Pin Recipe
Protein Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
These easy Protein Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are made with cottage cheese, pumpkin puree and no yeast. They're filled with coconut sugar and pumpkin spice and topped with a maple cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Equipment
- High-speed blender
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large mixing bowl
- Small bowl
- Baking dish
- Spatula
- Rolling Pins
- Sharp knife or unflavored dental floss for cutting the rolls
- Stand or Hand Mixer
Ingredients
Pumpkin Dough
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Pumpkin Spice Filling
- ¼ cup butter very soft, salted or unsalted is fine
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
- Pinch of salt omit if using salted butter
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons reserved pumpkin-cottage cheese mixture
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Blend the Cottage Cheese Mixture
- Add the cottage cheese, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and vanilla to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Before you do anything else, scoop out 2 tablespoons and set it aside for the frosting. It's easy to forget this step once you start making the dough!1 cup cottage cheese, ½ cup pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Make the Pumpkin Dough
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the remaining pumpkin-cottage cheese mixture and stir until a shaggy dough starts to form.Use your hands to gently bring everything together. The dough should be soft. If it's so sticky that you can't work with it, add a little flour at a time rather than dumping in another ¼ cup all at once.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, Pinch of salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda
Roll Out the Dough
- Lightly flour your counter and rolling pin. Roll the dough into a large rectangle about ¼-inch thick. It doesn't have to be perfectly straight around the edges. Mine never is. If the dough starts sticking, dust it with a little more flour. Use as little as you can get away with.
Add the Filling
- Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a small border around the outside. Combine the coconut sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the butter.¼ cup butter, ⅓ cup coconut sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger, Pinch of nutmeg, Pinch of ground cloves, Pinch of salt
I like to gently press the cinnamon mixture into the butter with my hands. It helps keep more of the filling where it belongs when you roll everything up.
Roll and Cut
- Starting along one of the long sides, roll the dough into a snug log, being careful not to roll it so tightly that the filling gets pushed out. Cut the log into 10–12 rolls, about 1½ inches thick. I like to use a ruler to mark the log first so the rolls are evenly sized. Unflavored dental floss works especially well for cutting through the soft dough without squishing the rolls, but a sharp knife works too.
Bake
- Place the cinnamon rolls in your prepared baking dish and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on them toward the end. These don't need to get really dark on top. You want the centres cooked through while keeping as much moisture in the dough as possible.
Make the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the 2 tablespoons of pumpkin-cottage cheese mixture you saved earlier, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Mix again until smooth and creamy.4 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons reserved pumpkin-cottage cheese mixture, 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
I like frosting them while they're still slightly warm. The cream cheese frosting softens just enough to get down into the cinnamon swirls without completely melting off.
Frost
- Let the cinnamon rolls cool for a few minutes before adding the frosting.
If the frosting looks curdled or separated: Keep mixing for another minute first, as it may come back together on its own. If it still looks curdled, the ingredients may be too cold. Let the bowl sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes, then mix again. You can also scoop out a small amount of the frosting, microwave it for a few seconds until just slightly warmed, then add it back to the bowl and mix until smooth.
Notes
Reserve the frosting mixture: Set aside 2 tablespoons of the blended cottage cheese and pumpkin mixture before adding it to the dry ingredients. You'll need this for the cream cheese frosting.
Calories: 282 kcal | Protein: 6g | Carbohydrates: 33g | Fat: 14 g
- Dough consistency: The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, but easy to handle. Lightly flour your work surface as needed, but avoid adding too much extra flour or the rolls may turn out dry.
- Use softened butter: Make sure the butter for the filling is very soft but not melted. This makes it easier to spread without tearing the dough.
- Don't overbake: Remove the rolls once they're set and lightly golden around the edges. Overbaking can make these no-yeast cinnamon rolls dry.
- Frosting tip: If your cream cheese frosting looks separated, gently warm a small spoonful and beat it back into the remaining frosting until smooth.
Calories: 282 kcal | Protein: 6g | Carbohydrates: 33g | Fat: 14 g