Cottage Cheese Tiramisu

5 from 2 votes

This Cottage Cheese Tiramisu has the same flavors as the classic creamy, layered coffee-flavored dessert, but slightly less fat and calories.

Prep Time20

Chilling Time12

Total Time12 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Universal

Keyword: Coffee, cottage cheese, dessert, no bake, tiramisu, vegetarian

Special Diet: Nut Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 267kcal

Author: Carissa Serink

Equipment

Food Processor
Stand Mixer or hand mixer
9x13" or larger glass or ceramic baking dish or similar-sized casserole dish
Fine Mesh Strainer

Ingredients

For the Coffee Mixture:

1 ½ cups strong black coffee or espresso
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Layer:

2 large egg yolks
2 cups whipping cream or heavy cream
16 ounces 2% cottage cheese see notes
6 Tablespoons granulated sugar (divided)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To assemble:

1 package lady fingers
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

Instructions

For the Coffee Mixture:

Stir together 1 ½ cups strong black coffee or espresso, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish like a pie plate. Set aside.

For the Cream Layer:

Add 16 ounces 2% cottage cheese to the bowl of a food processor. Process on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until the cottage cheese is completely smooth. Add ¼ cup of the granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and process again until the sugar is incorporated. Place in the fridge while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Set up a double boiler by filling a glass or metal bowl over a saucepan. Add a little water to the saucepan, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Bring the water to a simmer. Add 2 large egg yolks and the remaining 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar to the bowl and whisk constantly until the yolks are pale and thickened, and the mixture is no longer grainy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and continue whisking for a couple of minutes until the mixture has cooled slightly.
Add the egg yolk mixture to the cottage cheese mixture, and process again until the mixture is uniform.
Pour the whipping cream into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl). Mix on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cottage cheese mixture and mix on high speed again until the mixture is thick and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

To Assemble:

Get out a 9x13" baking dish, or similar sized dish (preferably clear glass, if you have one - see note). One at a time, dip the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture: quickly dip one side, then the other side, and shake off any excess drips. Place the ladyfinger into the baking dish. Repeat with more ladyfingers until the bottom of the dish is completely covered in a single layer of ladyfingers (note that to completely cover the bottom, you may need to break or cut some of the ladyfingers to fit).
Completely cover the first layer of coffee-soaked ladyfingers with half of the cottage cheese mixture (you want the cottage cheese layer to be about ½" - 1" thick).
Repeat with another layer of coffee-soaked ladyfingers on top of the cottage cheese mixture, then the remaining cottage cheese mixture. Smooth the top of the cottage cheese mixture with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Carefully cover the tiramisu with plastic wrap and place the dish into the fridge to chill for at least 6-8 hours (or overnight) before serving.
Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift about 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder over the top of the tiramisu just before serving.

Notes

The amount of salt in cottage cheese varies. Try to find one that is lower in salt for this recipe. You can do this by comparing the amount of sodium listed in the Nutrition Facts table (make sure the portion sizes are the same for your comparison).

If you don't have one large baking or casserole dish to assemble the tiramisu, you can divide it into two smaller dishes if needed. Note that a clear glass dish is best, so you can see the layers. Rectangular or square dishes are also preferred, as it is easier to arrange the ladyfingers.

Nutrition