This roasted garlic white bean dip has a secret ingredient: cottage cheese! It lends a super creamy texture and healthy protein boost to each bite.
I went through a Giada phase back in the early 2000s.
I mean, didn’t we all?
She was mesmerizing with her perfect outfits, always manicured nails and delicious fresh Italian food. I could literally spend hours on Food Network watching Everyday Italian (and every other show after she went on to do).
This resulted in no less than 4 cookbooks of hers (which I still have today) gifted to me by family members who knew my obsession over the years.
*This roasted garlic white bean dip is made in partnership with Muuna cottage cheese.
There’s obviously more recipes than I could ever make in those books but one of her simplest appetizers, a white bean dip, is one I’ve made countless times both for parties and even when it’s just the two of us to snack on before dinner.
It’s simple, it’s easy and it’s different enough from all the regular party dips out there to stand out without being too weird and polarizing.
Kind of like this vegan spinach artichoke dip.
It’s also what inspired this roasted garlic white bean dip today.
There’s one thing about Giada’s dip that while not unhealthy per se, annoys the macro-counting me these days:
the fat content.
Her recipe uses olive oil to give the dip that creamy consistency (almost like you’d do with pesto) and if we’re being honest, I don’t really enjoy using up my fats for the day on oils.
Um hello, that’s why things like nut butter, exist.
This is when the idea to use cottage cheese popped into my head.
One of the things I love best about Muuna is how creamy and smooth the texture is (this is not the lumpy cottage cheese from your childhood!).
It’s great for snacking straight up but in this case, it also lends itself perfectly to adding to the roasted garlic white bean dip for that creamy, silky texture you want out of a dip.
The bonus is the fat content is greatly reduced since it replaces the olive oil and you get an added protein boost (a whopping 19g of protein in just one 5.3 ounce container of their 120 calorie low-fat plain cottage cheese and only 4g of sugar!).
That’s why I use cottage cheese in these perfect protein pancakes!
You know what this means, right?
Now you can have your dip and your nut butter with dessert.
Winning!
Oh and ps- there are 2 ENTIRE heads of roasted garlic up in there. You’re both welcome and warned. #notdatefood
Roasted garlic fan? You’ll probably be a fan of this roasted garlic whipped goat cheese recipe too.
Love this roasted garlic white bean dip recipe?
This roasted eggplant fennel pizza and roasted garlic Greek yogurt smashed potatoes are more great roasted garlic recipes to try. You’ll also probably enjoy this roasted red pepper dip that uses a secret ingredient like this dip for its creamy consistency.
Or try out this olive oil bread dip for another tasty option!
Roasted Garlic White Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1 can, 15 ounces white beans (cannellini, small white beans, etc.) drained and rinsed
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 container, 5.3 ounces plain 2% cottage cheese
- 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting garlic
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice the top off each head of garlic. Drizzle each with olive oil, season with salt and wrap up in aluminum foil. Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the beans, cottage cheese, apple cider vinegar and olive oil in a food processor.
- Once garlic is roasted, squeeze the cloves out from the wrapping into the food processor.
- Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with toasted pitas and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I made this recipe this morning. I loved it! I am trying to up my protein intake. My add in was some diced jalapenos, about 1 heaping teaspoon. I had some dip on whole grain crackers. I will be making this again!
Are you sure……..TWO heads of garlic???? Surely you must mean “Two cloves”.
No, I do in fact mean two heads of garlic. When roasted, the flavor is much more mellowed out.
Just made this and it’s very yummy! Added a bit of lemon juice to brighten it up, but followed the recipe other than that. Thanks!
Just made this recipe with “regular” Knudsen (low fat) cottage cheese. It’s very nice and super smooth. I topped it with Urfa Biber chili flakes, which are smoky and milder, but still have nice heat. I made a double batch, shared some with the neighbors and froze some for future enjoyment. I’ve frozen hummus before, so I figured this would do just fine.
Thanks for the recipe!
Has anyone tried this with “regular” cottage cheese? That’s what I have in the kitchen right now and I have no idea where to pick up Muuna (though it does sound lovely). I’m just wondering if I should skip it, or give it a try with the regular cottage cheese.
Regular cottage cheese will work just fine, enjoy!
LOVE the roasted garlic and cottage cheese in this!
I love the idea of lightening this dip up with cottage cheese!
I would probably eat all of this in on sitting. Roasted garlic is my favorite. Loving this dip for summer!