This cottage cheese fruit salad is just not your grandmother’s jello salad. Cottage cheese and berries are blended with coconut cream and chia seeds right into a mousse that’s good for a snack or wholesome dessert.

“That pink stuff” aka the jello fruit salad

You present as much as your 4th of July occasion and see it on the potluck buffet. It’s the bowl of fruit, marshmallows, and nuts on the picnic. Generally it’s pink from strawberry jello or fruit cocktail and generally it’s orange from mandarin oranges. And generally it’s GREEN! It’s combined with cool whip, is a bowl of fluff, and generally has nuts (ew). You’re by no means reallllllyyyyy positive what inside. 

I do know you Southerners know what I’m speaking about!

Properly this salad is just not that. However it’s comparable! It’s additionally a type of foolish named recipes that somebody determined could be a “wholesome facet salad” nevertheless it’s significantly better suited on the dessert desk. Name it a salad or name it a dessert – both means it’s delish!

This cottage cheese fruit salad will get it’s “jello” from chia seeds, it’s cool whip from coconut cream, and is means more healthy for you utilizing recent natural berries and protein-packed cottage cheese!

It’s not jiggly and there aren’t any mysterious crunchy bits. It’s just about a cheesecake-ish fruit mousse with whip on prime that’s good as a refreshing snack or wholesome dessert. 

Apparently that is the 12 months of cottage cheese!

I’m all for it. I like cottage cheese, however I generally get a bit of weirded out by it. It’s an odd love/hate relationship! I don’t normally sit down and eat it plain, though I do prefer it plain, however extra typically I combine it into smoothies, oatmeal, and savory recipes – like tuna salad with cottage cheese. 

Cottage Cheese Fruit Salad

This cottage cheese salad recipe is so fast and straightforward to make! It takes all of 5 minutes to mix collectively and ideally an hour within the fridge to “gel,” though you’ll be able to actually eat it immediately. 

Components 

• 1.5 cups recent fruit (berries are my go-to, however you can too use recent or crushed pineapple, bananas, or stone fruits)
• 16 ounce container full-fat cottage cheese
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• Can of full fats coconut milk, drained
• 1-3 tbsp top quality maple syrup
• Contemporary cherries for garnish

How To Make Fruit Salad With Cottage Cheese

Step 1: make coconut cream

Open can of coconut milk and drain off liquid (you might want to make use of a spoon to poke a gap). The extra you drain it, the thicker it is going to be and when you’d prefer it to be essentially the most whipped cream like, you’ll be able to whip it with a whisk or mixer. 

Scoop coconut cream right into a bowl and stir in 1 tbsp maple syrup.

Step 2: Mix the fruit, cottage cheese, chia and three/4 of the coconut cream collectively

Add washed fruit, cottage cheese, 3/4 of coconut whip, and chia seeds to a blender and mix till mixed. Maintain remaining coconut whip for topping.

Step 3: Portion into glasses and prime with remaining whip

Portion into jars or glasses, evenly distribute remaining coconut whip, and prime with recent cherries.

Step 4: Chill for an hour within the fridge to permit chia to set

You may take pleasure in instantly, however a pleasant chill will assist the salad arrange. 

Recipe Notes

What fruits go finest with cottage cheese?

All types of fruit will work with this cottage cheese recipe, however my favorites are berries, banana, tropical fruits like mangos, or stone fruits like peaches and cherries. The extra flavorful the fruit the higher (which is why individuals typically you concentrated canned fruits in comparable recipes!) The fruits I’d keep away from are watery or crunchy fruits like watermelon and apples.

Modify The Sweetness

You may management the sweetness primarily based on which fruits you select and the way a lot maple syrup you add. I wish to sweeten the coconut cream, however depart the syrup out of the bottom. However when you’re feeding this to kids, they may like a couple of tablespoons of maple within the salad base to stability out the tang from the cottage cheese. 

Use full-fat substances

For the very best taste and texture, use full-fat cottage cheese and coconut milk. Whilst you can sub in a lighter fats cottage cheese, you do want the full-fat coconut to make the cream. Lite coconut milk will solely be liquid. 

Tips on how to serve your cottage cheese fruit salad

For the potluck model, serve household model in a bowl with a spoon. Individuals can dollop it onto their plates at a picnic or cookout. If you happen to’d like, you’ll be able to fold in marshmallows, pecans, canned fruit, and all of your previous time favorites! 

Tips on how to retailer your fruit salad

Be sure you maintain this recipe chilled, and take it in a cooler to a picnic. If the bottom separates, simply give it a great stir to combine it again collectively. 

Take pleasure in!

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