1. Gather Your Ingredients: Start by getting out your cottage cheese, sweetener, and vanilla extract. Having everything ready makes the process much smoother.

2. Blend the Base: Spoon the full-fat cottage cheese into a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the honey or maple syrup and vanilla extract.

3. Achieve Creamy Smoothness: Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth and no cottage cheese curds remain. This is the most crucial step for achieving that soft-serve texture. It should look like a thick, pourable milkshake. If it’s too thick to blend, add milk one tablespoon at a time until it moves freely.

4. Taste and Adjust: Stop the blender and taste the mixture. Add more sweetener if you prefer it sweeter, or a tiny pinch of salt to enhance the flavors. Blend briefly again to incorporate.

5. Prepare for Freezing: Pour the smooth cottage cheese mixture into a freezer-safe container. A shallow container works best for faster freezing. If you plan to add mix-ins, gently fold them in now.

6. Freeze Until Firm: Place the container in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours. For the best soft-serve consistency, check it periodically after 2 hours. For a firmer, scoopable ice cream, freeze overnight.

7. Serve and Enjoy: Once frozen to your desired consistency, scoop out the cottage cheese ice cream and serve immediately. If it’s too hard, let it sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly before scooping.