High-Protein Cinnamon Rolls (Small Batch)
Published 12/20/2024
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Are you a protein girlie who loves cinnamon rolls? These incredible Small Batch Protein Cinnamon Rolls are made with minimal ingredients, have no rise time, and contain some sneaky added protein — hello blended cottage cheese!
These luscious protein cinnamon rolls make 4 large buns, AND pack a whopping 13g of protein! They’re sticky, sweet, and perfect for a quick indulgence or serving a small group.
We’ve been experimenting with our 2 ingredient protein dough — flour + Greek yogurt (re: protein bagels) and decided to up it even more with blended cottage cheese. Let me tell you, WE’VE DONE IT. These come out with the same exact texture as a cinni roll, but with zero rise time 13g of protein per roll. It’s truly a win-win 😃
And you can make just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth instead of baking an entire pan. We’ve tried this once before with our Small Batch Thin Mint Brownies, and they were such a hit, and for good reason! Sometimes you want a cinnamon roll without baking an entire batch — maybe you’re serving a small group, maybe you want the ease of this recipe — regardless ENJOY, MY FRIENDS.
Protein Cinnamon Rolls – What You Need
- All-purpose flour: The base of the dough, all-purpose flour gives these cinnamon rolls the perfect texture.
- Blended cottage cheese: Make sure you blend your cottage cheese before mixing it with the dough. This will ensure a smooth consistency throughout.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup and cinnamon are a match made in sticky roll heaven.
- Brown sugar: For the filling, you’ll mix brown sugar with butter and cinnamon.
- Protein powder: Use your fav protein powder to add some extra protein to your rolls!
- Ground cinnamon: Need I say more?
- Cream cheese: Use softened cream cheese to make the perfect creamy topping.
- Electric mixer: You’ll need an electric mixer to get the cream cheese frosting nice and smooth.
Other Delicious Filling Inspo
We kept our high protein cinnamon rolls recipe simple with a classic cinnamon and sugar filling, but feel free to get creative with other fillings! Some ideas include:
Chocolate chips and chopped nuts
Apple pie filling with diced apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg
Cream cheese and jam
Peanut butter and jelly or Nutella
here’s a tip!
Wait to frost the cinnamon rolls until right before serving. This will prevent the frosting from melting into the rolls and becoming too runny.
Freeze Them for Later
Feel free to prep and freeze these ahead of time. After you roll your cinnamon rolls, place them onto a cutting board or baking sheet. Freeze them individually for 2 hours. Once they are partially frozen, tightly wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Make sure to fully thaw them before baking.
How long do these protein cinnamon rolls last?
Store the frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Small Batch Protein Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup blended cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
Filling
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon protein powder, we used Tera's Whey Vanilla
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup blended cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Optional
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the dough: add the flour, blended cottage cheese, maple syrup, and baking powder to a bowl and mix to combine. Once combined, knead the dough into a ball. You’ll know the dough is ready if you poke the dough and it bounces right back.
- Lay the dough onto a floured surface and roll it out into a 4×8-inch rectangle (measurements do not have to be exact).
- Make the cinnamon filling: in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, protein powder, and cinnamon.
- Spread the brown sugar mixture over the top of the rolled-out dough. Then tightly roll the dough lengthwise into a log.
- Cut the cinnamon rolls into 2-inch wide rolls, you should have four rolls. Dip your fingers into water and trace it along the seems of the cinnamon rolls. Then gently pinch to make sure the ends are attached to the roll. This way they won’t unroll while baking.
- Transfer the rolls to the lined baking sheet and bake for 20-22 minutes.
- Make the frosting: While the rolls are baking, add all the ingredients to a bowl and use an electric mixer to mix the ingredients together. Be sure the cream cheese is softened or you will end up with lumpy frosting.
- Before frosting, brush on some melted butter. Then, frost the cinnamon rolls right before serving.* If you’re fancy, sprinkle on some ground cinnamon.
Tips & Notes
- Wait to frost the cinnamon rolls until right before serving.
- Store the frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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