Rice pudding has lots of nostalgia for me. It was the only thing my grandmother made that was actually edible. The thought of her rice pudding got me through many a horrifying family Sunday lunch.
Of course rice pudding hasn’t been high on my list of foods to eat given my low carb journey. To be honest I didn’t miss it at all.
But when I saw a ‘not rice’ pudding recipe in one of the Greek Kitchen Stories cookbooks using cottage cheese and Greek yoghurt, it sparked some of those childhood memories and it wasn’t long until a tub of cottage cheese found its way into my shopping trolley.
Speaking of cottage cheese, I’d forgotten how much I love it. It has a bad reputation as ‘diet food’ but I love it on it’s own. And also mashed with tuna or salmon as a filling for lettuce wraps.
Back to the important topic of pudding…
I love, love, love this idea as a simple dessert.
Basically plonk cottage cheese in a bowl then top with some sort of fruit and some sort of nuts. And it has all the creamy goodness of rice pudding – with that nubbly texture.
So many possibilities.
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 2 drops vanilla extract optional
- 1 pinch cinnamon optional
- 2 tablespoons apple sauce or other fruit
- 25 g / 1oz walnuts or other nuts or seeds
- Place cottage cheese in a small bowl or glass. If using vanilla and / or cinnamon stir it into the cottage cheese.
- Top with the apple sauce (or other fruit) and finish with the nuts / seeds.
Variations & Substitutions
extra creamy – use a combo of cottage cheese and whipped cream or double cream.
extra tangy – use a combo of greek yoghurt and cottage cheese.
different fruit – roast pears, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, mango, pineapple, roast peaches, chopped dates, chopped prunes, figs, any fruit really.
Keto / ultra low carb – replace the apple sauce with melted dark chocolate.
dairy-free – replace cottage cheese with this cashew ‘sour cream’.
nut-free – use seeds or extra fruit or some chopped chocolate chunks,
other flavour ideas – maple syrup, honey,
Waste Avoidance Strategy
cottage cheese – in a sealed tub it usually has a shelf life of a few weeks in the fridge. If in an opened container, will only keep for a few days so use for another meal or freeze.
vanilla extract / cinnamon / walnuts or other nuts or seeds – keep them in the pantry.
apple sauce or other fruit – freeze it.
Prepare Ahead
Not really – best when freshly made. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or can be frozen.