This Mango Lassi without yogurt is a wonderful high-protein smoothie bowl, snack, or dessert for a hot summer day. Tangy and refreshing, it has the perfect amount of sweetness without sugar added and is also a great low histamine smoothie!
Mango lassi is actually one of the first "smoothies" ever invented, originating what is thought to be around 1000BC. Traditionally made with yogurt, it was known for many health benefits and a high protein drink. But yogurt is a high histamine fermented product that can be tough for those on a migraine diet or a low histamine diet.
This mango lassi without yogurt also has a boost of protein from its secret ingredient - cottage cheese.
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Low Histamine Smoothie
My favorite low histamine yogurt substitute is cottage cheese. When blended, it's smooth and creamy with a similar tangy flavor. Not only that but cottage cheese actually contains a higher amount of protein than yogurt.
Yogurt and any food containing “live active cultures” is considered a migraine trigger on many low histamine migraine diets, including Heal Your Headache. One of the things you’ll have to learn when reading labels is how to distinguish between a “cultured” product and one with “live active cultures”.
The word culture is confusing, but a lot of cheeses are actually made from cultured milk. Cheese cultures raise the acidity of milk helping the rennet in it coagulate. Sometimes vinegar can be used to do this as well, which is why ricotta and fresh mozzarella are also considered migraine-friendly fresh cheeses.
Cottage Cheese Substitute for Yogurt
Cottage cheese is made by heating whole milk until it coagulates into a solid curd. From there, the excess liquid, which is called "whey", is removed and what remains is cheese curds. Some cottage cheese brands will add live active cultures for probiotic benefits, so if you're on a migraine diet avoid those products in the elimination phase. Daisy is a widely found brand that doesn’t do this.
Making whipped cottage cheese takes away the textural awkwardness and transforms it into what I feel like is a less tangy, but more rich version of a greek yogurt. Trust me, I normally hate cottage cheese, but love it when it's blended.
Cottage cheese is also loaded with protein with 25 grams in one cup. So this is great alternative to greek or regular yogurt, which makes it the perfect sub for a mango lassi without yogurt!
Mango Lassi Ingredients
- Frozen mango - this can also be substituted for any kind of frozen fruit you enjoy. Mango tends to be very sweet and no added sugar is needed, but honey might need to be added in certain cases.
- Cottage cheese - our favorite yogurt substitute. Look for a brand without added bacterial cultures, like Daisy.
- Milk - any kind of milk you like is fine. I used oat milk because it's extra creamy and adds a little sweetness.
Equipment Needed
For the perfect creamy smoothie, a good quality blender is ideal and can make a great investment. I have had my Vitamix for nearly 10 years and it still works great. Other honorable mentions are Ninja and Nutribullet. Nurtibullet is ideal if you plan to only make dishes for one person.
If you are finding smoothie recipes to be chunky or not work quite right, it's definitely because of a bad blender. Not having a quality blender can make it very difficult to get your smoothie perfectly frothy, leaving chunks of frozen fruit or ice behind.
How to Make
This recipe is so easy to make. I like to blend the milk with the cottage cheese so the curds are mixed in and smooth. From there I add the frozen mango. A tamper stick is helpful to push everything around and get it smooth without compromising the overall thickness by adding more liquid.
Step 1: Begin by placing the frozen mango, cottage cheese, and milk in the blender. Start the blender on low to begin to chop up the frozen fruit, then gradually increase the speed as it blends more.
Step 2: Blend till smooth and frothy. Taste and add honey, if needed. Serve immediately.
Recipe Substitutions
The great thing about this recipe is it uses frozen mango, which is in season any time of the year!! However, you could definitely substitute this out with other types of fruit.
This doesn't just have to be a mango lassi without yogurt, but it can be any fruit smoothie without yogurt.
Mango - I recommend substituting with peaches for the closest taste and texture, or go with strawberries, cherries, or blueberries.
Cottage cheese - For low sodium, try a low sodium brand like Friendship Dairies. For those that can tolerate yogurt, a coconut milk yogurt would work well here too.
Suggested Toppings
Adding grain free seed granola or buckwheat granola gives this smoothie or smoothie bowl a great crunch and even adds a bit more protein to the meal. I find I only need a small bowl to keep me full for hours….and I like to eat!!
I really enjoy a sprinkle of cardamom on top. It has a nice spiced flavor to the overall sweet creaminess of the mango and cottage cheese. I find the cinnamon in the granola recipes gives it a flavorful boost too.
Recipe FAQ
I highly recommend trying whipped cottage cheese, which this recipe uses blended with fruit. It produces a similar taste and texture that's super creamy and fluffy.
Cottage cheese is great in overnight oats, with fruit for breakfast, or in dips!
As is, this recipe is thick like a smoothie bowl or yogurt bowl. Adding more milk or liquid to it will thin it out, making it a cool drink! Reduce the cottage cheese to 2 tablespoons and increase the milk to ⅓ cup.
Smoothies without Yogurt
For more low histamine smoothie recipes, check out these posts. And for general breakfast recipes don't miss my Cream Cheese Toast, Blueberry Muffins (GF), Grain Free Seed Granola, Vanilla Chia Pudding, and Buckwheat Pancakes.
And for another breakfast recipe with cottage cheese try my Coconut Overnight Oats.
If you make this, tag me #thedizzycook or @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram. And if you love the recipe, please leave a review below! Follow along on my Pinterest for more great recipes.
Mango Lassi (without yogurt)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup frozen mango chunks
- ⅓ cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup milk of choice
- pinch of cardamom
- seed granola or buckwheat granola
Instructions
- In a blender, add cottage cheese and milk and blend on high till smooth and frothy. You want all the little chunks of cottage cheese to be gone. Add frozen mango and blend till creamy and smooth.
- This is more of a thick smoothie bowl texture so you may need to use a tamper through the top of the blender to mash the mango down into the mixture and get everything combined. If you'd like to have a thinner, drinkable texture, add milk until thinned out to the consistency you desire. Top
Notes
- Daisy brand is recommended for cottage cheese.
- I used oat milk for my personal bowl, but regular milk is fine.
- The granola used in the pictures is the grain free seed granola.
I love this recipe! I missed Mango Lassis so much. Would this keep well in the fridge? I am wanting to double or triple the recipe to have for a few days.
This recipe is a 10! Easy to make and delicious!
Thank you, Michelle!
This was great. I sweetened mine a bit. Thank you for lightening our lives some with your recipes Alicia.
Thanks, Kent. What a nice comment!
Hi, can you explain what it is about the daisy brand that makes it better than say Trader Joe’s organic cottage cheese? Or breakstone low-fat cottage cheese? Thanks for any insight you can provide!
I just recommend it because it's easy to find and has simple ingredients without a lot of added gums or any bacterial cultures! But go with whatever you like best!
Absolutely scrumptious! I have wanted mango lassi for years but avoided it because of the yogurt! Thank you so much for this brilliant alternative! The cardamom is a nice addition!
I noticed most of your recipes call for full fat yogurt, cream cheese or milk. Is there anything in low fat products that can be a trigger or is it just for taste?
Well full fat cottage cheese! Yogurt is a no on the diet. But full fat is less processed and has better texture so that's usually why I lean that way in recipes. For some of the other recipes it helps to keep things creamy as they can get a bit grainy at higher heat or not thicken as well. In this instance, daisy doesn't use additives in their full fat cottage cheese. Some brands use additives to make up for flavor/texture as well.
It looks so delicious. I am wondering if I can use the Kalona SuperNatural™ cottage cheese. I love the taste and the ingredients but not sure if it is safe. The ingredients are: Certified Organic Grade A Nonfat Milk, Organic Grade A Whole Milk, Organic Grade A Cream, Celtic Sea Salt®, Cultures (Mucor Miehei Protease).
Thank you in advance!
I'm not really familiar with that culture, but it looks like it might be ok. Daisy is well tolerated and pretty easy to find.
This was great and totally satisfied my desire for yoghurt. I'll make this again with other types of fruit.
I didn't think I could ever find a replacement for my yogurt smoothie breakfasts but this proved me wrong! I have this every week- usually a few days per week. I add spinach to up the nutrition and sometimes sub in some of the mango for other fruits. The addition of the homemade granola is perfect. 🙂
This is delicious! It has became a staple of mine for 1-2 times a week for breakfast. It keeps me feeling full for hours!
Thanks for leaving a review, Sandra!
Made this for the first time yesterday, and it was amazing! My boyfriend liked it a lot too, and we're making it again today! I never used to buy cottage cheese, but as I'm just starting on the HYH, I decided to trust the recipe and try it out. It'll now be a frequent purchase!
Haha I'm so glad you trusted it and are a fan!! Thanks for the update!
I was also a little leary of this recipe but it turned out fantastic! Light, creamy, and refreshing! I’ve had it so many times for breakfast or as a healthy dessert
Ok, I admit that I am not a huge fan of cottage cheese....BUT....I just had to give this recipe a try because it looked so good. It did not disappoint, I couldn’t even tell that there was cottage cheese in it. Thank you so much for another great recipe!!
Hi Alicia-I was just wondering if you suffer from migraine/headaches when you take probiotic supplements? Without fail every time I try a probiotic I get an awful migraine sometimes lasting 2 days. After reading this article about yogurt, I now know the cause...live active cultures! Do you avoid probiotics/yogurt/kombucha/saurkraut? If so, where do you get your probiotics from? Or should us migraine suffers just avoid them all? Thanks!
Hey Nic - In Migraine Strong we recommend the Align brand, which most people seem to do well with. I used to have IBS issues before my VM began and actually once I started the diet and got my migraine attacks under control, it made a huge difference with my digestion. I haven't had an issue since which makes me wonder if my migraine may have been abdominal. There's a big migraine-gut connection with the vagus nerve, so that's something you may be interested in looking into!
Omg Alicia , Thank you for this recipe. I just made it today because happily, all of the ingredients are staples that I have on hand. I am a huge fan of the Oatly milk. My local Target carries all the varieties of Oatly. And Daisy is my brand of cottage cheese. I always keep frozen mango chunks in the freezer. I adore Cardamom as well and keep that on hand. But I never thought of combining them all together. Brilliant take on the mango lassi, which you have made migraine friendly. What a treat and packed with nutrition!