I tried 6 different brands of cottage cheese to find the best one to buy at the grocery store

Organic Valley had my least favorite cottage cheese.

First of all, it was the most expensive purchase. I found a 16-ounce tub of 2% cottage cheese for $7 that was on sale for $6.29. But even with the discount, that's $0.40 an ounce.

Each ½ cup serving contains 15 grams of protein and 3 grams of sugar. The ingredients list had a few things I didn't quite recognize.

Unfortunately, the curd size was all over the place, and I found it unappetizingly firm. To me, it was also the most bitter-tasting of the bunch.

Because it was moisture-heavy, I found it difficult to spoon out. My serving kind of sat in a pool of its own liquid.

Although I didn't know it until now, sweet cottage cheese is not my favorite. Unfortunately, Daisy's 2%, extra creamy, small-curd cottage cheese was the sweetest.

It still had its fair share of protein at 13 grams a serving, and it only cost me $4 for 24 ounces, or $0.17 an ounce. It's also made from three identifiable ingredients, which I like.

However, it contains 4 grams of sugar, and I thought it tasted slightly more dessert-worthy than the others.

A 16-ounce container of the low-fat, small-curd cottage cheese from Whole Foods' store brand, 365, cost me $4, or $0.25 an ounce.

It's made with 1.5% milk fat and has 13 grams of protein and 4 grams of sugar.

As far as texture goes, the curds seemed more spaced out and slippery because of the moisture content.

The cottage cheese didn't taste overly sweet, and it also didn't have a bitter aftertaste. I paired it with a pear, and I found it to have the perfect balanced flavor.

Good Culture's organic, low-fat, 2% cottage cheese was thick and creamy, as the label promised.

I found a 16-ounce container for $6, so at $0.38 an ounce — and it was one of the more expensive options I tried.

It's made of five identifiable ingredients, contains 3 grams of sugar, and packs 14 grams of protein per serving.

The cottage cheese tasted a little tangy to me, almost like the Greek yogurt equivalent of cottage cheese. I thought it would be particularly good for dipping chips or fruit for a high-protein snack.

The thick texture allows it to sit firmly. Next time, I'd try this on a bagel or even in crab rangoon as a slightly healthier alternative to cream cheese.

Aldi's Friendly Farms cottage cheese is my go-to, simply for my budget's sake. It's made with 1% milk fat (great for a sensitive stomach), has 12 grams of protein, and is only $2.40 for 24 ounces, or $0.10 an ounce.

It came out of the container a little more rigid than the other options, but it wasn't unappealing. For me, the drawbacks are that it's made with over 12 ingredients (I think the simpler, the better) and that it has 5 grams of sugar.

I thought it tasted a little less sweet than Daisy, making it great for breakfast bowls or smoothies. I could see this choice being especially good for families trying to please a wide range of palates.

Trader Joe's only carries its store-brand cottage cheese in a few different curd sizes and milk-fat percentages, so it gets a star for making the decision-making process a little simpler.

It gets another star for its price. I bought a 16-ounce tub of small-curd, 1.5% cottage cheese for $3, or $0.19 an ounce. There was also a 24-ounce option for $4.

The product has 4 grams of sugar and 13 grams of protein, and much like Good Culture's, it had a thicker consistency without being whipped. I've always been a fan of the texture of cottage cheese, and this one delivered.

I thought the flavor was more cheese-like than the others, but I think you can dress it up or down for different recipes.

Overall, it was my favorite of the six cottage cheeses I tried.

This story was originally published on January 11, 2024, and most recently updated on March 28, 2025.