Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Protein Fluff
(roughly 11–13 grams of protein per generous serving • Christmas dessert fluff style)
This is one of those rare recipes where four very ordinary ingredients come together to create something that genuinely tastes like someone secretly mixed sugar-cookie dough into the lightest, airiest cheesecake imaginable — and then decided it was fine to eat it straight from the bowl all December long.
The flavor profile that makes people go quiet for a second
Sugar cookies have a very specific taste memory for a lot of people.
It’s not just vanilla.
It’s not just butter.
It’s this soft, round, almost shortbread-like richness with a quiet almond extract note that most people never consciously identify — but they instantly know when it’s missing.
Commercial bakery sugar cookies almost always contain both vanilla and almond extract (even when the ingredient label only bothers to list “natural and artificial flavors”).
That tiny almond whisper is what separates “good vanilla cookie” from “that’s the one, that’s the sugar cookie taste.”
This fluff leans hard into exactly that combination while keeping the texture somewhere between mousse, whipped cheesecake filling, and the edge of edible cookie dough — all without ever feeling dense or heavy.
The lightness is what makes it dangerous during the holidays.
Ingredients (makes 1 large serving or 2 polite ones)
The creamy foundation:
- ¼ cup (about 60 g) blended cottage cheese — 2% or 4% fat preferred (small curd is easiest to smooth out)
- 1 heaping tablespoon (roughly 20–25 g) thick Greek yogurt — full-fat (5%) gives the richest mouthfeel, non-fat works if you’re in a volume-eating mood
Protein and sweetness:
- ½ scoop (about 15–16 g) vanilla whey or whey/casein blend protein powder
(milkshake-style, “gourmet vanilla,” or “vanilla cupcake” profiles tend to work best)
The flavor keys (these make or break it):
- 1–3 drops pure almond extract (use the real stuff — imitation can taste like plastic)
- 1–2 drops pure vanilla extract (or a tiny smear of vanilla bean paste if you have it)
Strongly recommended extras for maximum sugar-cookie nostalgia:
- ⅛–¼ teaspoon butter extract or butter emulsion (this is the single biggest cheat code)
- A tiny pinch of fine sea salt or Himalayan pink salt (makes everything pop without tasting salty)
- 1–3 grams powdered erythritol or allulose if your protein powder isn’t sweet enough
- 1–2 teaspoons sugar-free instant white chocolate or vanilla pudding mix (optional but gives an extra “bakery” density and richness)
What you’ll need (keeping it as simple as possible)
- A very small food processor or immersion blender + tall narrow cup
(a blender bottle with a mixing ball can work in a pinch, but the texture ends up noticeably less refined) - A small rubber spatula
- A tiny bowl or glass for chilling (or just eat it straight from the blending container — no judgment)
Step-by-step method (long version — pay attention to the details)
- Start with the cottage cheese alone.
Dump the ¼ cup into your processor or cup and blend it by itself for 30–60 seconds.
Keep going until there are absolutely no visible curds left and it looks glossy and smooth.
Skipping or rushing this step is the number one reason people end up with “healthy-tasting” fluff instead of something that feels indulgent. - Add the Greek yogurt and blend again.
Scrape in the yogurt and give it another 15–20 seconds.
At this point you should have a thick, shiny, almost sour-cream-like base. - Bring in the protein powder carefully.
Dumping the whole scoop at once is how most people get that chalky, gritty disaster.
Instead do it in thirds:
- Add about a third of the protein powder → pulse/blend 8–10 seconds
- Add the next third → another quick pulse
- Add the final third along with all your flavor extracts, salt, butter extract (if using), and any extra sweetener
- Blend continuously for 45–90 seconds after everything is in
- Taste and adjust — this is where the magic happens.
Cold temperatures dull flavor perception, so the mix usually needs to taste a little stronger than you think is reasonable at first.
Very common final tweaks after the first blend:
- Another 1–2 drops of almond extract
- One more drop of vanilla
- A little more butter extract if you have it
- Another tiny pinch of salt
- A touch more sweetener if the vanilla note feels flat
- Final fluffing round.
Once the flavor is where you want it, blend continuously for another full 60–90 seconds.
You’ll see the color lighten and the whole mixture become noticeably airier.
The goal is a soft-peak texture — it should hold a gentle shape on the spatula but slowly relax and slump back down. - Chill it.
- 10 minutes in the freezer (stir once halfway) works for quick results
- 20–30 minutes in the refrigerator is ideal
The cold firms up the casein proteins and dramatically improves the cheesecake-like mouthfeel
Realistic texture expectations depending on your ingredient choices
Using full-fat (4%) cottage cheese and full-fat Greek yogurt gives the richest, most luxurious result — closest to actual cheesecake filling.
Dropping down to 2% cottage cheese and full-fat yogurt lands in the sweet spot that most people love: creamy without being heavy.
Going all the way to 0% fat versions makes it very light and mousse-like — great if you’re trying to stretch volume, but it can feel a little foamy if you over-blend.
Mixing high-fat cottage cheese with zero-fat yogurt tends to be less stable and can separate slightly after a day or two.
A few fun holiday flavor twists (2025 edition)
- Classic Sugar Cookie: heavy on almond extract, moderate vanilla, pinch of salt, touch of butter extract
- Frosted Sugar Cookie: extra vanilla, white chocolate sugar-free pudding powder, maybe a few sugar-free sprinkles stirred in at the end
- Gingerbread Sugar Cookie: reduce almond, add a little ground ginger and a drop or two of molasses extract
- Eggnog Sugar Cookie: keep the almond/vanilla backbone, add fresh nutmeg and a drop of rum extract
- Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Dip: stir in a tablespoon of cream cheese for a denser dip that’s perfect with apple slices or pretzels
Macros (very approximate — protein brands vary wildly)
Typical range using 2% cottage cheese, 5% Greek yogurt, and a standard milkshake-style vanilla whey/casein scoop:
- Calories: 135–165
- Protein: 12–14 g
- Fat: 3.5–5.5 g
- Net carbs: 3–6 g (heavily dependent on your protein powder and any added sweeteners)
Storage and meal-prep notes
The best texture is the same day you make it.
It’s still very good on days 1 and 2 in the refrigerator.
By day 3 the flavor holds up but it can start to weep a little liquid — a quick stir usually brings it back to about 80% of original texture.
Freezing turns it into a strange soft-serve/ice-cream hybrid; some people love it, most find it weird.
Common problems and how to fix them
- Tastes like plain cottage cheese → didn’t blend long enough at the beginning and/or under-flavored. Re-blend aggressively and add more almond extract + butter extract.
- Gritty texture → protein powder was dumped in all at once. Next time add gradually. If it’s already gritty, stir in a teaspoon of milk or unsweetened almond milk and re-blend.
- Too thin or runny → too much yogurt or a very “light” protein powder. Add another tablespoon of blended cottage cheese or a quarter scoop more protein and re-whip.
- Weird chemical aftertaste → almost always caused by low-quality protein powder or imitation almond extract. Switching brands usually fixes it.
This little fluff cup is one of the cleanest examples of food that doesn’t taste like “diet food” while still fitting comfortably into a high-protein or moderate-calorie plan.
It works because it doesn’t try to imitate a rich dessert in a low-calorie way — it tries to be an extremely delicious, extremely light version of something rich.
During the six-week stretch where every dessert is peppermint mocha, gingerbread, or eggnog, having a big bowl of something that tastes like pure sugar-cookie dough feels like a small, quiet holiday gift to yourself.
Enjoy it with zero guilt — or at least tell yourself the calories don’t officially count until January 2nd.