High-Protein No-Roll Cinnamon Rolls

Chewy cinnamon roll with melted cheese and pecan bits held in hands, rustic texture, warm brown glaze.

5 from 1 vote

High-Protein No-Roll Cinnamon Rolls

A Greek yogurt dough rises right in the baking dish, gets dimpled like focaccia, and bakes into six big cinnamon sugar rolls finished with a vanilla glaze.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword easy cinnamon rolls, greek yogurt cinnamon rolls, no knead cinnamon rolls, protein cinnamon rolls

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 35

resting time 3

Total Time 4

Servings people

Calories 582kcal

Author Chef Josh

Equipment

Instant-read thermometer optional

Ingredients

For the dough

4 cups 480 g all-purpose flour
2 ¼ cups plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey
1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for the bowl
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 to 4 tablespoon warm water only if needed
Extra all-purpose flour for dusting the work surface

For the cinnamon sugar coating

½ cup brown sugar packed
⅓ cup granulated white or cane sugar
1 ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt

For dipping

2 large eggs beaten

For baking

⅓ cup milk almond milk, or oat milk
Olive oil or nonstick spray for greasing the dish

For the vanilla glaze

½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk plus more as needed
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Mix the dough in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Combine the 4 cups flour, 2 ¼ cups Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon yeast, 2 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir until a rough, shaggy dough forms.
Add warm water if needed, 1 to 2 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together. It should be soft and slightly tacky, not dry or crumbly.
Oil the dough lightly with a little olive oil and turn it in the bowl to coat. Cover with a clean towel and rest for 15 minutes.
Stretch and fold the dough in the bowl. Lift one side, stretch it upward, fold it over itself, rotate the bowl, and repeat a few times.
Cover and rest the dough for about 45 minutes. Stretch and fold again, then cover and rest for another 45 minutes.
Give the dough one final round of folds. It should now be smoother, softer, and more elastic.
Mix the cinnamon sugar in a shallow bowl. Combine the ½ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Break up any brown sugar clumps.
Beat the 2 eggs in a separate shallow bowl until fully combined.
Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray. Sprinkle about ¼ cup of the cinnamon sugar evenly over the bottom.
Divide the dough into six equal pieces on a lightly floured surface. Shape each piece into a ball, tucking the edges underneath.
Dip each dough ball in the beaten eggs and let the excess drip off. Roll it in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated, including the sides and bottom.
Arrange the coated balls in the prepared dish in two rows of three.
Cover the dish loosely with a towel or lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise in a warm spot for 1 to 2 hours, until puffy and about doubled.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Wet your fingertips, then press into the risen dough like focaccia, making deep pockets without fully deflating it.
Pour the ⅓ cup milk evenly over the rolls, getting some into the pockets. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar over the tops.
Bake on the middle rack for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown, puffed, and cooked through. Start checking at 30 minutes. The center should read 190 to 195°F. Cover loosely with foil if the tops brown too fast.
Whisk the glaze while the rolls bake. Combine the ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Add a few drops of milk if it's too thick, or a little more powdered sugar if it's too thin.
Rest the rolls for 5 minutes after baking. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls and serve, pulling them apart from the dish.

Notes

Makes 6 large cinnamon rolls.
The eggs are for dipping the dough balls, not for brushing the tops.
The source recipe didn't list flour for dusting the work surface, so it's added to the ingredients.
The glaze is a thick but pourable drizzle. Adjust it a few drops at a time.

Nutrition