I Can’t Resist Bethenny Frankel’s 1-Minute Midnight Snack

I have no shame in sharing that my ultimate guilty pleasure is reality television. As an East Coast girl, the Real Housewives of New York City immediately caught my interest in the late 2000s.

Drama and debauchery aside, one of the most inspiring individuals to emerge from the franchise is Bethenny Frankel. In her tenure on the show, we watched her go from unsure and financially unstable to a food and beverage industry mogul with refined business savvy. 

While you won’t catch her on Bravo nowadays, she’s super active on social media. Bethenny produces a wide variety of content, but I’m most interested in her recipes and food reviews.

One of my favorite simple recipes that she’s shared in the last year is her ultimate four-ingredient late-night snack of cottage cheese, everything bagel seasoning, and lemon pepper atop a crunchy cracker bread.

Bethenny Frankel’s Social Media Snacking

If you follow Bethenny on any of her social platforms, you know she does the “Lord’s work” by trying different restaurants and grocery stores, sharing her latest girl dinners, and whipping up quick, simple snacks.

Although many of the products she sells under the Skinnygirl brand are in the health food space, her social content is relatable for everyone. She doesn’t shy away from everyday ingredients and foods like mayonnaise, candy, and burgers, and she prioritizes simplicity and efficiency in the kitchen.

These principles are at the forefront of the four-ingredient late-night cottage cheese snack she shared on TikTok in August 2023. This flavorful grab ticks all the boxes for late-night cravings: crunchy, creamy, satisfying, and comes together in about a minute or less.

How To Make Bethenny Frankel’s 4-Ingredient Midnight Snack

To whip up Bethenny’s ultimate late-night snack, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1 piece of cracker bread
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese
• Everything bagel seasoning
• Lemon pepper

In Bethenny’s video, she uses Lentil & Rice Crispbread from East Hampton Gourmet Foods. These crisps are made exclusively at this Long Island grocer, and while you can have them delivered nationwide, the product is in high demand. Instead, I opt for Wasa Crispbread as it can be found in most grocery stores and comes in several delicious flavors.

To put this easy snack together, take a piece of cracker bread and spread a hefty spoonful of either whipped or regular cottage cheese on top. Then, add a very generous sprinkling of everything bagel seasoning, and top with some lemon pepper.

What results is a light but satiating snack that curbs midnight salt cravings while offering textural contrast and big pops of flavor. It’s an added bonus that this late-night nosh is actually pretty high in fiber and protein.

Tips for Making Bethenny Frankel’s 4-Ingredient Snack

While I have very few notes on this “davoon” (as Bethenny would say) snack, I have a few tips to make your first experience as perfect as possible.

• Opt for full-fat cottage cheese: Full-fat cottage cheese really ups the creaminess factor of this snack, and, frankly, I think it tastes way better. I usually buy store-brand cottage cheese, but Bethenny uses Friendship low-fat cottage cheese. However, I also highly recommend Good Culture as it’s loaded with probiotics.
• Go easy on the lemon pepper: Lemon pepper is without a doubt the secret ingredient of this snack, but don’t go overboard as it can easily overpower the final product. Start modestly; you can always add more after taking your first few bites.
• Eat it right away: While most of us aren’t sitting on the midnight snacks we just made, it’s especially important not to do so with this one. After a few minutes, the moisture from the cottage cheese starts to seep into the cracker bread making it a soggy mess. One of the best parts of this snack is its crunchy texture, so enjoy it immediately after assembly!
• Switch up your seasonings: If everything bagel and lemon pepper aren’t your favorite flavors, swap them out for any other seasonings you love. Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, Italian seasoning, or fresh herbs would all be delicious here.