Easy Kid-friendly Cottage Cheese and Applesauce Recipes

Are you wondering what to do with that opened cottage cheese and applesauce in the fridge? If you’re like me you always have a jar of homemade applesauce and a container of cottage cheese available. 

Here are some tips and ideas on buying the best cottage cheese and applesauce for babies and kids and how to use them in healthy recipes!

Best cottage cheese for kids

Cottage cheese can be served to babies when they start solids (around 6 months) if it is low in sodium. Aim to find a cottage cheese that has less than 100 mg of sodium per serving. Rinsing cottage cheese in a fine-mesh colander under cold running water can reduce sodium levels by 60 percent too!

Excess sodium in babies’ and kids’ diets can prime a child’s palate for salty foods. It’s best to avoid added sodium by choosing fresh foods and using herbs and spices for flavor. 

Babies and young children need extra fat in their diet for brain growth, rapid development, and high-energy needs. Full-fat cottage cheese is a great way to add more fat to your kid’s diet. So the best cottage cheese for kids will be:

• Low-sodium and full-fat cottage cheese 

Best applesauce for babies and kids 

The best applesauce for babies and kids will be any unsweetened applesauce. This can be homemade applesauce or unsweetened store-bought applesauce. To make sure there isn’t any added sugar, look at the Nutrition Facts label on the package. There should be 0 grams added sugar. 

Why is added sugar not recommended for kids under 2?

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, AAP, AHA, and CDC all recommend avoiding added sugars until the age of 2. This is for a few reasons including:

1. To prioritize other nutrients that are important for kids and babies like fat, vitamins, and minerals that may not be as abundant in foods with added sugars
2. To avoid establishing a taste preference for sweet foods and drinks
3. Research shows that eating more than 10% of calories from added sugars increases a child’s risk for type 2 diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, high HDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and high triglycerides.

Cottage cheese and applesauce recipe ideas

Here are some recipe ideas with simple ingredients that include apple sauce and cottage. 

If you can’t find a low-sodium cottage cheese, you can substitute Greek yogurt or ricotta cheese. Cream cheese can also be used for some of these recipes but the fat to protein ratio will be higher than cottage cheese.

Cottage cheese and applesauce pancakes

Who doesn’t love a healthy breakfast of some easy, crowd-pleasing pancakes? Pancakes freeze well in an airtight container like a Ziploc bag. Even better if you can vacuum-seal or suck the air out of the bag before sealing. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese (2% or 4% milkfat)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• berries, applesauce, peanut butter, maple syrup, or jam for topping

Instructions:

1. Blend the cottage cheese, rolled oats, eggs, and spices (if using), in a blender. 
2. Blend on high until smooth.
3. Warm a skillet or a griddle and melt half the butter. 
4. Add a small amount of batter to the skillet or griddle and spread thinly. Cook 2-3 minutes each side. Flip the pancake when you see little bubbles on top.
5. Melt the remaining butter and repeat to cook the remaining batter.
6. Serve warm with toppings of your choosing. 

Cottage cheese and applesauce dip

To make a cottage cheese and applesauce dip all you need is cottage cheese, applesauce, and spices of your choosing (cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice). Simply blend 1/4 cup cottage cheese with 1/4 cup applesauce and spices until smooth. Serve in small containers or custard cups.

Dip apple slices, pears, crackers, or pita bread in the dip. You can also use the dip as a spread for pancakes, bread, and crackers. It makes the perfect side to an afternoon snack! 

Easiest cottage cheese and applesauce snack

​For the easiest recipe with cottage cheese and applesauce, simply mix 1/4 cup full-fat low-sodium cottage cheese with 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and enjoy!

Best tips for cottage cheese and applesauce recipes

• Choose a cottage cheese with less than 100 mg of sodium per serving and that is full-fat for babies and kids
• Choose unsweetened applesauce
• Use cottage cheese and applesauce in pancakes, make a dipping sauce, or simply mix cottage cheese and applesauce together for a healthy snack for kids

Looking for more recommended baby-led weaning supplies? I have it all laid out for you in this baby-led weaning supply guide. Follow our baby-led weaning journey on instagram @mydietitian.friend!