I Tried the Viral Cinnamon Toast with Cottage Cheese and It’s the Sweetest Way to Start the Day

The New York Times reported this summer that cottage cheese is back — a veritable comeback-of-a-comeback, as they reported something similar just five years ago. What is it about this retro diet cornerstone that keeps us coming back for more?

In this iteration of cottage cheese’s star turn, recipe writers are blending the (notoriously lumpy) cheese until it’s perfectly smooth, like in this creamy lemon pasta. This is the approach Grace Elkus takes in her “high-protein cottage cheese cinnamon toast,” which has already accrued over a million views since it was uploaded on TikTok last month. Since I recently (and successfully) tried my hand at another viral cottage cheese toast, I figured it was worth giving Elkus’ recipe a shot too. 

Start with a couple of slices of bread — I used multigrain, but I think challah or brioche would make for a more French toast-esque breakfast. If using sandwich bread, toast lightly on both sides before proceeding with the recipe.

Next make the cinnamon sugar by stirring together granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and flaky sea salt. In a small food processor, or using a blender or immersion blender, blend half a cup of cottage cheese until smooth. Stir half of your cinnamon-sugar mixture into the whipped cottage cheese, along with a quarter teaspoon of vanilla. Spread the cottage cheese mixture into an even layer all the way to the edges of each piece of toast. Air-fry toasts at 400°F or toast them in a toaster oven until the cottage cheese is bubbling and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.

These toasts tasted sort of like a more virtuous French toast, with a pleasant texture and *just* the right amount of sweetness. The whipped cottage cheese mixture was particularly delicious, and I found I actually liked it even better before toasting it. The extra bit I didn’t use on my toast was perfect for dipping fresh fruit like strawberries and peaches.

Although I did prefer the cottage cheese once blended, it was a bit of extra effort to both blend it and clean out my food processor. If you already like the texture of cottage cheese, it might be worth skipping this step for a speedier breakfast.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth in the morning but don’t have the time to make yourself a stack of pancakes or waffles, this just might be the breakfast recipe you’ve been waiting for.

1. Go light on the salt. I’m all for some salt on sweet dishes, but I may have been a bit too heavy-handed on these toasts. Some cottage cheeses have a good amount of sodium already, so keep that in mind when you’re adding your pinch of salt.
2. Serve the toasts with fresh fruit. Some sweet, juicy fresh fruit is the perfect pairing for a toast like this one. Add some sliced stone fruit or ripe berries to take it to the next level.