Cottage cheese demand has surged globally over the last five years as the category sheds its dated image. In the US, cottage cheese sales reached $2 billion in 2025, growing 19.2% in dollar terms and 13.9% in volume according to Circana. Brands including Daisy, Lactalis Heritage, Good Culture, Kemps and Darigold posted sales gains ranging from the mid-20s to mid-30s percent, with private label adding $673 million in sales and a 7% rise in unit volumes.
Challenger brands drive format innovation
The revival accelerated through challenger brands that reshaped how consumers think about cottage cheese. Good Culture introduced snack-sized pots, seasonal flavours, and viral recipe ideas. In Poland, Serek Wiejski of dairy co-op Piątnica launched mix-ins with a split pot design: fresh fruit pieces on one side and cottage cheese on the other. In the US, Smearcase created cottage cheese ice cream branded as FroCo, using whole food ingredients and real cane sugar to maintain clean label standards.
Smearcase co-founder Joe Rotondo positioned the innovation as form-factor exploration rather than a protein play. "We see ourselves as a cottage cheese platform first. We just happen to be high-protein," he said. "This isn't protein powder ice cream – it's cottage cheese as a real whole-food platform."
UK entrant scales quickly
All Things, a UK dairy brand, entered the category in January and sold a million pots in four months. Its portfolio includes full-fat and low-fat variants with pineapple and strawberry flavours. All Things co-founder Toby Hopkinson signalled significant runway for the category. "There's a lot of innovation to come out of cottage cheese; I just don't think it's been there yet," he said. "Whether that's going into snacking, whether that's looking at different formats, different ways you can flavour it… We think that is still very much in its infancy."
Appeal to younger consumers through social media
Brands are targeting younger demographics by positioning cottage cheese as versatile and accessible. All Things uses social media to show consumers cooking uses beyond snacking. "People are baking with it, and lots are using it in pasta sauces by simply blending it down," Hopkinson said. "We've seen plenty of quick, easy 'carbonaras' made with cottage cheese… It works brilliantly for creating creamy sauces, as well as lots of different dips."
This content-driven approach hints at foodservice opportunities, with restaurants increasingly using cottage cheese as a topping or ingredient.
Global growth trajectory
Globally, the category is primed for 6% compound annual growth to 2031, with North America as the market share leader, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing market with an 8% CAGR according to Cognitive Market Research. The Middle East and Africa hold the smallest share at 2% but are growing at 5.7% CAGR.