Cottage cheese is the definition of retro-chic. Once scorned as old-fashioned diner fare, this health food has recently taken the dairy aisle by storm, with trendy new brands and expanded product lines seemingly popping up every other month.
One such trending brand is Good Culture. Since its founding in 2015, this beloved brand has managed to build a strong consumer base characterized by fierce brand loyalty, which has left thousands of fans devastated following its recent shortage. As a fellow food lover and nerd, I can certainly understand their pain. Fortunately, there is a wide variety of cottage cheese out there, and while I’m not suggesting anyone give up a staunch loyalty to their preferred brand, it’s nice to know what other options are out there—and what might make a good placeholder.
I blindly tasted seven different cottage cheese brands. To ensure the test was as fair as possible, I made sure to sample the 4% small curd variety of each brand. After trying each, I ranked them on a scale of 1-10 and also noted the distinct texture of the sample (which varied greatly) and the specific application I could envision that cottage cheese being best suited for. Based on that information, I determined my favorite in a few different categories. Here are the results:
Best for Blending: 365 Organic
If you’re looking for cottage cheese that will easily disappear into everything from alfredo to egg bites, look no further than Whole Foods. With small, irregular curds that almost melted as I ate them, 365 Organic’s offering promises to disappear into whatever frozen bark or pasta you like.
I have to be honest: I wouldn’t necessarily eat it on its own. Those smaller curds almost disappear into the creamy stratus, making the texture a little too monotonous for me to enjoy by itself. But if you want something that will blend into a dish, this is the brand for you.
Best for Cooking: Breakstone’s
Swapping cottage cheese for ricotta in your favorite stuffed shells or folding it into scrambled eggs? You’ll want something that will mingle with everything else without disappearing completely—and Breakstone's delivers just that. Featuring smaller curds in a creamy (but not too creamy) stratus, this cottage cheese is perfect for folding into everything from gnocchi to kugel.
Again, I wouldn’t recommend eating it plain. It has a slightly drier texture, which makes it less optimal for snacking (at least in my opinion!). But that’s definitely a plus when you’re making cottage cheese gnocchi and you don’t want the dough to be too wet.
Runner-Up Best Overall: Organic Valley
For me, a great snackable cottage cheese offers evenly sized curds surrounded by just the right amount of creaminess, and Organic Valley brings all that and then some. Featuring firm, slightly bouncy curds, this cottage cheese will boost any salad or breakfast bowl it touches. It fell short of the top spot because I felt that the curds were just a little too bouncy for me—especially when I compared them to the texture of the ultimate winner of best overall. But I’d still be happy to eat it any day.
Best Overall: Daisy
Daisy was a staple in my grandma’s fridge when I was little, and now I see why. Pillowy curds swim in a creamy stratus for a cottage cheese that outshone every other brand, hands down. Its x-factor? The remarkable consistency and texture of curd size and shape: every single one was distinct and evenly formed, and they were soft without immediately dissolving when I ate them. The creaminess surrounding the curds was also somehow richer and more luscious than all the other brands—which, given that they were all 4%, was both surprising and delightful.
Interestingly, Daisy’s had the shortest ingredient list of all the brands I sampled. While every other brand includes stabilizers and thickeners such as guar gum, tapioca starch, and locust bean gum, Daisy contains strictly skim milk, cultured cream, and salt. Typically, these additives are meant to enhance texture– but based on my tasting experience, they’re not doing these other cottage cheese brands any favors. Maybe everyone just needs to get back to the basics on this one.
A Final Note:
Taste is incredibly subjective—and so are taste tests. But whether you find you ultimately agree with my results or not, I hope they can at least be a starting spot for you to try some different cottage cheese brands and see what you like. And if you’re still waiting to jump on that cottage cheese train? I don’t know what you’re waiting for. Buy a tub and try it out.
