This classic cinnamon roll recipe has added protein from protein powder and Greek yogurt, and lower sugar content, but all of the yummy texture and flavor you crave from a cinnamon roll. Protein cinnamon rolls are completely customizable to fit your nutritional needs. This protein cinnamon roll recipe also has instructions for making them with just one rise, and an overnight option too!
Table of Contents
Protein Powder Cinnamon Rolls
There is nothing quite like homemade cinnamon rolls warm from the oven, especially with a cup of coffee. The warm smell of cinnamon fills the whole house, and who doesn’t love peeling apart the layers? Unfortunately, normal cinnamon rolls tend to be pretty high in fat, sugar, and calories, so it’s recommended that we only enjoy them occasionally as a special treat.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the rolls were a little healthier so you could enjoy them more often? Well, they can be! These protein cinnamon rolls have all the flavors and textures you love but are lower in fat and calories and higher in protein to fit into a healthy lifestyle!
For more protein-rich options, try out these 3-Ingredient Protein Waffles, Banana Protein Muffins and Cottage Cheese Bagels too!
Why We Love These High Protein Cinnamon Rolls
- The extra protein will help slow down the blood sugar impact from the sugar and carbs
- Formulated by a Registered Dietitian to be more nutritionally balanced
- Tastes like the soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls you know and love (yes, really!)
- Easy to customize to fit your macros
- Much lower in total fat and calories than standard cinnamon rolls
- Made from simple ingredients already in your pantry
- Great high-protein breakfast option for Christmas morning, Easter, Mother’s Day, and more
If you’re a regular reader, you know I typically don’t use a whole lot of sugar in my recipes. This recipe is a perfect example of my 80/20 approach to healthy eating! If you eat well 80% of the time, enjoy the food you love 20% of the time. Plus, this recipe can easily be tweaked to be low-sugar or sugar-free if needed. Enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
For the dough
- Milk: This can be either dairy milk or your favorite non-dairy milk.
- Plain Greek yogurt: This is a key ingredient to add moisture, fat, and extra protein.
- Sugar: This will feed the yeast and help it bubble up quickly. You only need a little bit!
- Active dry yeast: To raise the cinnamon rolls and make them nice and fluffy.
- Bread flour: Bread flour contains more protein and gluten than regular all-purpose flour, resulting in a much softer, fluffier dough.
- Salt
- High quality vanilla or plain protein powder: Choose a brand that works for your dietary needs. You can also use plant-based protein powder, whey protein, or any other option you prefer.
- Large egg: This will soften the dough and help hold the rolls together in the oven. Let it come to room temperature first.
- Salted butter: The salt in the butter will bring out flavor, and the butter will make the dough super soft and pliable! Feel free to use melted coconut oil instead.
For the filling
- Softened butter: Make sure it is at room temperature for easy spreading.
- Light brown sugar or coconut sugar: For a rich sweetness. If you prefer to avoid brown sugar, use monk fruit brown sugar instead.
- Ground cinnamon: Use your favorite brand of ground cinnamon.
For the frosting
- Neufchatel cream cheese: Use light cream cheese for all the creamy tanginess with the extra calories.
- Powdered sugar: Sweeten the frosting with regular powdered sugar or monk fruit powdered sugar.
- Honey: For an extra layer of sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: To add a nice vanilla flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
- In a heat-proof measuring cup, whisk together the milk, yogurt and sugar, microwave about 30 seconds, or until it reaches 110℉. If it becomes too hot, cool to 110℉. Add yeast and stir, let sit 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, salt and protein powder. Mix briefly.
- Add in the milk mixture, egg, and melted butter. Mix on medium speed until a soft dough forms. Switch to the hook attachment and beat on medium speed, about 5 minutes, until dough becomes completely smooth and elastic. It’s ok if it’s a little tacky, but we don’t want a dry dough, or one that’s overly sticky. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a wooden spoon and bring dough together in a large glass mixing bowl, turn out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand vigorously for about 5 minutes until dough becomes smooth and elastic. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place in your kitchen until dough is puffy and almost doubled in size, about 40-60 minutes.
Step 2: Make the Frosting
- In a medium bowl, beat the neufchatel cheese with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat until combined. Taste and adjust sweetness level if desired.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling together in a small bowl.
Step 3: Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls
- Lightly grease a 13”x9” baking dish. Once dough has risen, punch down and place on a floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 16”x10”. Spread the butter over the dough, followed by the brown sugar and cinnamon, leaving a ½” bare edge on one long side. Roll tightly toward the bare edge side to form a log, seal by pinching the seam.
- Cut into 12 uniform slices using dental floss or a serrated knife. Place rolls into prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let them rise until puffy, about 30-45 minutes.
Step 4: Bake & Frost!
8. Preheat oven to 350℉. Once preheat, place rolls in oven and bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Do not overcook. Cool 15 minutes, frost, and serve.
For one rise cinnamon rolls
- Follow recipe through step 3 using INSTANT YEAST, but let dough rest covered for just 10-15 minutes until it becomes workable. If you can’t roll the dough out after 10 minutes (it springs back when you roll it), the proteins in the dough need more time to relax, cover and try again in 5 minutes.
- Roll out and fill cinnamon rolls as directed, cut and place in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm area of your kitchen until the rolls are nearly doubled in size. Bake as directed.
For overnight cinnamon rolls
- Follow recipe as directed. After placing the rolls in the baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning, place them on the counter to come to room temperature and rise slightly, about 45-60 minutes. Bake as directed.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- Use any milk you like, including almond or oat. The higher the fat content, the richer the rolls will be.
- Bread flour has a high protein content, which gives the rolls that chewy and stretchy texture. You can use all purpose flour instead if preferred.
- I did not test this using whole wheat or gluten free flours, but the recipe should work. Keep in mind that whole wheat flour will yield a tough, dense roll with a strong wheat flavor.
- Do not skip the 1 teaspoon of sugar in the yeast blooming process. The sugar feeds the yeast and helps it bloom, which makes your cinnamon rolls puffy! All other sugar in the recipe can be substituted for measure for measure alternatives that fit your lifestyle.
- A tacky dough will stick to your fingers, but release clean when you pull your fingers away. A sticky dough will leave chunks of dough on your fingers. A dry dough will not stick at all to your fingers.
- If your dough is too dry, add a teaspoon of milk and beat briefly, then do the tacky test.
- If your dough is too sticky, add a teaspoon or two of flour and beat briefly.
- For even slicing, use a very sharp serrated knife or, even better, a granton-edge knife. Gently saw through the log of cinnamon roll dough, being careful not to compress them too much.
Recipe FAQs
A tacky dough will stick to your fingers, but release clean when you pull your fingers away. A sticky dough will leave chunks of dough on your fingers. A dry dough will not stick at all to your fingers.
Yes and no. I do recommend adding a small amount to the dough to activate the yeast, but it’s literally just a teaspoon. Since that is spread among the entire batch of cinnamon rolls, it’s very minimal. Otherwise, you can use your favorite sweeteners in the filling and icing with some considerations. For example, you’ll want to use a granulated sweetener for the filling to keep it from becoming too wet. Use whichever sweeteners work the best for your body!
These ones are! If you’re a little weary of healthy cinnamon rolls because of other recipes you’ve tried, give this one a shot. These easy cinnamon rolls are made the right way: with an enriched dough made with egg, butter, and milk. They look, feel, and taste just like the real thing because they are!
The main difference is that it uses protein powder, but the Greek yogurt adds extra moisture to prevent them from becoming dry or chalky in any way. The filling has butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and the cream cheese icing is just a little lower in calories than the regular stuff. I promise – these cinnamon rolls are the real deal!
Storage Guidelines
Store leftover rolls at room temperature for up to 48 hours. Reheat individual rolls in the microwave for about 10 seconds. For longer storage, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend serving these homemade cinnamon buns warm with a hot cup of coffee or tea! Is there anything better?
Although they do have 10 gram of protein, they aren’t quite balanced enough to serve on their own for breakfast. Pair them with extra protein like creamy scrambled eggs or Greek yogurt, and fiber, like fresh berries or your favorite fruit salad, to slow down the blood sugar rise and give you sustained energy for hours!
These protein cinnamon rolls quickly become the star of any brunch table! They’re a great choice for Christmas morning, New Year’s, Mother’s Day, or just because. Pair them with these brunch favorites to make a healthy feast:
- Rainbow Fruit Tray with Yogurt Dip
- Egg White Breakfast Casserole
- Healthy Blueberry French Toast Casserole
- High Protein Breakfast Casserole
- Crustless Mini Quiche Recipe
- Healthy Strawberry Banana Pancakes
Recipe Variations
- Cinnamon almond rolls: Add a teaspoon of almond extract to the dough, and replace half of the vanilla extract in the frosting. Sprinkle chopped almonds over the filling before rolling, and add a few almond slices over the top of the rolls right after icing.
- Apple protein cinnamon rolls: Finely mince 1-2 tart apples to spread over the filling. Replace the cinnamon with apple pie spice. Roll and bake like normal!
- Change the size: For smaller cinnamon rolls, roll the dough into a longer, narrower rectangle before adding the filling. You may need to use two baking dishes to give the rolls room to rise, and you will want to reduce the baking time quite a bit. It can help to use an instant read thermometer to gauge doneness. When fully baked, it should read 190-200 F.
More Protein-Packed Recipes
- Banana Protein Pancakes
- High Protein Oatmeal
- Kodiak Protein Waffles
- Healthy Protein French Toast
- Healthy Blueberry Protein Muffins
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Homemade Protein Cinnamon Rolls {with Greek Yogurt}
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3/4 cup 2% milk *see notes for substitutes
- 5.6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 3 cups bread flour, spooned and leveled *see notes for substitutions
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons high quality vanilla or plain protein powder
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons salted butter or coconut oil, melted
For the filling
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons light brown, or monk fruit brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the frosting
- 6 ounces neufchatel cheese (light cream cheese)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, or monk fruit powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a heat-proof measuring cup, whisk together the milk, yogurt and sugar, microwave about 30 seconds, or until it reaches 110℉. If it becomes too hot, cool to 110℉. Add yeast and stir, let sit 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, salt and protein powder. Mix briefly.
- Add in the milk mixture, egg, and melted butter. Mix on medium speed until a soft dough forms. Switch to the hook attachment and beat on medium speed, about 5 minutes, until dough becomes completely smooth and elastic. It’s ok if it’s a little tacky, but we don’t want a dry dough, or one that’s overly sticky. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a wooden spoon and bring dough together in a large glass mixing bowl, turn out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand vigorously for about 5 minutes until dough becomes smooth and elastic. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place in your kitchen until dough is puffy and almost doubled in size, about 40-60 minutes.
- Make the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the neufchatel cheese with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat until combined. Taste and adjust sweetness level if desired.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling together in a small bowl.
- Lightly grease a 13”x9” baking dish. Once dough has risen, punch down and place on a floured work surface. Roll out into a rectangle approximately 16”x10”. Spread the butter over the dough, followed by the brown sugar and cinnamon, leaving a ½” bare edge on one long side. Roll tightly toward the bare edge side to form a log, seal by pinching the seam,
- Cut into 12 uniform slices using dental floss or a serrated knife. Place rolls into prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let them rise until puffy, about 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Once preheat, place rolls in oven and bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Do not overcook. Cool 15 minutes, frost, and serve.
For one rise cinnamon rolls
- Follow recipe through step 3 using INSTANT YEAST, but let dough rest covered for just 10-15 minutes until it becomes workable. If you can’t roll the dough out after 10 minutes (it springs back when you roll it), the proteins in the dough need more time to relax, cover and try again in 5 minutes.
- Roll out and fill cinnamon rolls as directed, cut and place in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm area of your kitchen until the rolls are nearly doubled in size. Bake as directed.
For overnight cinnamon rolls
- Follow recipe as directed. After placing the rolls in the baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning, place them on the counter to come to room temperature and rise slightly, about 45-60 minutes. Bake as directed.
Notes
-
- My favorite protein powder to use in these cinnamon rolls is this vegan Good Protein powder. It’s so delicious and comes in lots of different flavors. My favorite flavors to use in this recipe are Vanilla Milkshake and Salted Caramel! Use the discount code ELYSIAC30 for 30% off your first order!
- Use any milk you like, including almond or oat. The higher the fat content, the richer the rolls will be.
- Bread flour has a high protein content, which gives the rolls that chewy and stretchy texture. You can use all purpose flour instead if preferred.
- I did not test this using whole wheat or gluten free flours, but the recipe should work. Keep in mind that whole wheat flour will yield a tough, dense roll with a strong wheat flavor.
- Do not skip the 1 teaspoon of sugar in the yeast blooming process. The sugar feeds the yeast and helps it bloom, which makes your cinnamon rolls puffy! All other sugar in the recipe can be substituted for measure for measure alternatives that fit your lifestyle.
- A tacky dough will stick to your fingers, but release clean when you pull your fingers away. A sticky dough will leave chunks of dough on your fingers. A dry dough will not stick at all to your fingers.
- If your dough is too dry, add a teaspoon of milk and beat briefly, then do the tacky test.
- If your dough is too sticky, add a teaspoon or two of flour and beat briefly.
- For even slicing, use a very sharp serrated knife or, even better, a granton-edge knife. Gently saw through the log of cinnamon roll dough, being careful not to compress them too much.
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