Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls (No Yeast, High Protein, Ready in 30 Minutes!)

Honestly, I never thought I'd be the person writing a blog post about cottage cheese cinnamon rolls. At first, I was a little skeptical when I tried this. No yeast, and cottage cheese in the dough? Meanwhile, Jessica was giving me the side-eye from across the kitchen island.

But then we pulled them out of the oven, drizzled that sweet cottage cheese glaze on top, and... yeah. Within minutes, she asked for a second one before even finishing the first. Then Alex wandered in, grabbed one, and said "wait, these are healthy?" That pretty much said everything.

Basically, these are the kind of high protein cinnamon rolls I want on a Sunday morning when I don't have two hours to babysit a yeast dough. Also, they come together in about 30 minutes, they're soft and fluffy, and you'd honestly never guess there's cottage cheese hiding in there.

If you're new to baking with cottage cheese and wondering what it tastes like, check out my post on what does cottage cheese taste like - it'll make so much more sense once you know.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Like This Recipe
• Ingredients for Your Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
• Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
• How to Make Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls Step by Step
• Storage and Reheating
• Tips and Variations for the Best Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
• Frequently Asked Questions About Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
• Recipes You May Like
• Ready to Make These?

Why You Will Like This Recipe

Here are the main reasons this recipe works so well for our family:

• No yeast needed. As a result, there's zero waiting, zero proofing, and zero stress. The baking powder does all the work.
• Ready in 30 minutes. Specifically, just 5 minutes of prep and 20 minutes in the oven.
• 5 grams of protein per roll. Truly, that's a real number, not a stretch.
• Soft and fluffy texture. Plus, the cottage cheese in the dough keeps everything moist and tender.
• Kid-approved. Above all, Jessica loved them - that's the real test in this house.
• Simple pantry ingredients. Generally, nothing fancy or hard to track down at the store.

Ingredients for Your Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

For The Dough

• 1 ¼ cup cottage cheese (whole milk, high-quality - this really matters)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

For The Filling

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (or butter - both work great)
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For The Glaze

• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons blended cottage cheese mixture (set aside from above)

Ingredient Swaps and Notes

Substitution note: This recipe works really well with whole milk Greek yogurt in place of cottage cheese if that's what you have on hand. The texture comes out almost identical.

How to Make Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls Step by Step

The instructions here are straightforward, but I'm breaking them into sections so nothing gets lost. Trust me, I've rushed through recipes before and forgotten steps. Let's not do that.

Step 1: Blend the Cottage Cheese Mixture

First, add the cottage cheese, vanilla extract, and maple syrup to a mini blender. Then blend until smooth.

Honestly, it's totally fine if it's not perfectly silky. A small cup blender works best here. Above all, do your best and move on - that's my motto in the kitchen.

Next, set aside 2 tablespoons of this blended mixture in a small bowl or cup. Cover it and pop it in the fridge. Later on, you'll use this for the glaze.

Step 2: Make the Dough

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a round 8-inch cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Then pour in the blended cottage cheese mixture and stir just until combined. However, don't overmix - you want the dough to come together, not turn tough.

After that, form the dough into a ball. It should feel soft but not sticky.

Step 3: Roll and Fill

First, lightly flour a clean surface. Then roll the dough out into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick, roughly 9x13 inches.

Next, brush the melted coconut oil (or butter) over the entire surface of the dough. Then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly across the top. Above all, I like to go all the way to the edges so every bite has that cinnamon sugar goodness.

Step 4: Roll, Slice, and Bake

Starting from one of the short ends, slowly roll the dough up into a log. Meanwhile, take your time here so it stays nice and tight.

After that, use a sharp knife to slice the log into 10 even rolls. Then arrange them in your greased pan, cut-side up.

Finally, bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges start turning golden. By now, your kitchen is going to smell amazing.

Step 5: Glaze and Serve

Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes. While they're cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar and the 2 tablespoons of blended cottage cheese you set aside earlier. That's your glaze.

Lastly, drizzle or spread the glaze over the warm rolls and serve right away. They're best fresh out of the oven, honestly.

Storage and Reheating

Overall, these cottage cheese cinnamon rolls are best the day they're made, but they do keep pretty well.

To store: Place cooled rolls in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Ideally, keep the glaze separate, or just add it fresh when you reheat.

For reheating: Microwave individual rolls for about 20 to 25 seconds. Afterward, they warm up nicely and stay soft. Alternatively, you can wrap them in foil and warm them in a 300 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Freezing tips: Yes, you can freeze these! First, wrap individual rolls tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Then thaw overnight in the fridge, and finally reheat as normal.

Tips and Variations for the Best Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

Overall, here's what I've learned from making these a handful of times now.

• Use whole milk cottage cheese. Generally, the higher fat content makes the dough softer. For instance, I tried it once with low-fat and the texture was noticeably drier.
• Don't skip the rest before glazing. Although five minutes doesn't seem like much, letting them cool slightly means the glaze doesn't just melt and disappear into the rolls.
• Want more cinnamon flavor? In that case, go with 3 teaspoons instead of 2. Honestly, I always do.
• Swap the maple syrup for honey. Similarly, it works just as well and adds a slightly different sweetness to the dough.
• Add a pinch of nutmeg to the filling. Although it sounds small, it genuinely makes a difference.

Can You Make These Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can! First, roll and slice them the night before, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. However, add about 3 to 5 minutes to the bake time since they'll be cold going in.

If you enjoy baking with cottage cheese, you might also want to try my cottage cheese waffles or these fluffy banana cottage cheese pancakes for more easy high protein breakfast ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

Recipes You May Like

If you loved these cottage cheese cinnamon rolls, here are a few more recipes worth trying:

• Blueberry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bake - A cozy, protein-packed baked breakfast that's just as easy to throw together on a busy morning.
• Cottage Cheese Muffins - Simple, soft, and great for meal prepping breakfasts for the whole week.
• Cottage Cheese Banana Bread - Another no-fuss bake that hides cottage cheese beautifully and tastes like pure comfort food.

Ready to Make These?

Overall, these cottage cheese cinnamon rolls are the kind of recipe I wish I'd had years ago. They're quick enough for a weekday and good enough for a weekend. Plus, the protein is a real bonus when you're trying to feed a family that actually stays full past 9am.

Honestly, give them a try this weekend. I really think you'll be surprised at how good they are. And if Jessica's reaction is anything to go by, even the skeptics in your house will come around after one bite.

Finally, save this recipe to Pinterest so you can find it easily later. It's one you'll want to come back to!