25g (about 2 tablespoons) ceremonial cacao and melt it in a bowl over simmering water. Add this in just before you blend all of the ingredients. We didn't do this when we made it the first time and it hardened again - to fix this we blended the mousse and heated it gently on the stove until the cacao had assimilated, before popping it in the fridge. Worked a treat!

Since ceremonial cacao is richer and slightly more bitter than cocoa powder, you might want to increase the maple syrup slightly (to 2.5 tbsp).

Boost Absorption – A pinch of black pepper can enhance cacao's benefits (like better absorption of antioxidants and mood-boosting compounds).