Blueberry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bake (Make-Ahead)

Bake it on Sunday and breakfast is done until Friday. This blueberry cottage cheese breakfast bake is a pan of cottage cheese, eggs and oats, blended smooth, studded with blueberries and baked until the top is golden and the inside is soft and custardy. Cut it into six squares, keep them in the fridge, and warm one up in under a minute.

Blending is what makes it work. Whole cottage cheese curds would bake into lumpy pockets; blended with the eggs and oats, they turn into a smooth batter that sets somewhere between a baked oatmeal and a crustless cheesecake.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cottage cheese – full-fat or 2%. It is the base of the bake and most of the protein.
• 4 large eggs – they set the batter as it bakes.
• 1 cup rolled oats – blended in, they give the bake body so it slices cleanly instead of wobbling like a custard.
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup – enough to sweeten without making it a dessert.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of salt – the baking powder gives a little lift.
• 1½ cups blueberries – fresh or frozen. If using frozen, add them straight from the freezer.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.
2. Blend the batter. Put the cottage cheese, eggs, oats, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a blender and blend for about a minute, until completely smooth with no curds or oat flakes visible.
3. Add the berries. Fold 1 cup of the blueberries into the batter with a spatula, pour it into the dish, and scatter the remaining ½ cup over the top.
4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and puffed and the centre no longer jiggles.
5. Cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into 6 squares. It firms up as it cools.

How to Tell It Is Done

The timing range is wide because ovens, dishes and frozen berries all change it, so go by what you see rather than the clock. The edges should be golden and pulling slightly away from the dish, the centre should be puffed and set, and a toothpick pushed into the middle should come out clean, apart from blueberry juice. If the middle is still wet, give it 5 more minutes and check again.

Because this is an egg dish, it should be cooked all the way through. The FDA safe minimum cooking temperature chart lists 160°F for egg dishes, so an instant-read thermometer in the centre is the surest check.

Make Ahead and Storage

This is built for meal prep. Let it cool, then store it one of these ways.

Do not leave it on the counter all morning. The Mississippi State University Extension advises refrigerating leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to blend it?

For this texture, yes. Unblended curds stay as small lumps and the oats stay chewy. If you have no blender, a food processor works the same way.

Can I use other fruit?

Raspberries, chopped strawberries or diced apple all work in place of blueberries. For an apple version with a different method, try this flourless oatmeal apple cake.

Is it a breakfast or a dessert?

Breakfast, with only 3 tablespoons of maple syrup for the whole pan. Add a spoonful of Greek yogurt on top for more protein. If you are feeding a crowd on a weekend, an overnight French toast casserole with berries is the more indulgent option.

What other high-protein breakfasts can I make?

For a stovetop breakfast, these 3-ingredient protein pancakes are ready in 20 minutes, and these pumpkin spice protein balls make an easy grab-and-go snack.

Blueberry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bake

Cottage cheese, eggs and rolled oats blended into a smooth batter, folded with blueberries and baked in an 8x8 dish until golden and set. A high-protein, make-ahead breakfast that slices into six squares.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Cooling Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 6 squares

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Calories: 220

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups cottage cheese full-fat or 2%
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen (not thawed), divided

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
2. Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, oats, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder and salt until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Fold 1 cup of the blueberries into the batter, pour into the dish and scatter the remaining 1/2 cup on top.
4. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until golden, puffed and set in the centre; a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.
5. Cool at least 15 minutes before cutting into 6 squares.

Notes

Storage: refrigerate within 2 hours of baking, covered, for up to 5 days. Freeze individual squares, wrapped, for up to 3 months.

Reheat: microwave a square for 30 to 60 seconds, until warm through.

Frozen blueberries: add them straight from the freezer; the bake may need a few extra minutes.

Egg dishes are fully cooked at 160°F.

Nutrition (about 220 kcal and 14 g protein per square) is an estimate calculated from standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.