High-Protein Strawberry Mousse — 8 Cups
Ingredients
Mousse base
4 cups (900 g) cottage cheese — low-fat or 2%
3 cups (450 g) strawberries, fresh or frozen/thawed
4 scoops vanilla whey protein powder — approximately 120 g, depending on brand
2–4 tbsp honey, maple syrup, or zero-calorie sweetener, to taste
2 tsp vanilla extract
1–2 tbsp lemon juice
Small pinch of salt
For the fluffy texture
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
OR
2 cups light/low-calorie whipped topping
Optional for an extra-firm mousse
1 tbsp unflavored gelatin
4 tbsp cold water
Topping
Fresh strawberries or raspberries
Blueberries
Small amount of whipped cream
Optional mint
Equipment
High-speed blender or food processor
Electric hand mixer/stand mixer if using heavy cream
Large mixing bowl
8 containers with lids
Full Instructions
1. Prepare the strawberries
Wash and remove the strawberry tops.
If using frozen strawberries, thaw them and drain excess liquid.
This is important because watery strawberries can make the mousse thin.
2. Blend the cottage cheese
Put the cottage cheese into a high-speed blender.
Blend for about 30–60 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed.
Continue until completely smooth.
The goal is to eliminate the cottage-cheese curds. Blending cottage cheese is what gives these recipes their smooth mousse-like consistency.
3. Add strawberries
Add:
strawberries
vanilla
lemon juice
sweetener
salt
Blend again until the mixture is completely smooth and pink.
Taste it.
If your strawberries are tart, add another tablespoon of sweetener.
4. Add whey protein
Add the whey protein one scoop at a time while blending on low speed.
Don’t over-blend.
If the mixture becomes extremely thick, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk at a time until the blender can move properly.
Don’t add a large amount of liquid—you want a thick mousse.
5. Optional: make it extra firm
If you want the very thick, scoopable texture seen in the photograph:
Sprinkle gelatin over 4 tbsp cold water.
Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Gently warm until dissolved.
Allow it to cool slightly.
Blend it into the strawberry mixture.
This isn’t essential, but it helps the mousse hold its shape.
6. Whip the cream
If using heavy cream, place it in a cold bowl.
Beat until stiff peaks form.
Don’t over-whip it into butter.
7. Fold everything together
Pour the strawberry-protein mixture into the whipped cream.
Use a spatula and gently fold until combined.
Don’t aggressively stir.
Folding preserves air and gives you the fluffy texture.
If using prepared whipped topping instead, gently fold it into the strawberry mixture. Published versions of strawberry protein mousse use this approach to make the mixture lighter and airier.
8. Portion
Divide between 8 containers.
For the appearance in your photo, fill each container approximately ¾–⅞ full.
9. Chill
Cover and refrigerate for:
Minimum: 2 hours
Best: 4 hours
Overnight: excellent
The mousse becomes thicker as it chills.
10. Decorate
Before serving, add:
whipped cream
1 strawberry or raspberry
a few blueberries
optional mint
For the exact look in the photo, pipe a small swirl of whipped cream on top and place a raspberry in the center.
Approximate Nutrition
This is where the brand of cottage cheese, whey protein, sweetener, and whipped topping makes a big difference, so the following is an estimate rather than an exact label.
Per 1/8 recipe
Using approximately:
low-fat cottage cheese
4 × 30 g whey scoops
450 g strawberries
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp honey
You should expect roughly:
Nutrition Approx. per serving
Calories 300–330 kcal
Protein 30–35 g
Carbohydrates 20–25 g
Fat 9–12 g
Fiber 2–3 g
Sugar 15–20 g
If you use light whipped topping + zero-calorie sweetener, calories and carbohydrates can be considerably lower.
For comparison, published recipes demonstrate how dramatically nutrition can vary: one cottage-cheese strawberry mousse lists 15 g protein per serving, while a version using whey protein lists 35 g protein per serving.
Strawberries themselves are quite low in calories—about 32 kcal and 2 g fiber per 100 g—so most of the protein and calories in this dessert come from the dairy, whey, and whatever topping/sweetener you choose.
Higher-Protein Version
If your priority is maximum protein, use:
4 cups low-fat cottage cheese
4 scoops whey isolate
3 cups strawberries
2 tsp vanilla
zero-calorie sweetener
½–1 cup light whipped topping
You can potentially get 30+ g protein per cup, depending on the protein powder and cottage cheese.
A published protein mousse using cottage cheese and whey similarly reaches about 36.5 g protein in a single serving with 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, ⅓ scoop whey, and berries.
“Nut Info” / Allergens
If by “nut info” you mean nut/allergen information:
Naturally nut-free
The basic recipe contains no peanuts or tree nuts.
However, check the labels of:
whey protein
whipped topping
cottage cheese
flavorings
Protein powders can be manufactured in facilities that also process peanuts, tree nuts, soy, eggs, or other allergens.
Dairy
Yes.
Cottage cheese, whey, and heavy cream are dairy products.
Therefore this recipe is not dairy-free.
Lactose
Whey isolate generally contains less lactose than whey concentrate, but it isn’t necessarily lactose-free.
If lactose is a concern, use lactose-free cottage cheese and a protein powder specifically labeled lactose-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my mousse watery?
Usually one of these:
Strawberries contained too much water.
Cottage cheese was watery.
Too much milk was added.
The mousse wasn’t chilled long enough.
Drain watery cottage cheese and thawed frozen strawberries well. A published strawberry mousse recipe specifically recommends draining excess liquid from watery cottage cheese when the mousse isn’t setting.
Why does mine taste like cottage cheese?
Blend longer.
The cottage cheese needs to become completely smooth before the other ingredients are incorporated.
Also increase:
strawberries
vanilla
sweetener
A good whey protein flavor can help considerably.
Can I use Greek yogurt?
Yes.
Replace approximately half the cottage cheese with Greek yogurt for a tangier mousse.
For maximum protein, however, cottage cheese + whey works very well.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes.
They’re actually excellent for this recipe.
Thaw and drain them first if you want a thick mousse.
Can I skip the whipped cream?
Yes.
Blend the cottage cheese, strawberries, and whey until smooth and refrigerate.
You’ll get something closer to thick strawberry protein pudding than an airy mousse.
Can I use whey isolate?
Yes—and it’s one of my preferred choices.
Vanilla whey isolate produces a clean strawberry-vanilla flavor and generally adds a lot of protein without requiring much additional volume.
Can I use chocolate whey?
Yes.
You’ll get a chocolate-covered-strawberry mousse.
Use vanilla for the flavor shown in the photograph.
Can I make it without added sugar?
Absolutely.
Use:
monk fruit
stevia
erythritol
sucralose
or simply rely on sweet strawberries and sweetened protein powder.
Can I make it keto?
You can make a lower-carb version by using:
unsweetened strawberries in a controlled amount
full-fat cottage cheese
unsweetened/low-carb whey
erythritol or monk fruit
heavy cream
But strawberries still contribute natural carbohydrates, so check your actual ingredients rather than assuming the recipe is keto.
How long does it last?
Keep it refrigerated in sealed containers.
For best quality, I’d use it within 3–4 days. A comparable cottage-cheese strawberry mousse recipe recommends airtight refrigerated storage for up to four days.
Can I freeze it?
You can, but the texture may change after thawing because cottage cheese and strawberries contain a lot of water.
For the best mousse texture, refrigerate rather than freeze.
My Recommended Version for the Photo
For the closest combination of pink color + thick texture + high protein, I’d use:
900 g low-fat cottage cheese
450 g strawberries
120 g vanilla whey isolate
2–3 tbsp zero-calorie sweetener
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup light whipped topping
Blend the first six ingredients until completely smooth → gently fold in whipped topping → divide into 8 containers → refrigerate 4 hours or overnight → top with a little whipped cream and berries.
That should give you the thick, airy strawberry protein dessert appearance shown in your picture wi
