Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup All-purpose flour (Plus 1–2 tablespoons at a time as needed for handling the sticky dough, and extra for flouring the work surface and rolling pin)
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 1.5 cup Cottage cheese (2% cottage cheese was used)
• 2 tbsp Maple syrup (Sugar-free syrup was used in the original variation)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 0.333 cup Dark brown sugar (Swerve zero-calorie brown sugar was used in the original variation)
• 3 tbsp Butter (Melted; light butter was used in the original variation)
• 1.5 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 0.25 cup Powdered sugar (Use more for a heavier glaze; Swerve zero-calorie confectioners’ sugar was used in the original variation)
• 1 tbsp Milk (For the glaze)
• Cooking spray or oil (For lightly coating the baking dish if not using parchment paper)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly coat a small baking dish with cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper. Use an 8×8-inch square pan or an 8–9-inch round cake pan.

2. 2

   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder until evenly combined.

3. 3

   Add the cottage cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and no large pockets of dry flour remain.

4. 4

   Flour your hands, then gather and press the mixture together to form a dough ball. If the dough is too sticky to handle, incorporate additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, using only as much as needed.

5. 5

   Generously flour the work surface and rolling pin. Transfer the dough to the surface and roll it into an approximately 10×12-inch rectangle. Keep the surface and pin well floured because the dough will remain slightly sticky.

6. 6

   In a small bowl, combine the dark brown sugar, melted butter, and ground cinnamon. Stir until the mixture is evenly blended into a spreadable filling.

7. 7

   Spread the cinnamon-sugar filling evenly over the entire rolled-out dough, leaving a small border around the edges.

8. 8

   Starting at one long edge, carefully roll the dough tightly into a log. If the dough sticks to the work surface, use a butter knife or bench scraper to gently lift it as you roll.

9. 9

   Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 6 large, evenly sized cinnamon rolls. Arrange them cut-side up in the prepared baking dish, spaced evenly apart.

10. 10

    Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown and cooked through. Remove the dish from the oven and let the rolls cool for at least 10 minutes.

11. 11

    While the rolls bake, place the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and drizzleable; add more powdered sugar if you prefer a thicker glaze.

12. 12

    Drizzle the glaze over the slightly cooled cinnamon rolls and serve warm.

Notes

The original creator used sugar-free maple syrup, Swerve zero-calorie brown sugar, light butter, and Swerve confectioners’ sugar to make the rolls more macro-friendly. The recipe notes that the finished dough is sticky; flour the work surface, rolling pin, and hands generously, but add extra flour gradually so the rolls do not become dense.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• breakfast
• baked
• cinnamon rolls
• high-protein
• vegetarian
• American
• macro-friendly