7 Cottage Cheese Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

Love it or hate it, cottage cheese is having a moment. From cottage cheese scrambled eggs to cottage cheese ice cream and nearly every recipe in between, cottage cheese is the versatile, protein-packed dairy product at the forefront of today's foodie trends.

Cottage cheese is hardly a new invention, though. Immigrants introduced the recipe to the United States in the mid-1800s, and it became especially popular during World War I, as more traditional sources of protein were rationed nationwide. Today, you can snag a tub of cottage cheese from virtually any grocery store on the map. There are plenty of options, too, from brand to fat content, proving cottage cheese is in high supply.

With so many different choices on the shelf, I picked up seven brands of 2% cottage cheese to taste and rank. To my surprise, no two cottage cheeses were alike. From varying curd sizes to unique textures, the cottage cheese landscape is more diverse than one might imagine. Read on to find out which curds rise to the top and which are better left behind.

The concept for this piece came to me when Mulu, a high-protein cottage cheese brand, offered to send me samples of its product. Mulu sent both a 2% fat cottage cheese (commonly referred to as Low Fat) and a fattier 4% cottage cheese (Full Fat), which is great for that ice cream recipe linked above. In my pricing research, I found nearly all brands sell the low-fat 2% version, though many brands offer a fat-free option alongside a 4% fat option. 

I settled on 2% fat for the review and purchased six additional brands, bringing the total to seven. I took photos of each cottage cheese option and tasted them, evaluating based on flavor, texture, and value. Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

It probably goes without saying, but I enjoy cottage cheese in pretty much all forms. Whether mixing it into a dish or just eating it plain, I'm a big fan of the food, and I don't recall ever coming across a cottage cheese I outright disliked. (And that includes the questionable vats of the stuff nestled into the occasional salad bar.) Unfortunately, there's a first time for everything, and Breakstone's holds the distinction of being the first cottage cheese I simply didn't enjoy.

Among the variables across brands, the overall flavor profile, curd size, and texture are the elements I found most important. Breakstone's cottage cheese is on the more sour side, which I didn't love. Additionally, the curds were hardly tender, leaving a mealy taste in my mouth. While the brand gets credit for a good scoopable consistency that's not overly thin, I simply couldn't get past the flavor. At 22 cents per ounce, Breakstone's is also the third most expensive option on the list. Poor taste plus poor value? No, thank you.

I always think of sour cream when I see the Daisy brand, but a dollop of cottage cheese is an option, too. At 17 cents per ounce, Daisy sits right in the middle of the price scale, but I found the texture of the cottage cheese confusing, and not in a good way.

All of the curds are the exact same shape and size. I'm not sure how Daisy manages this totally unnecessary feat, but the result is a mouthfeel that's simply odd. All cottage cheese curds are cut, but Daisy seems to be the only brand that does so with unnerving consistency. The small, pebbly feel is unlike any other cottage cheese on the list and is hardly a positive. The liquid surrounding the curds is thicker than most, which only adds to the unusual overall texture.

From a flavor standpoint, Daisy is simply lacking. It's not salty, it's not sour, it's not sweet; it's just kind of there. I guess if you're looking to add cottage cheese to a recipe and you're determined to keep it hidden, the lack of flavor might be a positive, but I enjoy food with personality, which Daisy cottage cheese severely lacks.

The portion of the list where I tell you to avoid items is over. From here, personal preference will play the largest role in determining which brand best suits your individual tastes, because none of the remaining options are bad; they're just different.

As a store brand, Roundy's tends to offer solid value, and its cottage cheese is no different. Priced at 14 cents per ounce, this is the most cost-conscious option I reviewed. The curds vary in size, which I like because it provides the best overall mouthfeel, and they're tender. Roundy's doesn't pack a ton of flavor into its cottage cheese, but some light salty and sour notes give it the personality I was craving from Daisy.

My only complaint about Roundy's is that the liquid surrounding the curds has a slick, nearly slimy texture. I know "slimy" and dairy are never supposed to mix, and yes, I confirmed that my cottage cheese was not expired. Nevertheless, there's something about this cottage cheese that slides around my mouth more than the others. I don't mind it, but that description won't be for everyone. You've been warned.

It's no real surprise that 4% fat cottage cheese is thicker than its 2% counterpart. The same goes for 2% vs fat free: The more fat a cottage cheese contains, the thicker it tends to be. That said, there's a wide range of viscosities in the world of 2% cottage cheese. It all comes down to how much cream is added to the processed curd. I like a cottage cheese that slowly slides off the spoon rather than one that hangs on for dear life, which describes the thickness of Good Culture.

As the most expensive option on the list at 28 cents per ounce, Good Culture is good but not great. The curds are very small (something I found common among thicker cottage cheeses) and tender enough, but hardly worth writing home about. The flavor is decidedly more sour than a lot of the other options. On the whole, this is a cottage cheese that feels replacement-level at a premium price. It's worth eating, but not worth the price.

Sticking with the thickness, Mulu is next on the list. The newest brand by far — launched in the spring of 2026 — is also the most unique, as it's extra high in protein. While an average serving of cottage cheese contains about 12 grams of protein, Mulu delivers 18 grams. Whey protein and milk protein powder are the ingredients responsible for the protein boost, but Mulu isn't the only brand that contains them.

At 26 cents per ounce, Mulu is the second priciest option, just behind Good Culture — and price isn't the only similarity between the two brands. Mulu also makes a thick cottage cheese, but it feels less dense than Good Culture's. A little extra liquid goes a long way, and Mulu utilizes it well. The curds are tender, and the flavor is on the saltier side of neutral. 

While the price is up there, the added protein offers a value that Good Culture can't match. Mulu is still rolling out to retailers around the country, but for now, you can find it at Walmart. If you're a cottage cheese fan looking for extra protein, this is a good place to start.

This is what I think of when someone says cottage cheese. It's a little on the thinner side, with curds that are relatively small, but still plenty tender. In fact, the argument could be made that Prairie Farms creates a curd that's a bit firmer than the competition, so if you want to sink your teeth into something, this might be the option for you. I also like the fact that Prairie Farms is on the saltier end of the cottage cheese spectrum. I enjoy pairing fruit — pineapple and mandarin oranges especially — with my cottage cheese, so a bit of salt to bump up against the sweeter fruity notes is appreciated.

At 19 cents per ounce, the price puts Prairie Farms in the middle of the cost spectrum, but the overall quality helps push it higher in my ratings. This is a good, solid cottage cheese worthy of a spot in your fridge.

Oftentimes, I get to the end of a review and struggle to find enough words to fill out the section of my number one-rated item. It's easy to wax poetic about something that's bad, but when a food leaves me without complaints, it tends to sound a bit boring. In a way, though, the best cottage cheese is rather boring, so here we are, with a very solid, wonderfully boring top-rated cottage cheese.

Kemps makes really great cottage cheese without any excess or flair. The curds are tender and perfectly sized. It's neither runny nor overly thick. The salty notes are perfect and there's a cow on the side of the package, so my two-year-old is also a fan. At 16 cents per ounce, Kemps is the second least expensive option that I tried, making it a great value. Good value, awesome taste, perfect texture; it may sound boring, but Kemps makes some excellent cottage cheese.