Cottage Cheese Cranberry Orange Breakfast Bake

There’s something so quietly comforting about this little bake. It’s not showy, it’s not trying to impress anybody — it’s the kind of thing you make when you wake up early on a cool morning, the light barely coming through the kitchen window, and you just want to fill the house with something warm and sweet. Not sugary-sweet, but cozy-sweet.

I first made this on a Sunday when I had no big plans — just that kind of slow morning where you want to use what’s already in your fridge. I had half a tub of cottage cheese that was dangerously close to its expiration date, a handful of cranberries I’d been meaning to use up, and one lonely orange sitting in the fruit bowl. Somehow, all of that turned into this soft, tangy, custardy breakfast bake that I now can’t stop making.

It’s not your typical “cake.” It’s lighter — kind of like a mix between cheesecake and a warm pancake. The cottage cheese makes it creamy and rich without feeling heavy. The orange zest brightens everything up, and the cranberries… oh man, the cranberries do that perfect thing where they burst just a little in the oven, releasing this tart little pop in every bite.

You don’t need a mixer, or anything fancy. You just whisk everything together in one bowl, pour it into a dish, and wait while the oven does its quiet magic. I swear, the smell that comes out while it’s baking — that soft mix of orange and butter — feels like sunlight.

I like to eat it warm, still soft in the middle, with a drizzle of honey. Sometimes I sit with it and a mug of coffee, and it feels like the world has slowed down just long enough to taste it properly. It’s simple, but in the best way.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 g) cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice
• 1 tbsp (6 g) orange zest
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) honey or maple syrup
• ¼ cup (25 g) oat flour or almond flour
• ½ tsp (2 g) baking powder
• ½ cup (60 g) fresh or dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp (15 g) butter or coconut oil, melted
• Pinch of salt
• Optional: powdered sugar or extra honey for serving

Directions

1.Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a small baking dish something around 8×8 inches (20×20 cm) works fine.

2.In a large bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, eggs, orange juice, orange zest, honey, and melted butter until smooth (or mostly smooth a few tiny lumps are fine).

3.Add in the oat flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir gently, just until it comes together.

4.Fold in your cranberries. Fresh ones give a tart pop; dried ones make it a little sweeter. Either way, it works.

5.Pour the batter into your baking dish and smooth out the top.

6.Bake for about 30–35 minutes, until the edges turn golden and the center is set but still tender.

7.Let it cool for a few minutes — it firms up just a bit as it rests — then dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with honey.

Eat it warm. Eat it slow. It’s the kind of breakfast that doesn’t rush you.

Recipe FAQs

1. Can I use Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese?
   Yeah, you can. It won’t have quite the same texture — cottage cheese makes it a little more custardy and rich — but Greek yogurt still works beautifully if that’s what you have.
2. What if I don’t have oat or almond flour?
   Just blend up some oats into a powder. That’s it. You can also use regular flour — it’ll be a little denser, but still good.
3. Can I make it ahead of time?
   Totally. You can bake it the night before, then reheat slices in the oven or microwave the next morning. I actually like it cold too — the flavors mellow out a bit.
4. Do I have to use cranberries?
   No rules here. Blueberries, raspberries, even chopped dried apricots work great. The orange flavor pairs nicely with pretty much any fruit that has a little tartness.
5. How do I make it more dessert-y?
   Top it with whipped cream or Greek yogurt, maybe even a few toasted almonds. It’s technically breakfast, but no one’s policing you if you eat it after dinner.

Cottage Cheese Cranberry Orange Breakfast Bake

Recipe by Salma Recipe

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• * 1 cup (250 g) cottage cheese

• * 2 large eggs

• * ¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice

• * 1 tbsp (6 g) orange zest

• * 3 tbsp (45 ml) honey or maple syrup

• * ¼ cup (25 g) oat flour or almond flour

• * ½ tsp (2 g) baking powder

• * ½ cup (60 g) fresh or dried cranberries

• * 1 tbsp (15 g) butter or coconut oil, melted

• * Pinch of salt

• * Optional: powdered sugar or extra honey for serving

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a small baking dish something around 8×8 inches (20×20 cm) works fine.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, eggs, orange juice, orange zest, honey, and melted butter until smooth (or mostly smooth a few tiny lumps are fine).
• Add in the oat flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir gently, just until it comes together.
• Fold in your cranberries. Fresh ones give a tart pop; dried ones make it a little sweeter. Either way, it works.
• Pour the batter into your baking dish and smooth out the top.
• Bake for about 30–35 minutes, until the edges turn golden and the center is set but still tender.
• Let it cool for a few minutes — it firms up just a bit as it rests — then dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with honey.