Cottage Cheese Protein Apple Pie Ice Cream

If you love traditional apple pie served with ice cream, this cottage cheese protein apple pie ice cream gives you the same flavors in a frozen treat.

Blending cottage cheese into the base creates an ultra-smooth, creamy texture without needing complicated custard steps. It also makes this a high protein dessert that keeps you full and satisfied.

I mix in warm cinnamon apples and baked pie crust pieces, so every spoonful has a great balance of sweetness and crunch.

You do not need any fancy cooking skills to make this at home, just a standard blender and an ice cream maker.

It has quickly become one of my favorite cool treats to keep ready in the freezer whenever a craving hits.

Why I Love This Recipe

High in Protein – Blending three cups of cottage cheese into the base gives you a serious protein punch in every bowl.

Authentic Apple Pie Flavor – Tender cinnamon apples and buttery crust pieces give you all the best parts of fresh-baked pie.

Crispy Pie Crust Crunch – Golden cinnamon sugar crust pieces stay crisp and add the best contrasting crunch to every bite.

Ultra-Creamy Texture – Heavy cream and whole milk churn with the blended cheese to create rich, authentic scoopable ice cream.

The Ingredients

For the Pie Crust Pieces

• 1 Refrigerated Pie Crust
• 1 tbsp Melted Butter
• 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

For the Cinnamon Apples

• 2 Medium Apples, Peeled & Diced
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

For the Ice Cream

• 3 cups Full Fat Cottage Cheese
• 1/2 cup Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp Salt

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll the pie crust onto the sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon.

Cut the dough into 1-inch squares with a pizza cutter and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Let cool completely.

Step 2

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples, brown sugar and cinnamon and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until tender and coated in a thick syrup. Cool completely, using the fridge to speed things up.

Step 3

Add the cottage cheese, milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and salt to a high-speed blender. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until completely silky.

Step 4

Pour the base into a container and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours until very cold.

Step 5

Churn the base in a pre-frozen ice cream maker for 20 to 25 minutes, until thick like soft serve.

Step 6

Layer the ice cream in a freezer-safe container with the cinnamon apples and most of the pie crust pieces, saving a handful of crust pieces for serving.

Step 7

Press plastic wrap onto the surface and freeze for 3 to 4 hours until firm. Soften for 10 minutes before scooping and top with the reserved crispy crust pieces.

Quick Tips

Blend Until Completely Smooth

When you blend the cottage cheese base, do not rush this step. Run your blender on high for the full two minutes so every single curd breaks down completely.

Cottage cheese gives this dessert a great protein boost, but any tiny curds left behind will turn into hard ice pellets once frozen.

I recommend rubbing a drop of the mixture between your fingers before pouring it out. If it feels grainy at all, keep blending until it is completely silky.

Choose the Right Kind of Apple

I recommend using firm, tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for the cinnamon apple layer.

Soft apples tend to break down into mush when cooked in a hot skillet with butter and sugar. A crisp apple holds its shape well and gives you that authentic apple pie bite in every scoop.

Cool the Cinnamon Apples Completely

From my experience, you should always chill the cooked apples in the fridge until they are cold to the touch before assembling.

If you fold warm apples into freshly churned ice cream, the heat will melt the frozen base instantly. That melting creates large ice crystals, which ruins the smooth texture of your dessert.

More Favorites

• Cottage Cheese Apple Cinnamon Oat Bars
• Cottage Cheese Protein Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles
• Cottage Cheese Protein Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream
• Cottage Cheese Protein Cinnamon Apple Crisp Parfaits
• Cottage Cheese Protein Salted Honey Pistachio Ice Cream

Quick Answers

What type of apples work best for the filling?

Firm, crisp apples like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Fuji work best because they hold their shape after cooking in the skillet.

Softer varieties can break down into applesauce very quickly, so sticking to firm baking apples gives you the best pie-like texture.