A healthier twist to the classic favorite, these protein cinnamon rolls are a must-try treat! Although high-protein, they are still irresistibly delicious and soft and are topped off with an amazing yogurt frosting.
This is my first time experimenting with using protein powder in yeast bread, and it was a huge success! These protein cinnamon rolls are decadent, soft, and utterly delicious, and no one will guess that they are secretly healthy. Love serving it with my soy milk latte for an afternoon pick-me-up.
If you love high-protein desserts (like me!), you also need to check out my vegan protein cookies, chocolate protein mug cake, and oatmeal protein bars.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Tender, heavenly, and super comforting
- A high-protein lighten-up recipe (where a serving contains 12g of protein!)
- Fun to make and relatively simple to prepare
- Store well and are freezer-friendly
🌾What you will need
For the dough
For yogurt frosting
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Unflavored or vanilla protein powder - I recommend going with a plant-based blend (like Orgain's vanilla protein powder) or casein. Whey tends to dry out baked goods.
- Butter - Both regular and plant-based butter will work.
- Sweetener - I am using the sugar substitute erythritol here, but feel free to use regular sugar or other granulated sweetener.
- Yogurt - Both dairy and plant-based yogurt will work in this recipe. If using Greek yogurt, you might need to thin it out with more milk.
- Plant milk - Similarly, you can either use dairy or plant-based milk.
🔪How to make
Combine flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
In another bowl, combine flour and melted butter.
Then, pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms. Knead for 2-3 minutes or until the dough is smooth and pliable.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it proof for 45 minutes to an hour or until it doubles in size.
Flour a flat surface and roll the dough to a square around 13x13 inches in size. Brush on melted butter using a pastry brush.
Sprinkle on sugar and cinnamon powder. Then, tightly roll the dough up into a log.
Cut into 9 equal pieces, either using a sharp knife or a piece of dental floss. Place cinnamon rolls into a 10 inch cast iron skillet or a 9-inch square pan.
Bake at 180C/350F for 22-25 minutes until lightly browned. Let them cool.
While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, make the frosting by combining all ingredients needed.
Drizzle on the frosting, and serve your protein cinnamon rolls while warm!
✔Helpful tips
- Weight out dry ingredients - For the best results, weighing out the flour and protein powder with a kitchen scale like this Ozeri digital scale is recommended.
- Rise dough in a warm spot - You can leave it on the countertop if the weather is warm. However, you might want to rise dough in an oven with the lights on during colder weather.
- Avoid using whey protein - Due to its absorbency, whey tends to dry out baked goods, yielding stiff cinnamon rolls.
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❄Storing suggestions
Fridge - Place cooled protein cinnamon rolls into an airtight container before refrigerating. It will last in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Freezer - Store them in a sealed container, and they are ready to be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight before freezing.
Reheating - Reheat rolls in the microwave for 15-30 seconds or until the rolls are hot.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Protein Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- 3 scoop protein powder 90g (see notes)*
- 1 tablespoon erythritol or another granulated sweetener**
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast *
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter melted (vegan or regular)
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
Cinnamon sugar filling
- 2 tablespoons butter melted (vegan or regular)
- ¼ cup erythritol or another granulated sweetener**
- 2-3 teaspoons cinnamon powder
For icing
- ¼ cup yogurt unflavored (soy/almond/regular/greek)
- 2 tablespoons protein powder (see notes)*
- 2 tablespoons erythritol or another granulated sweetener**
- milk to thin (plant-based or dairy)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease or line a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or 9-inch pan.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine butter and water.2 cup all purpose flour, 3 scoop protein powder, 1 tablespoon erythritol, ½ teaspoon salt
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.2 tablespoons butter
- Knead for 2-3 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and pliable. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it proof for 45 minutes to an hour, or until doubled in size.
- Flour a flat surface and roll the dough to a square around 13x13 inches in size.
- Brush on melted butter, then sprinkle on sugar and cinnamon powder. Tightly roll the dough up into a log.2 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup erythritol, 2-3 teaspoons cinnamon powder
- Cut into 9 equal pieces, either using a sharp knife or a piece of dental floss. To cut dough with dental floss, slide the floss under your dough, cross it over at the top, and gently pull on both ends to form a clean cut.
- Place cinnamon rolls into a 10-inch cast iron skillet or a 9-inch square pan. Bake for 22-25 minutes until lightly browned. Let them cool for 15-20 minutes.
- While your rolls are cooling, make the icing by combining all ingredients needed. It should be pretty drippy and runny, so do add more milk to thin, if needed.¼ cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons protein powder, 2 tablespoons erythritol, milk
- Drizzle it on your protein cinnamon rolls, and it is ready to be enjoyed.
Notes
- Weight out dry ingredients - For the best results, weighing out the flour and protein powder with a kitchen scale like this Ozeri digital scale is recommended.
- Rise dough in a warm spot - You can leave it on the countertop if the weather is warm. However, you might want to rise dough in an oven with the lights on during colder weather.
- Avoid using whey protein - Due to its absorbency, whey tends to dry out baked goods, yielding stiff cinnamon rolls.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Joanne says
These look great! Do you know how much is in a scoop of pea protein powder? I have some but not sure that I have a "scoop". Thanks! I can't wait to try them!
Jim Mee Sha says
A scoop is around 30g, hope you like this recipe!