I’ve made pancakes with chicken, wraps with cauliflower and now cottage cheese with coconut milk! When it comes to grain and dairy free meals, it requires a bit of unbridled innovation to create substitutions for old favorites. This recipe uses an unusual technique for a creamy, protein-rich cottage cheese substitute.
Recently, I was experimenting with my Dairy and Egg Free Strawberry Mousse recipe. I thickened coconut milk with gelatin, omitted the sweetener and strawberry pureé, and let it set. I wondered if I could achieve a fluffier texture by whipping the coconut “jello” with beaters instead of blending it in a food processor. After 20 seconds of blending, I discovered the mixture looked just like cottage cheese. I topped the mixture with thawed blueberries from my freezer and a drizzle of honey. It tasted creamy, luscious, and rich. The gelatin lends protein and the coconut milk packs healthy fats for a satisfying meal. This faux-cottage cheese is best enjoyed with your choice of toppings–it doesn’t work well in baking/cooking recipes calling for traditional cottage cheese.
- 2 cups full-fat or light canned coconut milk
- 4 tsp. gelatin, preferably from pastured animals such as this one
- pinch of sea salt
- Fruit and honey, optional, for serving
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over ¼ cup of the coconut milk.
- In a small saucepan, bring the remaining coconut milk to a simmer.
- Whisk in the softened gelatin mixture and whisk vigorously until dissolved.
- Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until set, at least 5 hours.
- Using a handheld mixer or standing mixer, blend on medium speed for 20-30 seconds until the texture resembles cottage cheese.
- Add a pinch of salt and any desired toppings.
Regarding your coconut milk cottage cheese, any chance it will melt like regular cottage cheese (or its richer cousin, ricotta) in a baked casserole?
No, it will turn to liquid when heated.
I don’t know if this is a cottage cheese replacement but it is a delicious coconut milk dessert.
This was so runny I had to throw it out, even after using agar agar
You might need more agar
Can coconut milk in a carton be used or does have to be canned? Not sure if the two are of different consistencies.
I doubt they’re interchangeable. Some brands of canned coconut milk solidify when refrigerated. The cartoned milk doesn’t.
I’m excited to learn that I can make my own Cottage cheese from coconut cream. I love coconut milk so it should work great!!
Can this be used as a replacement for cottage cheese in a baked pastry recipe?
I made the cottage cheese with canned coconut cream, because I did not have coconut milk, and it was delicious. Can I freeze the coconut milk cottage cheese?
Do you think the recipe would work with almond milk?
Did you ever try to use the almond milk to make the cottage cheese,? If so tell us about it..Thx!
Gelatin is boiled animal skin, fat and/or bone
There is vegan gelatine
Are you draining off the coconut water from the canned coconut milk for the thicker consistency? To amp up the nutritional value, could you add probiotic to the coconut cream and let sit overnight in the oven with the light on? Thank you also for the tip using the gelatin .. the 1st time I tried to use it, it clumped but it was in a hot mixture and my yogurt failed. Time to make more yogurt.
I don’t know if this is a cottage cheese replacement but it is a delicious coconut milk dessert.
Can agar agar be substituted for the gelatin and, if so, how much agar agar?