TikTok fads are never in short supply, especially when it comes to food: In 2022, we saw the ~rise~ of cloud bread (3.6 billion views), butter boards (475.2 million views), and more. In 2023, fruit roll-up ice cream, tinned fish, and flavored water have taken the lead in foods TikTokers love (and love to hate) the most. However, there's one trend in the running for most popular that probably no one saw coming: cottage cheese. With nearly 470 million views and new recipes featuring the ingredient going viral again and again, the obsession is real—and it's being driven by younger generations.
What was just months ago a throwback-diet staple in your grandparents' fridge has skyrocketed in popularity among Gen Z and Millennials. Cottage cheese sales in the U.S. increased 15.9% over the 52 weeks ending May 21, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, generating $1.2 billion.
Those big numbers aren't surprising, considering how many recent viral recipes include cottage cheese as an ingredient. Content creators tout the curdy goodness of cottage cheese for avocado toast. This video from @foodswelovetoeat showing three variations on cottage cheese toast has been viewed nearly 1 million times and liked over 44,000 times (and counting). Other cottage cheese food mash-ups that have social media users storming the dairy aisle include the beloved three ingredient-ice cream and Big Mac burger cottage cheese bowls.
"This trend makes complete sense, given the gradual shift back to real dairy," wrote Jessica Sulima in an article for Thrillist. "Compound this all with Millennial bowl culture, and it’s surprising that cottage cheese hasn’t re-entered the conversation even sooner."
The latest viral cottage cheese TikTok trend could be the most unusual yet (which is saying something). Creator @tiffanyymagee frequently posts herself eating a lunch of chicken sausage dipped in cottage cheese mixed with mustard, and every video she's shared of this combination has racked up thousands of views. She dips other foods in the cottage cheese-mustard combo, like apples, bananas, broccoli, hearts of palm—because why not? When you think about it, cottage cheese isn't really any different from any other cheese, with the exception of its consistency—so dipping your crudités or sausage links in it isn't the strangest snack in the world.
"Because of you I eat cottage cheese every day thank you lol I love it," one commenter wrote on this video. "I literally have like six containers of cottage cheese in my fridge," another said. "I buy some every time I go to the store."
The curded dairy product is also a certified nutritional powerhouse, with 12 grams of protein per half-cup serving. So whatever way you decide to work it into your meal plan (extra points for creativity), you're definitely getting a health boost.
If you're jumping in on the cottage cheese food fest, try fresh peach slices and cottage cheese on lettuce for a satisfying warm-weather lunch, or mix it up with a spaghetti pie. Just don't forget to serve a bowl of cottage cheese ice cream as dessert, of course.