Cottage Cheese Strawberry Oats (Print)

Deliciously creamy oats combined with fresh strawberries and cottage cheese for a healthy morning boost.

# Ingredients:

→ Oats Base

01 - 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
02 - 1 cup milk, dairy or unsweetened non-dairy alternative
03 - 2/3 cup cottage cheese, low-fat or full-fat
04 - 2 tablespoons chia seeds
05 - 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
06 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Strawberry Layer

07 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
08 - 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon maple syrup, optional

→ Topping

10 - 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
11 - Additional sliced fresh strawberries for serving

# Instructions:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine rolled oats, milk, cottage cheese, chia seeds, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
02 - In a separate small bowl, mash half of the fresh strawberries with lemon juice and maple syrup if using, until slightly chunky consistency. Fold in the remaining chopped strawberries.
03 - Divide half of the oat mixture between two jars or airtight containers. Add a layer of strawberry mixture over the oats, then top with remaining oat mixture.
04 - Cover containers and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight to allow oats to absorb liquid and flavors to develop.
05 - In the morning, stir gently to combine. Top with graham cracker crumbs and additional sliced strawberries if desired. Serve chilled.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgent—like you're eating dessert for breakfast—but it's secretly loaded with 17 grams of protein and takes literally ten minutes to assemble.
  • Make it once and you have two perfect mornings already planned, which means no decision fatigue when your alarm goes off.
  • The cottage cheese creates this unexpectedly creamy texture that makes regular overnight oats feel thin and watery by comparison.
02 -
  • If your overnight oats turn out too thick in the morning, just stir in a splash of milk rather than adding liquid before you refrigerate, because it's way easier to thin out than to fix something that's too watery.
  • The cottage cheese will distribute more evenly if it's at room temperature when you mix it in, which I learned after opening a jar straight from the fridge and ending up with cheese pockets throughout my oats.
03 -
  • If you want that full cheesecake flavor, add 1-2 tablespoons of softened cream cheese to the oat base—it sounds excessive but creates an almost transcendent creamy depth that will make you question why you haven't been doing this all along.
  • Mash your strawberries with a fork rather than blending them; you want texture and visible berry pieces, not a smooth purée that blends invisibly into the oats.
Back