Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare Cottage Cheese: If your cottage cheese is very wet, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth for 15-20 minutes to remove excess liquid. Pat dry.

Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained cottage cheese, eggs, natural sweetener, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer or whisk until relatively smooth. (Some small curds may remain, which is fine).

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, almond flour (or whole wheat flour), baking powder, optional protein powder, and optional salt or cinnamon.

Mix Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed or by hand until just combined. Do not overmix. If using add-ins like chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in now.

Scoop Cookies: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough (or use a cookie scoop) onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. You can slightly flatten the tops if desired, as they don't spread much.

Bake: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the cookies are set.

Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy: Enjoy your delicious and healthy cottage cheese cookies recipe!