Gooey Protein Cinnamon Rolls (20 grams per roll!)

Sweets and protein are not mutually exclusive and these Protein Cinnamon Rolls prove that! They're soft and gooey, and packed with 20 grams of protein PER ROLL!

Jump to:

• Why you'll love these protein cinnamon rolls!
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• Recipe testing notes
• How to make this - step by step
• Watch How to Make This - Step by Step
• Facts and Common Questions
• Want to Save it for Later? Here’s how!
• More Protein-Packed Breakfasts!
• Recipe

Why you'll love these protein cinnamon rolls!

Cinnamon rolls are one baked good that I always order at a bakery. When I first started making them at home the traditional way, they usually turned out tough or dry. After many attempts, I've mastered the cinnamon roll (with some added protein)!

And now, I can show you exactly how to make great cinnamon rolls too! To start, here are the 3 main factors that make a great cinnamon roll.

• Texture: A great cinnamon roll must be gooey and soft, but also fluffy. And in my opinion, the center must be the ultimate bite that showcases all of these textures.
• Peelability: How you eat a cinnamon roll will vary, some go straight for the center. Some, un-peel the rolls, saving the center for last. That's where it's critical that these protein rolls are able to be unrolled like a true, bakery cinnamon roll.
• Frosting: Frosting for cinnamon rolls can go two ways - cream cheese frosting or icing. Cream cheese frosting is exactly what it sounds like, while icing is more runny and made with powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla. Cream cheese frosting was a must here.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted

Warm Milk: Warm milk is needed to activate the yeast with the sugar. It should be about 110 degrees which feels like warm bath water. 

Substitutions: Any kind of milk you like can be used, including plant-based milk. I used oat milk.

Expert tip: Want to pack more protein in? Try using high-protein milk, like Fairlife for the milk!

Yeast: Yeast comes in a few different kinds. There is rapid rise (or instant yeast), active dry, and regular. I like to use rapid rise because it starts reacting the fastest and doesn't require you to dissolve it into a liquid before working. 

Substitutions: You can use active dry or regular yeast. But, you'll need to dissolve it and proof the yeast with the sugar and warm milk before using. This takes about 15 minutes. Check out this article for using different types of yeast.

Sugar: Sugar feeds yeast. It's the catalyst that starts the reaction to get the dough to rise.

Substitutions: We use white sugar because it's the easiest to get a hold of and the easiest for the yeast to eat. You can use brown sugar but it'll take longer to rise.

Eggs: We use one egg yolk and one full egg to have just the right amount of binder.

Substitutions: Sorry, no substitutions for this.

Butter: Butter, butter, vegan butter. We need a lot of butter or vegan butter for this recipe (and for any good cinnamon rolls). The butter is used for the dough, for the filing, and for the frosting. 

Substitutions: Any kind of butter can be used. Salted or unsalted is fine, as is vegan butter or margarine.

Bread Flour: This really is the key to great cinnamon rolls! Bread flour has a higher protein content and therefore produces more gluten which means extra soft dough.

Substitutions: All-purpose flour can be used but it will result in rolls that aren't as soft.

Salt: Salt makes sweetness that much better!

Substitutions: Sorry, no substitutions for this.

Brown Sugar: Every good roll needs a decent amount of brown sugar for the filling!

Substitutions: Coconut sugar can be used in place of brown sugar.

Cinnamon: Obviously we need cinnamon for cinnamon rolls!

Substitutions: Sorry, no substitutions for this one.

Unflavored Collagen: This is the secret to protein-rich cinnamon rolls! Collagen comes from the tissues of cows, pigs, chickens, or fish, so it naturally has a lot of protein in it (source). It's also highly dissolvable so it doesn't affect the taste or texture of the rolls!

Substitutions: Any unflavored collagen can be used. We love Orgain (available at Target, Walmart, Costco, and elsewhere) and Great Lakes (found at Trader Joe’s and Amazon). I don't recommend protein powder because it changes the texture too much. A note - Vital Proteins collagen will result in less protein due to it's lower content of protein.

Powdered Sugar: A little powdered sugar is used to thicken the cream cheese frosting.

Substitutions: You can use a low-calorie powdered sugar replacement for this recipe.

Vanilla: Vanilla frosting needs vanilla extract.

Substitutions: I always try to use pure vanilla extract but imitation vanilla can be used in a pinch.

Cream Cheese: This is for the frosting and adds the perfect tang to the sweet frosting!

Substitutions: You can try using a vegan cream cheese to make this dairy free but I've found the only one that doesn't add a strange taste is Violife.

Recipe testing notes

Throughout our testing of this protein cinnamon roll recipe, we learned what worked and what didn't work. Here are the key takeaways!

• The rise: When working with collagen powder, you need to allow more time for these rolls to rise than a typical roll. For example, typical rolls can do their first rise (or 'proof' is another term) in 1.5-2 hours, but with collagen, they will need 3-4 hours to proof.
• Rising overnight: If the longer rise is scary, don't worry! These cinnamon rolls were great when I let them rise overnight in the fridge!
• Creating a warm environment: If you want these to rise quicker, you have to create a warm environment. My favorite way to do this is to put the rolls in the oven under the light, cover them with a light dishcloth, and turn the light on.
• Kneading: Cinnamon rolls don't need to be kneaded (see what I did there) very long. You only need to knead them until a smooth ball forms. If they're over-kneaded they'll become chewy due to the gluten over-developing.

How to make this - step by step

Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full instructions!

Step one: start the dough

Warm the milk in the microwave for 45 seconds until the bowl is like a warm bath. You can also warm it on the stovetop. Transfer the warm milk to a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Add the sugar, egg yolk, egg, and melted butter. Mix until well combined with a wooden spoon. It's important to use a wooden spoon to not kill the yeast. Then, slowly add in the flour and salt and continue to mix until a rough dough forms.

Step two: knead

Now it's time to knead the dough. You can either use the dough hook on your electric mixer for 3-4 minutes (just until a smooth ball forms) or transfer the dough onto a smooth and flour-dusted surface to knead it into a smooth ball by hand (about 5-7 minutes). If it's too sticky, add 2 tablespoons of flour at a time. 

Step three: first proof

Transfer the now stiff dough ball to a well-oiled metal or glass bowl. Roll the dough in the oil to help it not harden while it rises and cover it with a light towel. Place this bowl into the oven (it needs to be in a warm place) and turn the oven light on. Allow the dough to rise for 3-4 hours or until it doubles in size.

While this rises, make the cinnamon sugar filling by mixing the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set out the butter for the filling to soften.

Expert tip for overnight rise: If you want to leave these to rise overnight, let them rise in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

Step four: roll it out

After the dough has doubled, transfer it to a well-floured surface (enough flour to not stick) and roll it into a 14x9-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a ¼ inch margin at the far side of the dough.

Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar filling. Roll the dough tightly starting from the 9” side and ending seam side down.

Step five: cut, transfer, and second proof

Use a serrated knife to cut 9 even-sized rolls and place them into a 9x9 pan or 9" round pan. You can discard the ends pieces.

To make center-only cinnamon rolls: Use the end strips to wrap around the rolls. This is how I make "center only" rolls because this edge piece gets crispy while the cinnamon rolls don't - just remove it right before serving.

You can line it with parchment paper too. Cover it with a towel and place it back in the oven with the light on to rise for another 30 minutes. Or, you can leave them in the sun to rise.

Step six: bake

Then, remove cinnamon buns from the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the towel from the rolls and bake for 20-25 minutes until just golden brown. We want them gooey because they'll continue to cook after being removed from the oven. Allow cooling for 10 minutes before frosting.

Step seven: frost 

Make the frosting by mixing the softened butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, a little salt, and a splash of milk in a large mixing bowl. Spread or drizzle this over the top of the rolls.

Watch How to Make This - Step by Step

Facts and Common Questions

Want to Save it for Later? Here’s how!

These rolls are great to keep through the week! Just watch the frosting as it can tend to separate when reheated.

Fridge: These will keep for up to a week in the fridge. We recommend storing in an airtight container or in the pan you baked then in with plastic wrap on top. The frosting will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks. Just leave it on the counter to soften before using it again (just like you would with Pillsbury cinnamon roll icing!).

Freezer: These will keep for 3 months sealed in the freezer and stored separately from the frosting. When ready to eat, let them thaw overnight in the fridge the night before and make fresh frosting.

Reheating: To reheat, microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute, and then carefully mix the frosting with your fork to recombine it if it separates. For more ways on how to reheat cinnamon rolls, check out our post on it!

More Protein-Packed Breakfasts!

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