Protein Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
High Protein Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls made with real pumpkin and blended cottage cheese, no yeast or protein powder needed. They’re soft, gooey, and ready without waiting for dough to rise.
Servings: 6 cinnamon rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese blended
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Glaze:
- 1/4-1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Use a food processor or blender to blend the cottage cheese (I like to use a hand blender). Add it to a bowl with the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour and sprinkle the baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt on top.
- Mix the dough as much as you can with a spoon, and then switch to clean, floured hands to work into a dough ball. Note: The dough will be sticky but workable. Add 1-2 tablespoons of flour at a time, if needed.
- Transfer the dough ball to a floured surface and roll into roughly a 10x12" rectangle. Note: Make sure your surface and rolling pin are well floured because the dough is slightly sticky.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon until well combined.
- Spread the cinnamon sugar filling into an even layer on the rolled out dough.
- Roll tightly from the long edge into a log carefully. Note: The dough will be sticky, so it can be helpful to keep a butter knife or bench scraper handy to lift up the dough as you roll, if it sticks.
- Slice the log into 6 large cinnamon rolls. Place the rolls in your dish, evenly spaced apart. If they're very tall, give them a gently press down.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- While the rolls are baking, mix together the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl. Top the cinnamon rolls with the glaze and serve.
Notes
- Cottage cheese: Make sure to blend until completely smooth. Full-fat gives the best texture, but low-fat works too. Because moisture varies by brand, you may need slightly more or less flour.
- Don't expect yeast dough: This dough will be softer and stickier than traditional cinnamon roll dough because of the pumpkin and cottage cheese. That's normal.
- Rolling the dough: Keep a bench scraper or butter knife nearby to gently lift the dough from the work surface if it sticks as you roll it into a log.
- Don't overbake: Start checking the rolls at 25 minutes. They're done when they're golden and the centers look set.
- Glaze: Let the rolls cool for at least 10 minutes before glazing so the glaze stays on top instead of melting into the pan.
Nutrition
Serving: 1roll | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 3357IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 3mg
