The Absolute Best Fruit To Pair With Cottage Cheese

At Chowhound, we're pretty big cottage cheese fans. We even have a whole list of cottage cheese brands, ranked worst to best, lovingly curated so that you can go out and pluck the tastiest of cheeses off the shelf. What you can do with cottage cheese is vast and varied (check out these delicious breakfast ideas featuring cottage cheese to get inspired), but today, we're going to focus on something much more simple: good old-fashioned fruit and cheese pairings.

When it comes to sweet cottage cheese mix-ins, you can really add anything you want, but some fruits go better with the creamy and mild curd than others. Stone fruits are particularly popular, that is plums and peaches. Berries are, too, especially blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. If you want to try something dried instead of fresh, reach for cranberries or even apricots for some extra chew and sugar in your bowl. Anything with a particularly notable sweetness will suit a good cottage cheese well, so don't be afraid to experiment.

One of the best ways of enjoying your cottage cheese and fruit? Creating a cottage cheese board. Sure, you can simply mix your fruits in with your cottage cheese and have it as-is, and that's a tasty and easy way of getting more protein into your diet. But if you want to get a little fancier, try this. Scoop your cottage cheese into a large ramekin or bowl; this is going to be the centerpiece of the board. Next, arrange your fruit on the board (or a large plate). Again, you can't go wrong with sliced peaches or apricots, fresh berries, or even citrus. Oranges and grapefruit go particularly well with cottage cheese, cutting through the mild flavor with a punch of tangy zest. Feel free to add other toppings like shredded coconut or nuts like crushed hazelnuts or walnuts, too.

As for how to eat it, you can serve yourself small portions mixed in with different fruits and toppings, or you can create a bowl with as many mix-ins as you want. If you're looking for something a little more filling, you can even grab some whole wheat crackers to use as a scoop, or upgrade your French toast by slathering it with cottage cheese, fruit, nuts, and perhaps a touch of honey. Whatever you choose, cottage cheese and fruit will help fuel your body, fill your stomach, and prepare you for the day ahead, so it's a truly winning combo.