These no-yeast cottage cheese cinnamon rolls are made with blended cottage cheese for a sneaky boost of protein. They’re unbelievably soft and full of classic cinnamon flavor!
Cottage cheese cinnamon rolls… don’t knock them till you try them! I feel like I knew about the cottage cheese secret way before it went viral on social media. For years, I’ve been hiding it in recipes to get more protein in (check out the “More Cottage Cheese Recipes” section for proof). My family is none the wiser, and I feel great about the extra goodness they’re getting.
These rolls are another perfect example of how underrated cottage cheese is. They’re incredibly quick to make because there’s no yeast — which means no hovering over the stand mixer or waiting for the dough to rise. In under an hour, you can have warm, gooey cinnamon rolls ready to devour. While they won’t be exactly like the fluffy, yeast-based ones (like these brioche cinnamon rolls or apple cinnamon rolls), they are absolutely delicious, spongy, and my go-to treat when I’m short on time.
How To Make Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
As a busy mom with a busy mind, I love how low-maintenance these cottage cheese cinnamon rolls are. They come together in five easy steps, then the magic happens in the oven!
- Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 11-inch baking pan (I love this one).
- Make the dough: Blend the cottage cheese, vanilla, and honey together. Whisk the flour and baking powder together, then add the mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Roll and assemble: Roll out the dough into a rectangle and brush the melted butter over it. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top, then roll the dough into a log and cut it into nine pieces.
- Bake the rolls: Place the rolls in the pan and bake them for 25-30 minutes.
- Add the glaze: Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze. Once the rolls come out of the oven, drizzle the glaze over them.
Flavor Variations
This cottage cheese cinnamon roll recipe is a fantastic starting point for other delicious combos. Get creative with these simple variations!
- Add a crunch: Sprinkle finely chopped pecans or walnuts over the cinnamon-sugar filling before rolling up the dough.
- Spice it up: Add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom to the cinnamon-sugar mixture for a warmer, more complex flavor.
- Get fruity: Spread a thin layer of apple butter or pumpkin butter over the melted butter for a seasonal twist.
Tips From the Kitchen
You guys know that I’m not much of an enthusiastic baker, but these cottage cheese cinnamon rolls are actually fun to make. These six tips make the process so much smoother.
- Blend the cottage cheese until it is smooth. Not only does this ensure a tender dough, it makes the cottage cheese less noticeable (no chunks!). This is my favorite tool for easy clean-up, but a regular blender or food processor also work.
- Avoid over-mixing the dough. Once you add the flour, mix just until the dough comes together. Overworking the gluten in the flour leads to tough rolls.
- Flour the work surface well. This dough is on the stickier side, so add more flour to the work surface as needed when rolling the dough out.
- Brush on the melted butter first. It acts as an adhesive to make sure the cinnamon sugar sticks.
- Invest in a good dough scraper. I use this tool for everything — bringing the dough together on the work surface, measuring the rolls, and cutting the rolls.
- Keep an eye on the rolls as they bake. As soon as the edges turn golden, pull the rolls out of the oven to keep them perfectly soft and gooey in the middle.
Make Ahead & Storage
These cottage cheese cinnamon rolls are the fluffiest on day one, so I recommend scarfing them down as quickly as possible. Here are a couple tips to help you plan ahead!
- Make ahead: The night before, prepare the rolls through step 7, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate the rolls. The next morning, pop the rolls in the oven and bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
- Storage: Keep the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
More Cottage Cheese Recipes
- Cottage Cheese Dip — Perfect with crackers or veggies as a quick snack
- Cottage Cheese Pancakes — Crispy edges and irresistible flavor
- Cottage Cheese Alfredo — Creamy, protein-packed, and blended up in 15 minutes
- Cottage Cheese Bread — You won’t believe how moist it is!
Recipe
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/2 cups cottage cheese whole milk, high-quality
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 tsp baking powder
Filling
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon adjust to taste
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, blend together the cottage cheese, vanilla extract, and honey until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 11-inch round pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add the blended cottage cheese mixture and stir until just combined.
- Form the dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Brush the melted butter evenly over the dough. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
- Starting from one of the longer sides, roll the dough tightly into a log. Slice the log into 9 even pieces.
- Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan(s), leaving a little space between each one.
- Bake the rolls for 25–30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
- While the rolls bake, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add another splash of cream if a thinner glaze is desired. Glaze the rolls while they are warm, and enjoy!
No Comments