If you love homemade cinnamon rolls but don't love waiting around for dough to rise, these High-Protein Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls are about to become a new favorite.
Made with a simple cottage cheese dough, these cinnamon rolls require no yeast and no rise time while still baking up soft, fluffy, and perfectly cozy. Blending cottage cheese directly into the dough also gives the recipe an easy protein boost—and once everything is baked, you'd never guess it's the secret ingredient.
The best part? The filling.
Instead of a traditional cinnamon-sugar filling, we're adding a generous layer of GOOD GOOD Apple Butter along with cinnamon and a touch of brown sugar. It creates a warm, gooey apple-cinnamon center that's perfect for fall breakfasts, weekend brunches, or whenever a cinnamon roll craving hits.
Finish them with a quick Greek yogurt glaze and an extra spoonful of GOOD GOOD Apple Butter for even more apple goodness.
Why You'll Love These Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Traditional homemade cinnamon rolls can mean yeast, kneading, proofing, and lots of waiting. This version keeps things much simpler.
The cottage cheese-based dough comes together quickly and doesn't need any time to rise. GOOD GOOD Apple Butter adds plenty of cozy apple flavor to the filling, while a Greek yogurt glaze gives the finished rolls that creamy sweetness every cinnamon roll needs.
They're an easy way to make homemade cinnamon rolls feel a little more approachable—and add some extra protein while you're at it.
High-Protein Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Makes: 6 cinnamon rolls
Prep Time: About 15 minutes
Bake Time: 35–45 minutes
Total Time: About 50–60 minutes
Ingredients
For the Cottage Cheese Dough
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1 cup cottage cheese
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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2 tsp baking powder
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1 tbsp maple syrup
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½ tsp vanilla extract
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Pinch of salt
For the Apple Butter Cinnamon Filling
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⅓ cup GOOD GOOD Apple Butter
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3 tbsp melted butter
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3 tbsp brown sugar or brown sugar alternative
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1½ tsp ground cinnamon
For the Greek Yogurt Glaze
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¼ cup Greek yogurt
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2 tbsp powdered sugar or powdered sweetener
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½ tsp vanilla extract
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Splash of milk, as needed
Directions
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Preheat the oven.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a small baking dish or line it with parchment paper. -
Blend the cottage cheese.
Add the cottage cheese to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth and creamy. -
Make the dough.
Transfer the blended cottage cheese to a mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Mix until a soft dough forms. -
Roll it out.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Gently roll it into a rectangle approximately ¼-inch thick. -
Add the filling.
Brush the dough with melted butter, then spread GOOD GOOD Apple Butter evenly across the surface. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. -
Make the rolls.
Starting with the long edge, carefully roll the dough into a log. Slice into 6 individual cinnamon rolls and arrange them in your prepared baking dish. -
Bake.
Bake for approximately 35–45 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls are cooked through and golden on top. Baking time can vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of your rolls, so begin checking them around the 35-minute mark. -
Make the glaze.
While the cinnamon rolls bake, stir together the Greek yogurt, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add a small splash of milk as needed until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. -
Glaze and serve.
Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool slightly before drizzling the Greek yogurt glaze over the top. Finish with an extra spoonful or drizzle of GOOD GOOD Apple Butter, if desired.
Serve warm and enjoy!
The Secret to Quick Cinnamon Roll Dough
Cottage cheese might not be the first ingredient you think of when making cinnamon rolls, but it works surprisingly well in this simple dough.
Once blended smooth, it helps create a soft dough while adding protein without giving the finished cinnamon rolls an obvious cottage cheese flavor. And because this dough uses baking powder instead of yeast, there's no proofing or rise time required.
That means you can go from mixing your dough to rolling, filling, and baking without waiting hours in between.
Make Them Extra Apple-y
GOOD GOOD Apple Butter is what turns these from classic cinnamon rolls into the ultimate cozy apple breakfast.
Spread it generously across the dough before adding the cinnamon so you get Apple Butter throughout every swirl. You can also warm an extra spoonful for a few seconds and drizzle it over the finished cinnamon rolls along with the Greek yogurt glaze.
Apple Butter + cinnamon + warm, fluffy rolls? It doesn't get much cozier than that 🍎🤎
