I love the idea of homemade ice cream.

I keep seeing versions everywhere made with Ninja Creamis. And as amazing (and appealing) as they look, I can’t justify spending that kind of money on a kitchen appliance that I’m not sure how much I’ll use.

And also, making ice cream at home is simple enough without one anyway.

Sure, the texture might not be exactly the same. But you still get that frozen deliciousness. Which is what matters most 🙂

If you’ve been around a while, you probably know that I love an easy recipe. 5 ingredients or less? Sign. Me. Up. And this one is made with only 3!

Now… before you roll your eyes that it’s made with cottage cheese, let me tell you this: you can’t taste it.

The cottage cheese adds an important creaminess. And the protein it adds doesn’t hurt either!

But in no way is the cottage cheese added as some sort of diet culture-y hack on ice cream. Because again, this isn’t the same as regular ice cream.

What it is: a really delicious, super easy, simple, and nutrient-dense way to enjoy homemade ice cream on a hot summer day.

I absolutely love it with some chocolate syrup on top. Add some whipped cream if you like too!

And of course, double or triple the recipe to make extra. It’ll last in the freezer for months.

Prep ingredients

This recipe calls for 1 heaping cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup whole milk cottage cheese, 4 tablespoons maple syrup or use 3 tablespoons to make the ice cream less sweet.

Add to food processor

Add all ingredients to a large food processor.

Mix

Process until smooth.

Place into dish

Pour into a glass dish and cover.

Freeze

Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Add toppings and serve

Optional: top with fresh strawberries, chocolate syrup and/or other toppings of choice and serve.

Notes

Strawberries: Frozen strawberries will give more an ice cream-like texture than fresh. But, since the mixture is getting frozen anyway, fresh will work too (especially while they’re in season in the early summer!).
Cottage cheese: Use a whole milk cottage cheese. Don’t worry about the texture or flavor if you’re not into cottage cheese. Because it’s blended, you can’t taste it. If you’d prefer though, you can also use a whole milk plain Greek yogurt.
Maple syrup: Use less to the make the ice cream a little less sweet!
Substitutions: Want to try a different flavor? Try using the same amount of frozen mango or mixed berries. Or mix different frozen fruit together with the strawberries!
Storage: Store ice cream in airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. For the best texture, let it defrost slightly before scooping.