Cottage Cheese Custard French Toast with Yogurt

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This cottage cheese custard French toast has 30 grams of protein per serving and takes 40 minutes start to finish. The protein comes from blended cottage cheese, eggs, and whipped Greek yogurt, not a scoop of powder, so the bread still tastes like French toast and not a protein shake.

The trick is the blender. Cottage cheese has curds, but a full minute in the blender turns it into something closer to a custard base, no lumps, no texture your kids will pick out. Mine don’t care about the protein count, they just want the yogurt on top.

If you skip the blending step or rush it, you’ll get flecks of curd in the finished toast. It still tastes fine, but it looks unfinished. Give it the full 60 seconds.

The whipped Greek yogurt topping does double duty. It replaces syrup as the main topping and adds another 6 grams of protein per serving on its own.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• 30 grams of protein per serving from real food, no powder
• Blended cottage cheese disappears completely, no curds or grit
• Whipped Greek yogurt topping replaces syrup as the main topping
• Ready in 40 minutes, works for a weekend breakfast

Ingredient Notes

• cottage cheese: Full-fat blends the smoothest and gives the richest custard. Low-fat works too, just blend it the full 60 seconds so no curds remain.
• thick-cut bread: Day-old brioche or Texas toast holds up best in the custard. Fresh, soft bread falls apart before it hits the skillet.
• plain whole-milk Greek yogurt: Whole-milk yogurt whips up thicker and holds its shape longer than nonfat. Nonfat works but the topping loosens faster.
• honey: Adds sweetness to the yogurt topping without needing syrup on the toast itself. Maple syrup works as a swap if you don’t have honey.

Cottage Cheese Custard French Toast with Yogurt

Thick bread slices soaked in a blended cottage cheese custard, griddled until golden, and topped with whipped Greek yogurt for 30g of protein per serving.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American, American comfort, Tex-Mex, Italian-American

Calories: 209

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Custard and Bread

• 300 g cottage cheese (1 1/4 cups); full-fat blends smoothest
• 4 eggs large
• 120 ml whole milk (1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 slices thick-cut bread (about 2.5 cm / 1 inch thick, 360 g total); brioche or Texas toast, day-old works best
• 2 tbsp butter (28 g); salted, for the skillet

Whipped Yogurt Topping

• 245 g plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (1 cup)
• 1 tbsp honey (21 g)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch salt

Method

 

Make the Custard

1. Add the cottage cheese to a blender and blend on high for about 60 seconds, until completely smooth with no curds visible.
2. Add the eggs, milk, 1 tsp vanilla, cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt to the blender. Pulse 4 to 5 times until fully combined and pourable.
3. Pour the custard into a 23x33 cm / 9x13-inch baking dish. Lay the bread slices in the custard in a single layer and let them soak 2 to 3 minutes per side, until saturated but still holding their shape.

Griddle the French Toast

1. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat until it foams.
2. Working in two batches so you don't crowd the skillet, add 3 to 4 soaked bread slices. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden brown and firm when pressed in the center.
3. Transfer the cooked toast to a plate and repeat with the remaining 1 tbsp butter and bread slices.

Whip the Topping and Serve

1. While the toast cooks, whisk the Greek yogurt, honey, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl for about 1 minute, until light and airy.
2. Plate 2 slices of French toast per serving, top with a generous spoonful of whipped yogurt, and serve right away.

Notes

• Soak bread only 2 to 3 minutes per side or it turns mushy in the pan.
• Blend cottage cheese a full minute so no curds show in the custard.
• Keep the skillet at medium heat so centers cook through before edges burn.
• Whip the yogurt topping right before serving, it weeps liquid if it sits.

Tips for Success

• Blend the cottage cheese a full 60 seconds so no curds show up in the finished custard.
• Use day-old thick bread slices, fresh soft bread falls apart once soaked.
• Cook the toast in two batches in the skillet so it browns instead of steaming.
• Wipe out the skillet between batches if the butter starts to blacken.
• Whip the yogurt topping right before serving so it stays light instead of weeping liquid.

Variations

• Swap the Greek yogurt topping for ricotta whisked with honey for a sweeter, denser finish.
• Use thick-cut gluten-free bread to make the whole dish gluten free without changing the custard.
• Mash a ripe banana into the custard for natural sweetness and a softer, custardier bite.

Storage and Reheating

Store cooked French toast without the yogurt topping in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat slices in a toaster oven at 175 C / 350 F for 5 to 6 minutes, until warmed through and the edges crisp back up.

Skip the microwave, it turns the custard soft and slightly rubbery instead of crisping the edges.

Keep the whipped yogurt topping in a separate container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Whisk it again before serving since it separates as it sits, and don’t top the toast until you’re ready to eat since the topping softens the crisp edges within an hour.

Serving Suggestions

Fresh berries and a light drizzle of maple syrup work well alongside the whipped yogurt, since the honey in the topping already brings enough sweetness on its own.

Add a side of high-protein baked egg cups or breakfast sausage if you want more protein at the table, especially for a weekend crowd.

A hot cup of coffee cuts through the sweetness nicely, and this holds up fine as a make-ahead breakfast for a Sunday when you’ve got people coming over.

FAQ

Why is my cottage cheese French toast soggy in the middle?

Usually the bread soaked too long or the skillet ran too hot. If the outside browns before the 3 to 4 minutes per side is up, the center stays wet with custard. Soak thick bread only 2 to 3 minutes per side and keep the skillet at medium heat so the custard sets as the outside browns.

Can I use ricotta instead of cottage cheese in this French toast custard?

Yes, ricotta works and gives a slightly sweeter, less tangy custard. Use the same 300 g amount, but ricotta blends smooth already so you can skip the full minute of blending cottage cheese needs. Protein stays close since ricotta runs about 11 g per 100 g too.

Can I make the custard ahead for cottage cheese French toast?

You can blend the custard up to a day ahead and store it covered in the fridge. Don’t soak the bread until you’re ready to cook it, since bread that sits soaked overnight turns mushy and falls apart the moment it hits the skillet.

What pairs well with cottage cheese French toast and whipped yogurt topping?

Fresh berries, a light drizzle of maple syrup, and a side of crispy bacon or breakfast sausage all work if you want more protein at the table. A hot cup of coffee cuts through the sweetness from the honey in the yogurt topping.

Is this cottage cheese French toast gluten free?

Not as written, since it uses regular thick-cut bread. Swap in a sturdy gluten-free bread, thick sliced and a day old if possible, and the custard and topping stay exactly the same since neither one contains flour.

How do I know when the French toast is fully cooked in the center?

The slice should feel firm, not squishy, when you press the center with a spatula, and the edges should be deep golden brown after 3 to 4 minutes per side. If you’re unsure, cut one open, it should look custardy but not wet or eggy.

Loved this? Try these next

• our Fluffy Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Blueberry Compote
• our High-Protein Baked Egg Cups with Spinach and Feta