By Soft cottage cheese buns under a warm cinnamon streusel crumble, with 10g of protein each and not a scoop of protein powder anywhere. No yeast, no rolling, no waiting for anything to rise. You scoop the dough onto a tray, press the crumble on, and they're out of the oven in 20 minutes.
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I've been obviously working with cottage cheese dough for a while now, but this might be my favorite version to date! It's a riff on our Greek yogurt donuts but with cottage cheese and topped with the most insane crumble topping and sweet glaze! If you saw these in a bakery case, don't tell me you wouldn't jump at the chance to try one!
If you want the full rolled experience with the swirl and the frosting, our cottage cheese cinnamon rolls are still the move (although they take up to 4 hours!). These are for the mornings you want that flavor in a quarter of the effort. And there are plenty more sweet cottage cheese recipes where this came from 🍯
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cottage cheese can vary
This is the one thing that makes or breaks the recipe, and it's why the flour is written as "1¼ cups, more as needed."
Cottage cheese varies enormously brand to brand and vary by how much you blend them. Some are thick and almost spoonable, others are loose and swimming in liquid. Either works but you will need to adjust the flour depending on how wet the cottage cheese is. I generally stick to Good Culture or Nancy's and any other higher protein ones because I know they will be thicker.
What you're aiming for is a dough that's wet but scoopable. It should hold its shape on the tray rather than spreading into a puddle. Add flour a tablespoon at a time until it does, and stop there. Overshooting and overmixing gives you dry, heavy buns.
key ingredients & swaps
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Thick cottage cheese: The protein anchor and most of the moisture. Thick is the operative word here, a watery one will send you chasing flour. Any fat level works.
- Flour: Start at 1 ¼ cups and add more only as needed. How much depends entirely on your cottage cheese.
- Egg: Binds everything and adds a bit more protein.
- Maple syrup: Just two tablespoons in the dough. The buns themselves are only lightly sweet, because the crumble and the glaze are bringing plenty.
- Baking powder: Aluminum free and check it isn't expired, it's the only lift in here.
- Vanilla bean paste: Worth it if you have it, you get the flecks and a rounder flavor. Extract works too.
- Cold butter, for the crumble: Cold is what gives you sandy pebbles. Warm butter turns the whole thing into paste and it'll melt into the dough instead of sitting on top.
- Brown sugar and cinnamon: The crumble. Brown sugar has the molasses depth you want here, white won't taste the same, but coconut sugar works too.
- The glaze: Equal parts Greek yogurt and powdered sugar with a splash of milk. It's tangier than a straight powdered sugar glaze, it adds a little more protein, and it takes these buns to oh yum to OH MY GAWD!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
step by step: tips to nail this recipe every time
- Blend lightly, don't purée: You want the cottage cheese broken down, not liquified. Overblending thins it out and you'll end up adding flour to compensate, which costs you the tender texture.
- Add flour gradually: Wet but scoopable is the target. It should hold its shape on the tray.
- Make the crumble with your hands: Rub the cold butter into the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt until you get sandy pebbles. Fingers work better than any tool here.
- Cup your hands around the top: When you press the crumble on, cupping your hands around each bun keeps the sides tidy and the topping where you want it, instead of scattering across the tray.
- Press lightly, don't bury it: The crumble should sit on the surface so it crisps. Pressed in too hard, it just sinks and disappears into the dough.
quick recipe video
why 6 buns and not 4
You can absolutely make these as 4 big bakery-counter buns (we did this in the video!), but 6 is what I'd point you toward.
The bigger the scoop, the more it spreads. Four gives you a bit flatter buns. Six holds its shape better and gives you a more domed look, and honestly, they're a more reasonable size for a breakfast alongside anything else.
At six you're looking at about 10g of protein each. At four it's closer to 14g if you'd rather have fewer and bigger 🍯
troubleshooting & testing notes
My dough spread into one giant puddle.
Too wet (or baking soda that's not good anymore), which almost always means loose cottage cheese. Add flour a tablespoon at a time until it holds its shape on the tray before baking.
My buns came out dry and heavy.
Too much flour, usually from overblending the cottage cheese and then compensating. Blend lightly next time and add flour more slowly. Also can be from over mixing - some flour streaks are ok!
The crumble melted into the dough.
Warm butter, or pressed in too hard. You want cold butter, sandy pebbles, and a light press that leaves the topping sitting on the surface.
They're browning before the middle is done.
Check at 20 minutes and tent with foil if the tops are ahead of the centers.
Recipe
cinnamon streusel buns (10g protein, no protein powder)
Ingredients
the buns
- 1 cup thick cottage cheese
- 1-¼ cups flour (more as needed, depending on your cottage cheese)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
crumble
- 2 tablespoon cold butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
glaze
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- splash of milk (as desired)
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a tray with parchment paper.
- Lightly blend the 1 cup thick cottage cheese, 1 egg, 2 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract. Do not over blend - you want it broken down, not liquified.
- Mix with the 1-¼ cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt - don't overmix! The dough will be wet but should be scoopable and hold its shape on a tray. Add more flour a tablespoon at a time if it doesn't.
- Scoop into 6 buns on the lined tray. You can also do 4 larger ones - the bigger the buns, the more they spread.
- Mix the 2 tbsp cold butter, ¼ cup flour, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and ¼ tsp salt together with your hands until sandy pebbles form.
- Lightly press the topping onto the top of each bun. It helps to cup your hands around the top as you go.
- Bake 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Mix the glaze - ¼ cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup powdered sugar and a splash of milk.
- Drizzle over the warm buns and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
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