A few months back I tried the Trader Joe’s cottage cheese ranch dip and thought, I can make this! And now I have and want to share the ridiculously easy recipe with you. Only 3 ingredients, plus a pinch of salt, it’s creamy, tangy, packed with protein.
As a nutrition coach, I am always trying to refine simple and nutritious snacks that will fit with my clients nutrition goals, AND get them to eat more veggies. This dip does the trick. At only 25 calories per serving and the perfect vessel for fresh produce, it’s perfection. It has all the classic ranch flavor you want, but with more protein and fewer calories than traditional sour cream or mayo-based dips.
Jump to:
- Why this Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip Works better than Traditional Ranch
- 3 simple ingredients for this cottage cheese dip
- Why these simple swaps are More Health Focused
- How to Make Smoothy & Creamy Cottage cheese Ranch Dip
- Which Ranch Seasoning Packet to Use
- How to turn Ranch Dip into cottage cheese Ranch Dressing
- Texture Tips and Tricks
- What to serve with Ranch Dip
- Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Ranch Dip With Cottage Cheese FAQ’s
- Try these other dips & Spreads!
- Did you make this recipe?
- Healthy Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip (Trader Joe’s Copycat)
Why this Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip Works better than Traditional Ranch
Traditional ranch dips and dressings are made with sour cream and/or mayonnaise, which makes them calorie dense for a very small serving size. And there’s not a lot of protein! Our version’s simple swaps are better for reaching nutrition goals and still enjoying life!
- More protein per serving than any traditional ranch dip and dressing.
- Lower in calories than those same dips.
- Less saturated fat, which when combined with an overall healthy diet, can have both nutrition and health benefits.
This ranch dip with cottage cheese turns vegetables, crackers, and snack boards into something more substantial, interesting, and enjoyable. Not diet food.
3 simple ingredients for this cottage cheese dip
- ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese. We love Good Culture or Lactaid for best texture and drier consistency that doesn’t water down dips, sauces and dressings.
- ½ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt, preferably 2%. If you really want a creamier texture, 5% works well and is still lower in calories than sour cream or mayo. But the taste difference between 2% and 5% isn’t meaningful. We do not recommend nonfat Greek yogurt.
- 2 teaspoons dry ranch seasoning mix. We love the Kinder packet.
- A pinch of kosher salt to taste, about ½ teaspoon or so.
Optional, but you can also add some low-fat milk to make this more of a runny dressing consistency, or fresh herbs like chives and parsley.
Why these simple swaps are More Health Focused
Unlike traditional ranch dip made with sour cream or mayo, this cottage cheese ranch dip combines low-fat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt for more protein and less saturated fat, while keeping that creamy, tangy ranch flavor you love. You’re getting more protein per serving with fewer calories than mayo-based dips, leading to a more filling, balanced snack.
Compare 130 calories and and upwards of 13 grams of fat to my version that’s about 25 calories and .4 grams of fat. Plus, 3 grams of protein!
How to Make Smoothy & Creamy Cottage cheese Ranch Dip
- Step 1: Combine all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor (you can also use a blender, mixer or immersion blender).
- Step 2: Process until dip is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure even mixing. Season with additional salt if needed. Chill until ready to serve
Which Ranch Seasoning Packet to Use
To copy the Trader Joe’s cottage cheese ranch dip, we had to incorporate dry ranch seasoning mix. That lends the most powerful ranch flavor since it’s so concentrated. It also blends incredibly well and is easy to adjust the flavor intensity.
We used the Kinder’s brand because it’s founded in our home state of California, and the flavor profile is lighter, less intense than OG brands like Hidden Valley Ranch. Either will work, but we recommend starting with 1 teaspoon of other brands ranch seasoning and adjust from there, before adding 2 teaspoons, which may be too intense.
How to turn Ranch Dip into cottage cheese Ranch Dressing
I made this for a recent book club event, and my friend decided to use the dip as a dressing! That works for us, but if you’d like to actually make it into a runnier, true dressing consistency, it’s so easy!
Add 1 tablespoon of skim or 2% milk at a time and stir till smooth. Adjust and add more until desired consistency is achieved. Alternately, you can also add 1 tablespoon of water and a squeeze of lemon juice until you get the consistency you’re aiming for.
Texture Tips and Tricks
Blend Thoroughly
If you want a smooth, traditional ranch feel, blending is key. Scrape down the sides of your blender to ensure everything incorporates evenly.
Dip Too Thick?
Different cottage cheese brands vary in moisture. If your cottage cheese ranch dip feels too thick:
- Add 1 tablespoon milk at a time
- Or stir in a small squeeze of lemon juice
Dip Too Thin?
If your dip feels loose:
- Make sure you used Greek yogurt (not regular yogurt)
- Let it chill for 20–30 minutes — it thickens slightly as it rests
- Try a thicker cottage cheese brand next time with less moisture content. Our favorite brands are Good Culture and Lactaid.
What to serve with Ranch Dip
- Fresh veggies like cucumbers, peppers, carrots, peppers and cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Blanched veggies like asparagus, green beans and even boiled chilled potatoes
- Pita chips, crackers or tortilla chips
- Serve as a spread for sandwiches and wraps
- Drizzling sauce over grilled or roasted meats and vegetables
- Add to a crudite platter
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Stir before serving if any separation occurs. The flavor deepens slightly after a few hours in the fridge. This makes it great for meal prep or entertaining.
Ranch Dip With Cottage Cheese FAQ’s
In terms of nutrition profiles, yes it is! Traditional ranch dip and dressings have 100-140 calories per 2 tablespoon serving, along with upwards of 13 grams of fat and 2 grams of saturated fat. Whereas our version has 25 calories per serving (assuming you use low-fat ingredients), and less than half a gram of fat and saturated fat.
You can definitely mix everything up, but the texture won’t be smooth and creamy or mimic the Trader Joe’s version.
Yes, of course you can make your own, however it requires purchasing milk powder, which isn’t an ingredient most home cooks have on hand. We instead opted for simplicity and ease in using common ingredients that can be found at any grocery store.
Try these other dips & Spreads!
- Edamame hummus with avocado – high fiber and high protein!
- High protein cottage cheese dip (not blended)
- Loaded hummus dip with veggies and crispy chickpeas
- Yogurt fruit dip (also high protein)
- Goat cheese dip with jarred mango chutney
- High protein homemade hummus
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Did you make this recipe?
If you gave this recipe a try, I’d love your feedback! Any tips or recipe additions you’d like to share, I’d love to hear it! Let’s connect down in the comments below.
Healthy Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip (Trader Joe’s Copycat)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup Low-fat cottage cheese
- ½ cup 2% Plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoon Ranch seasoning packet *see recipe note, start with 1 teaspoon if using Hidden Valley
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and blend till smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving dish and chill until ready to use.½ cup Low-fat cottage cheese, ½ cup 2% Plain Greek yogurt, 2 teaspoon Ranch seasoning packet, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
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