With two years of sales data from Circana, it is safe to say that consumer interest in cottage cheese has longevity. Sales that had bottomed out in 2022 at 534.6 million pints rose by 9.4% in 2023. In 2024, volume rose another 12.5%, and in 2025, cottage cheese sales volumes jumped another 14.3%, to 746.6 million pints. Thank you Tik Tok!
But, as my friend Joe Rotondo, founder and chief executive officer of New York-based Smearcase said at the International Dairy Foods Association Ice Cream and Cultured Innovation Conference held April 14-15 in Naples, Fla., “Cottage cheese is a superfood that’s been around a long time, but today’s younger consumers are not necessarily eating it as curds and whey. They are using it as a high-protein ingredient to cook with. Or like us, churning it into a high-protein frozen dairy dessert. It’s not your grandmother’s cottage cheese.”
Smearcase FroCo is powered by cottage cheese and boosted with collagen. This first-of-its-kind frozen cottage cheese combines a few simple ingredients for one powerful protein-packed pint.
Per-capita consumption data for cottage cheese from USDA tells a similar story to Circana’s sales data. Per-capita consumption bottomed out in 2022, at 1.91 pounds per American, per year. The next two years increased, with 2024 at 2.37 pounds.
Other brands are following Rotondo’s love for cottage cheese, the original high-protein superfood. Kendall Kransdorf, also based in New York, for example, just launched Cotto, a line of whipped cottage cheese dips. In addition to cottage cheese, the dips include nonfat Greek yogurt. Varieties are Buffalo, French Onion and Garden Ranch. Each 8-ounce tub provides 210 calories and 23 to 25 grams of protein, depending on the variety.
Dairy dips and dressings are hot. Those boosted with protein, either from dairy proteins or the addition of meat—think Buffalo Chicken or this new limited-edition variety from Publix, Chicken Parmigiana Style, where chicken is the first ingredient followed by Neufchatel cheese and then cheddar cheese—appeal to health- and wellness-conscious all-day snackers.
The Marzetti Company is launching Marzetti Protein Ranch. The new line includes a 13-ounce bottle of dressing, a 12-ounce dip and spread tub and a six-pack of 1.5-ounce dip snack cups. All of the products are perishable and require refrigeration. Their formulations differ slightly; however, they all contain cream, milk protein concentrate and whey. One serving contains 3 to 4 grams of protein.
Pickle continues to trend as a flavor and is definitely finding a moment in dairy dips and dressings. HP Hood LLC, for example, has partnered with Grillo’s Pickles, the industry leader celebrated for its fresh, vibrant dill pickle flavor, to create a bold limited-edition offering. And, Litehouse has a new Pickle Ranch Dressing & Dip. Nonfat buttermilk is the first ingredient.
While Rotondo is on target with consumers wanting to use cottage cheese as an ingredient, there’s still many consumers eating their curds and cream. Marketers are getting creative.
Dairy Farmers of America recently introduced MULU Cottage Cheese, a new national brand built for the modern protein consumer. The cultured dairy product is formulated with a proprietary two-layer whey-and-casein protein system, delivering 18 grams of complete dairy protein per serving—33% more than the leading brand of cottage cheese—with the rich, creamy taste and texture consumers expect from premium dairy.
Traditional cottage cheese is not only lower in protein (typically 12 to 13 grams per serving), it is also almost entirely casein, a slow-digesting protein. MULU features a two-layer formulation that incorporates fast-acting whey. This unique two-layer formulation boosts the protein content and provides both fast and sustained fuel. This combination of whey and casein covers the entire recovery window in a way single-source proteins cannot. No other national cottage cheese brand offers this dual-action protein system.
Protein timing and quality both matter, Mohr said. “Foods that combine fast and slow proteins can help provide both immediate support and longer-term nourishment. MULU provides that balance naturally through real dairy.”
MULU delivers an indulgent, satisfying eating experience with just 100 calories per serving for the low-fat (2%) variety, 120 calories for the whole (4%) variety, and less than 1 gram of sugar. MULU is available now in the dairy case at Walmart stores nationwide. The brand launches in 16-ounce cartons with a suggested retail price of $4.26.
Late last year, Kroger introduced private-label Simple Truth Protein Cottage Cheese. The 2% milkfat small curd cottage cheese is enhanced with whey protein concentrate. The product comes in 5.6-ounce single-serve cups and sells for 99 cents. Plain contains 130 calories, 3 grams of fat, 4 grams of sugar, no added sugars and 21 grams of protein. The two blended fruit varieties are Pineapple and Strawberry. One container provides 160 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 16 grams of sugar, of which 11 grams are added sugars, and 17 grams of protein.
HP Hood manufactures the Lactaid brand of lactose-free dairy products for Kenvue Inc., an American consumer health company. The brand is feeling the cottage cheese madness and recently added a pineapple option to the 4% milkfat option.
Cottage cheese at the industrial ingredient level shines in the new Cottage Cheese Crust Pizza from Tattooed Chef, a former plant-based frozen food brand focused on nostalgic innovation. The pizza comes in four varieties, with an entire pizza containing 840 to 960 calories and 40 to 47 grams of protein, depending on variety.
Varieties are Bianca (white sauce rather than traditional red), Killer Bee (hot honey), Spicy Vodka (the sauce) and Four Cheese. The latter is technically five cheese, as the cottage cheese crust is topped with mozzarella, provolone, cheddar and an aged white cheese. From the ingredient legend, it would appear that the crust is made with a proprietary blend of cottage cheese, rice flour, brown rice flour, egg white and yeast, meaning it is leavened.
Yough is putting a different spin on protein pizza. The fast-growing startup makes its crust with Greek yogurt. Varieties are Mozzarella Cheese, Uncured Pepperoni and Farmer’s Vegetable.
Saputo USA is turning up the flavor with its new Treasure Cave Hot Honey Blue Cheese Dip & Spread, a bold fusion of sweet heat and savory indulgence. The dip comes in an 8-ounce cup and is made with Treasure Cave Blue Cheese, cream cheese and Greek yogurt.
Other flavors trending in the dairy dip space include elote. Yo Quiero offers it. It is a Mexican-style street corn dip with sour cream as the key ingredient.
Green Goddess seems to be building momentum, even though it’s been trending since the pandemic. Good Foods’ Avocado Green Goddess is a creamy, herb-packed dip and dressing made with avocado, Greek yogurt and fresh herbs.
Lastly, Alexandre Family Farm is rolling out A2/A2 Organic Probiotic Sour Cream, a European-style cultured dairy product containing 25% milkfat. It is made from milk that comes from grass-grazing cows that convert rich pasture into high milkfat, nutrient-dense dairy. The 25% milkfat provides a richer, creamier taste, a thicker body, and is better for baking. The higher milkfat content in European-style sour cream contributes to a richer and more complex flavor compared to American-style sour cream, which typically has around 12% to 16% milkfat.
Guess what? It’s an amazing base for dips. Might sour cream follow in cottage cheese’s trajectory?
Go dairy! Go!
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