Cinnamon rolls that are ready in less than an hour? I'm in! These Protein Cinnamon Rolls are made with a fool-proof 4-ingredient dough, and are the perfect addition to any weekend morning or holiday brunch! No yeast, no waiting required.
Christmas morning is made for cinnamon buns. The warm smell of cinnamon in the air. Sitting on the couch opening presents, digging into a giant cinnamon bun drizzled with icing. The best part? These Protein Cinnamon Rolls are SO easy to make and ready in less than 1 hour!
If you're anything like me, you don't have time for complicated cinnamon bun recipes that require a lot of patience.. or yeast. That's why this recipe uses my fool-proof Greek yogurt dough! With just a few ingredients, you'll have a lightened up version of traditional cinnamon rolls that are insanely delicious and packed with protein.
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Ingredients
- flour- this recipe combines all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt to make the dough rise. *If using self-rising flour do NOT add baking powder or salt.
- baking powder + kosher salt- omit if using self-rising four
- non-fat plain Greek yogurt- drain excess liquid if needed for the dough. Non-fat Greek yogurt will give you the best texture. You can also use low-fat cottage cheese.
- sugar: mixed with melted coconut oil and cinnamon for a traditional cinnamon roll filling.
- coconut oil- sugar and cinnamon help mask it's subtle flavor, but melted butter can also be used.
- ground cinnamon- do NOT skimp on the cinnamon!
- cream cheese + Greek yogurt - whipped to perfection for a fluffy, high protein frosting.
- maple syrup- mixed with greek yogurt or cream cheese to make a frosting.
- vanilla extract- to add extra flavor to your frosting. Omit if using vanilla yogurt.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
Add greek yogurt and mix until ball begins to form.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a thin rectangle (about ½ an inch).
Combine sugar, coconut oil and cinnamon until a paste forms.
Evenly spread over the dough. Slowly roll dough starting from one of the shorter rectangular sides.
Place a string under the dough and cross the ends to cut into 5-6 even cinnamon buns.
Arrange in a prepared pan and bake for 10-15 min or until edges are golden brown.
Combine the powdered sugar, yogurt and vanilla and mix to form icing. Remove cinnamon buns and allow to cool. Spread icing on top and enjoy!
Substitutions
- To make vegan - You can easily replace the Greek yogurt with coconut yogurt and use dairy free cream cheese for the frosting!
- Gluten-free - Substitute all purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour if needed.
If you're looking for more gluten-free breakfast options, try these: strawberry banana baked oatmeal cups, over hard eggs, overnight oats with water.
Variations
Want to make these protein cinnamon rolls even MORE delicious? Look no further!
- Chia seed jam - Get in the Galentine's (or Valentine's) Day spirit and spread a layer of raspberry chia jam in the filling!
- Banana and chocolate - for a chunky monkey twist, add banana slices and chocolate chips.
- Nuts and seeds - I love mixing in chopped nuts and ground flax or hemp seeds for a boost of protein, fiber and a little crunch.
Equipment
Storage
Fresh is definitely best with these protein cinnamon rolls, BUT they can absolutely be stored in the fridge (without the icing) for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute and drizzle with icing!
Top tip
Greek yogurt dough can be finicky at first. Be sure to use the right yogurt and drain any excess liquid. I've had the best results with Trader Joe's non-fat Greek yogurt (no draining required!), Stonyfield and Chobani. If you feel the dough is still too sticky, add more flour! You want the dough to be soft without sticking to your hands.
More easy breakfast ideas
You will loveeee these easy breakfasts!
Protein Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
CINNAMON ROLLS
- 1 ¾ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
FILLING
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil or butter (melted)
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
FROSTING
- ½ cup cream cheese
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
- Add greek yogurt and mix until ball begins to form. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a thin rectangle (about ½ an inch).
- Combine sugar, coconut oil and cinnamon until a paste forms. Evenly spread over the dough. Slowly roll dough starting from one of the shorter rectangular sides.
- Place a string under the dough and cross the ends to cut into 5-6 even cinnamon buns.
- Arrange in a prepared pan and bake for 10-15 min or until edges are golden brown.
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and plain Greek yogurt with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the maple syrup and vanilla and mix until fully combined. Remove cinnamon buns and allow to cool. Spread icing on top and enjoy!
The Ultimate Brunch!
Planning brunch? Serve these Greek yogurt cinnamon rolls with:
Wench says
what would you adjust to use a flavored yogurt? I've got some peach to be used up. I think it sounds amazing. reduce other sugar a little maybe?
Kelsey Sackmann says
that sounds incredible! you can definitely use it for the dough and do about half of the filling instead of cutting back on only sugar. it would taste really good in the glaze too!
Vee says
gonna try these tomorrow, recipe looks easy!!
Kelsey Sackmann says
Easy & delicious! Let me know how they turn out!
Joan says
Very easy but had to take them out of the oven after 15 minutes or they would have burned. Haven’t had a chance to taste them yet but they look good!
Kelsey Sackmann says
Thanks for the tip! I must be working with an older oven.
Heidi says
If you did this with cottage cheese (as suggested above) would you blend the cottage cheese first before adding?
Kelsey Sackmann says
Totally up to you! Blending will definitely create a smoother dough, but it's not necessary. Either way, be sure to drain any excess liquid.