Gluten-free Plant-based Cottage Cheese Toast

By Little Northern Bakehouse

Classic breakfast with retro appeal or trending toast topper du jour? Either way, cottage cheese toast is having a moment—and our easy Gluten-free Plant-based Cottage Cheese Toast recipe makes sure everyone can dive into this delightful dish.

But we didn’t stop with a nut-free dairy-free cottage cheese alternative. Our vegan gluten-free cottage cheese toast twist includes a sweet and a savoury topper to turn this simple snack into a satisfying breakfast (or lunch!).

We tried a few dairy-free DIY cottage cheese recipes, but this silken and firm tofu combo captured the essence of the original best—all with fridge and pantry staples! Crumbled firm tofu gives our plant-based recipe the texture and body of a true dry curd cottage cheese. Silken tofu* gives it a lush and creamy base that’s deliciously saucy without putting soggy toast peril on the menu.

Add a subtle zing and hint of cheeze from nutritional yeast, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt, and you’ve got a perfectly neutral, protein-packed, Plant-based Cottage Cheese that’s ready in the time it takes to toast your favourite gluten-free bread!

So get out your food processor or blender, pick up some tofu, grab your spoon, and start topping—because this scrumptious Gluten-free Plant-based Cottage Cheese Toast recipe is one you’ll come back to again and again.

*(Can’t find silken tofu? Soft tofu works, too!)

Instructions:

For the Plant-Based Cottage Cheese:

1. Add all ingredients—except the firm tofu—to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until everything is completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed to make sure you don’t miss any lumps.
2. Pour the silken tofu mixture into a medium bowl. Using your hands, gently crumble about three-quarters of a block of firm tofu into the bowl, breaking it into pea-sized (or cottage cheese curd-sized) pieces. Gently stir to combine.
3. Set aside while you prepare extra toppings and toast your favourite gluten-free slice or refrigerate until needed. (Full recipe makes 6 – 8 toasts. Store unused portions in a container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days).

For the Savoury Tomato Balsamic Gluten-free Plant-Based Cottage Cheese Toast:

1. Heat a small frying pan over medium-high. Add oil and whole grape or small cherry tomatoes, and sauté for 4 – 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toast your gluten-free bread as you like it, and slice or tear fresh basil leaves (or another fresh herb).
3. When tomatoes are warmed through, remove from heat.
4. To serve, spread 4 – 6 generous spoonfuls of Plant-based Cottage Cheese on each gluten-free toast, top with tomatoes and fresh basil, then drizzle with balsamic glaze.
5. Enjoy!

For the Sweet Berry Gluten-free Plant-Based Cottage Cheese Toast:

1. Toast your gluten-free bread to whatever shade of golden-brown perfection you like best.
2. Spread 4 – 6 spoonfuls of Plant-based Cottage Cheese on each toast, and top with fresh blackberries. (Sliced strawberries or fresh blueberries are also delicious!).
3. Drizzle agave nectar (or maple syrup) over the top, sprinkle with coconut flakes, and serve.
4. Enjoy!

Serves 6 – 8

Tips:

• Make a minimalist plant-based cottage cheese experience marvelous!
  As-is, our Plant-based Cottage Cheese is a creamy blank canvas for fun and flavourful toppings like the savoury and sweet options suggested above. But if you crave your plant-based cottage cheese straight up on gluten-free toast with a grind or two of cracked pepper, or spooned out of a juicy slice of melon, don’t just leave it in neutral. Give it a taste and zhuzh up the flavour!
  How? Start with an extra sprinkle (about half a teaspoon) of nutritional yeast to dial up the cheeze just a smidge and toss in an extra pinch of salt. Give it a stir, taste again, and add an extra squeeze of lemon juice if it needs a touch more acid to brighten it up. Taste and tweak these seasonings in small steps until you hit your perfect plant-based cottage cheese bite!(Love the idea of nut-free DIY dairy-free cottage cheese? Write down your adjustments so your secret recipe will turn out just the way you like it every time you make it).
• Toast for two (or just for you?)
  While our Sweet Berry topping is simple to scale down to a single toast (just use the berries you need!), the pan-fried tomatoes in our Savoury Tomato Balsamic topping may seem more challenging to prep for a single portion. But don’t fret—we have two suggestions!
  1) Make the whole batch of pan-fried tomatoes. Use what you need for 1 or 2 toasts and store the rest in the fridge to reheat later in the week. (30 seconds in the microwave is all they need!)
  or:
  2) Try it with fresh sliced tomatoes instead. Use grape or cherry tomatoes, or a couple slices of full-size tomato. As long as they’re ripe, anything goes!
• Try a tropical twist!
  Swap in our Sweet Hawaiian Wide Slice bread and trade blackberries for chunks of mango or pineapple to turn our Sweet Berry Gluten-free Plant-Based Cottage Cheese Toast into a tropical treat!

Can’t get enough gluten-free toast inspiration? Download our FREE Ultimate Guide to Gluten-free Toast Toppers—then try these popular breakfast, lunch, and snack toast recipes from the Little Northern Bakehouse collection:

• Easy Plant-based Gluten-free Unicorn Toast
• Easy Plant-based Kimchi Scramble on Gluten-free Toast
• Easy Avocado and Pomegranate Toast
• Easy Gluten-free Crunchy Mango Chaat Toast
• Plant-based Gluten-free Custard Toast

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