These Cottage Cheese Donut Balls with Raspberries are baked, not fried, made with blended cottage cheese for a soft, protein-packed crumb, with a small raspberry tucked into the center of each one.

Rolled in cinnamon sugar right out of the oven, they taste a lot closer to a bakery donut hole than you’d expect from something baked.

I make these for weekend breakfasts, and they disappear fast enough that I usually double the batch.

The raspberry hidden in the middle is a nice surprise for kids especially, and it adds a little tartness against the cinnamon sugar.

Pair them with 12 High Protein Cottage Cheese Bowls That Actually Keep You Full for a bigger protein breakfast, or serve alongside Blueberry Chia Pudding with Cottage Cheese for something cool and creamy on the side.

If protein-packed breakfasts with a little sweetness are your thing, these are worth bookmarking too:

Cottage Cheese Donut Balls with Raspberries

Ingredients You’ll Need

Blended cottage cheese is what gives these their soft, slightly dense crumb, closer to a cake donut than a light, airy muffin.

Use fresh raspberries rather than frozen for the centers (frozen ones bleed extra liquid into the batter as they bake).

A mini muffin tin is the easiest way to get that round, donut-hole shape without any special equipment.

Ingredients

1 cup cottage cheese, blended smooth
2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
20 to 24 fresh raspberries, one for each ball
1/4 cup butter, melted, for rolling
1/3 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, for rolling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin.
Blend the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor for about 30 seconds, until completely smooth with no curds left.
In a large bowl, whisk together the blended cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined, no dry streaks left.
Don’t overmix here. It’s tempting to keep stirring for a smoother batter, but that’s what makes these dense instead of tender.
Fill each mini muffin cup about halfway with batter.
Press one raspberry gently into the center of each, then top with a bit more batter to just cover the raspberry.
This part takes a little care.
Press the raspberry down enough that it’s centered, but don’t push it all the way to the bottom of the cup.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out clean.
Check them a minute or two early the first time you make these. Mini muffin tins bake faster than you’d expect, and it’s easy to overbake them.
Let the donut balls cool in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes, just until you can handle them, then remove them.
While still warm, roll each one in the melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.
Serve warm and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Blend the cottage cheese completely. A smooth blend is what keeps the texture soft and cake-like instead of leaving curds throughout the crumb.
Use fresh raspberries, not frozen. Frozen raspberries release extra liquid as they bake, which can make the center of the donut ball gummy instead of soft. Fresh berries hold their shape much better.
Center the raspberry, don’t bury it. Press it into the batter gently rather than pushing it all the way down, so it ends up roughly in the middle once you top it with more batter.

Roll them while still warm. The butter and cinnamon sugar coating sticks best when the donut balls are still warm. Once they cool completely, the coating doesn’t adhere nearly as well.
Storage. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cinnamon sugar coating softens over time.
Freezing. Freeze the unrolled donut balls for up to 2 months, then thaw and roll in butter and cinnamon sugar fresh before serving for the best texture.
This one takes a bit more hands-on time than a basic muffin. Between blending, filling, centering the raspberries, and rolling each one in butter and sugar, it’s a little more involved, just so you know going in.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Serve these warm, right after rolling them in the cinnamon sugar, while the coating is still a little sticky and fragrant.

They’re good on their own or piled onto a plate for a breakfast spread.

Storage:

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

The cinnamon sugar coating softens as they sit, so they’re best eaten within the first day or two.

Customization:

Swap the raspberries for fresh blueberries or small chunks of strawberry if that’s what you have.

A drizzle of melted white chocolate works in place of the cinnamon sugar coating for a different finish. Lemon zest added to the batter pairs especially well with the raspberry center.