Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
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If you love classic egg salad but want a little extra protein, this Cottage Cheese Egg Salad might just become your new favorite quick lunch. It’s creamy, tangy, and made with simple ingredients like hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, dill relish, and mustard.
By swapping most of the mayo for cottage cheese, you still get that classic egg salad flavor you know and love, but with a lighter, higher protein, creamy twist. Pile it onto bread, scoop it up with crackers, or meal prep it for easy lunches all week long.
SAVE + SUMMARIZE ON
If you grew up loving a good old school egg salad sandwich but love to sneak in a little extra protein whenever possible… this one’s for you.
This Cottage Cheese Egg Salad is creamy, tangy, and everything we want from a Classic Egg Salad situation, but with a little Skinnyish twist thanks to cottage cheese. And before you start side-eyeing the cottage cheese part, trust me… once everything’s mixed together it just makes the whole thing extra creamy and satisfying.
The first time I made this recipe I had one of those late night cravings. I wandered into the kitchen thinking I was about to grab an ice cream bar, remembered the egg salad was sitting in the fridge, and thought “eh… I’ll just have a bite.” Next thing I knew I was happily eating a bowl of egg salad with a few crackers and completely forgot about the ice cream.
And if a bowl of egg salad can successfully distract me from ice cream at 10:30 at night… that’s saying something.
The best part? It comes together in about 15 minutes, which makes it perfect for quick lunches like my Chicken Salad with Grapes, meal prep, or those days when you need something filling but don’t feel like cooking an actual meal.
Why you’ll love this Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
There are a lot of egg salad recipes floating around, but this version has a few things going for it:
Key Ingredients you need
For full list of ingredients and amounts see the full recipe card below
- Hard boiled eggs
- Cottage Cheese- Low fat, 2%, or whole milk works here
- Mayonnaise- Light or regular works
- Yellow Mustard- dijon mustard can work here too
- Dill relish- this makes the egg salad pop, i prefer dill relish and not sweet relish
- Celery salt, paprika, + onion powder: gives it flavor depth
- Lemon juice: brightens everything up, fresh is best
- salt + pepper: adjust to personal taste
How to hard boil eggs (quick method)
How to Hard Boil Eggs (Quick Method)
Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit for about 12 minutes, then transfer them to an ice bath for at least 10 minutes to cool before peeling.
For easy peeling, tap the egg gently on the counter to crack the shell, then roll it lightly under your hand. Start peeling from the wider end of the egg, where there’s usually a small air pocket that helps the shell release easily. I also peel under cool running water to really make it effortless.
Check out my easy recipe for Instant Pot Hardboiled Eggs.
How to make Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
- Prep the eggs. Slice the hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks from 4 eggs and place them in a bowl. Finely chop the remaining whole eggs and egg whites, then set aside.
- Make the dressing: To the bowl with the yolks, add: cottage cheese, mustard, mayo, relish, lemon juice, and spices. Mix everything together until well combined.
For a smoother texture: blend together in a food processor or with immersion blender.
- Combine everything: Add the dressing with the chopped eggs and stir together well.
- Salt and pepper to taste. For optimal flavor let the flavors meld in the fridge for at least 20-30 minutes before enjoying.
Helpful Tips
Chop the eggs small but not mushy.
You want texture, not egg paste.
Taste before adding extra salt.
Use good cottage cheese.
The brands can make a big difference.
I prefer Good Culture, Nancy’s or Daisy.
Let it chill for 30 minutes if you have time.
The flavors come together beautifully.
Blend the dressing.
Blend the cottage cheese with the other dressing
ingredients for a smooth texture.
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Variations + Substitutions
- Avocado Cottage Cheese Egg Salad– Skip the mayo and mash half an avocado into the dressing for an extra creamy texture with healthy fats.
- Spicy Egg Salad– Stir in some diced fresh or pickled jalapenos and a pinch or two of cajun seasoning.
- No-Mayo Version– Swap the mayo for extra cottage cheese or a spoonful of Greek yogurt.
- Extra Veggie Egg Salad– Add finely diced celery and/or green onions for extra texture.
How to Serve Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
This egg salad is ridiculously versatile. A few of my personal favorites:
• piled onto toasted sourdough or sandwich bread
• stuffed into romaine lettuce wraps for a low carb lunch
• scooped onto crackers, potato chips, cucumber slices, or celerly
• tucked into a croissant or wrap
It also makes a great protein packed snack straight from the fridge.
Meal Prep & Storage
- Egg salad is one of those recipes that’s actually better after it sits for a bit.
- Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
- Give it a quick stir before serving, and you’re good to go.
- Tip: If the mixture thickens slightly in the fridge, just stir in a tiny splash of lemon juice or a spoonful of cottage cheese to loosen it up.
Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
Ingredients
- 8 hard boiled eggs
- ¾ cup low fat cottage cheese (good culture, nancy's, daisy are my favorite brands)
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp mayo
- 2 tbsp dill relish
- ½ tsp celery salt
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (+ more to taste)
- freshly cracked pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
- Prep eggs: Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks from 4 eggs and place in a bowl. Chop the remaining 4 whole eggs plus all of the egg whites. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: In the bowl with 4 yolks, add ¾ cup low fat cottage cheese, 1 tbsp yellow mustard, 1 tbsp mayo , 2 tbsp dill relish, ½ tsp celery salt, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp onion powder, and 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Mix very well until combined.Optional: if you prefer smoother consistency, blend it together.
- Combine: Stir in chopped eggs until everything is mixed well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For best taste let the flavors hang out together in the fridge for at least a half hour before eating.
Notes
How to make hardboiled eggs:
Hard boiled eggs: Use whatever method you prefer to make or Place eggs in a medium pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs cook, covered, for 12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill for 10-15 minutes. This makes the eggs easier to peel. For easiest peeling, don’t skip these helpful tips:• Chill in an ice bath immediately after cooking
• Roll gently and crack then start peeling from the wider end of the egg
• Peel under cool running water for extra help MEAL PREP AND STORAGE: Store it airtight container for up to 4 days. This recipe doubles really well, and i recommend it because it’ll be gone super fast.
I love this recipe,thanks for sharing ❤️
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Beth!! Thank you !
This is soo yummy!!
This is so good thank you for sharing it, I’ve made it three times since you shared it
So glad you’re enjoying it so much!! Thanks for letting me know =)
This recipe has been sitting open on a tab for months. I finally got around to trying it and it’s delicious.
So happy you enjoyed it!
I cant wait for this!
I cannot stop eating this egg salad!!!!! I ate it all last week for lunch and now I just made it again this week! My husband is obsessed too! I have shared it with multiple friends demanding they make it too! I have had it a few different way: on toast (my fave), spread on crackers, dipped veggies in it, and just right on a spoon! I added even extra dill relish and dill to it because I love dill! I have been trying to up my protein intake and this is just what I have been looking for! Thank you so much!!!!
I’m confused about the egg yolks amount in step #2. Should it read 4 egg yolks vs. 3? Thank you.
I’m looking forward to making this.
Hi Sharon, Yes its 4! I just fixed the recipe. Sorry about the confusion. I hope you enjoy!
When I saw cottage cheese egg salad I was very excited to make this! I love egg salad, I love cottage cheese. I can’t believe I didn’t think to combine the two. Bravo!
I’m so excited you made this!! I was thinking the same thing the first time I made it, egg salad with cottage cheese?! it works so well!! Thank you for leaving a comment and a review. =)