Cottage Cheese Lemon Cookies

Intensity breakdown: Minimal equipment (one bowl, a blender or fork, a baking sheet). No stand mixer required. Only active steps: blending cottage cheese, mixing dough, scooping, and baking.

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Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour (or gluten-free 1:1 baking flour)

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients & Mix-ins

• 1 cup (240g) full-fat cottage cheese (small curd works best)

• ¼ cup (60ml) avocado oil or melted coconut oil

• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon)

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (packed – about 1 large lemon)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional Glaze (for extra brightness)

• ½ cup powdered sugar

• 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

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Nutrition Information (per cookie, without glaze)

*Based on 19 cookies using full-fat cottage cheese and all-purpose flour*

With glaze: add ~18 calories and 4g sugar per cookie.

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Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (no need to grease).

2. Blend the cottage cheese

For the smoothest cookie texture, add the cottage cheese to a small food processor or blender. Blitz for 20 seconds until completely creamy. No lumps allowed.
*No blender? Mash thoroughly with a fork for 2 minutes, then press through a fine-mesh sieve.*

3. Mix wet ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, combine the blended cottage cheese, oil, sugar, egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until smooth and slightly lighter in color (about 1 minute).

4. Combine dry ingredients

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

5. Make the dough

Pour the dry mix into the wet mix. Fold gently with a spatula just until no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix – the dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
If the dough feels too wet to scoop, refrigerate for 15 minutes now.

6. Chill (important for texture)

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Chilling prevents spread and intensifies the lemon flavor. If you’re in a hurry, skip chilling – cookies will be thinner and more pancake-like.

7. Scoop and bake

Use a cookie scoop (1.5-tablespoon size) or two spoons to drop dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten each mound slightly with damp fingers (they won’t spread much).

Bake for 12–14 minutes until edges are lightly golden and tops look set but still soft.

8. Cool

Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they’re fragile when hot), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

9. Optional glaze

Whisk powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add more juice ¼ teaspoon at a time until drizzly. Dip cookie tops or drizzle with a fork.