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This warm, cinnamon swirl is baked into a soft, crumbly cake. It’s gluten-free and packs 12 grams of protein per serving. It’s also grain free, vegetarian and high in protein.
My mom’s cinnamon rolls were something extraordinary.
The butter, sugar, and cinnamon filled our home and made my mouth water as I waited every minute for the timer to go off.
I’ve recently been experimenting with more gluten-free recipes (thanks, gut), and knowing I couldn’t have cinnamon rolls was a hit.
After several trials and errors, I found the best solution.
This cottage cheese cinnamon roll bread gives me all those cinnamon roll flavors but without any gluten, and it’s made with cottage cheese to make it higher in protein.
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Pin ItIngredients and Substitutes
BREAD
Large eggs (3)
Cottage cheese, blended (2/3 cup) – Swap with Greek yogurt.
Maple syrup (1/4 cup) – You can also use a sugar-free version to reduce the calorie and sugar content.
Vanilla extract (1 tsp) – Replace with maple syrup extract or almond extract.
Almond flour (2 cups) – I’ve only tested this with almond flour, so I can’t recommend a swap.
Tapioca flour (1/3 cup) – I’ve only tested this with tapioca flour, so I can’t recommend a swap.
Baking powder (1 1/2 tsp)
Sea salt (1/2 tsp)
CINNAMON SWIRL AND TOPPING
Almond flour (1/4 cup)
Tapioca flour (1/4 cup)
Raw walnuts, finely chopped (3/4 cup) – Substitute with cashews, peanuts, or sunflower seeds.
Unsalted butter, melted (4 tbsp) – Switch with melted ghee or coconut oil.
Cane sugar (1/4 cup) – Replace with white granulated sugar or coconut sugar.
Pinch of sea salt
Ground cinnamon (1 1/2 tbsp) – Pumpkin spice can be a good alternative.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Roll Bread
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare a 9×5-inch loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper. Grab a small bowl to create the cinnamon swirl.
Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, walnuts, melted butter, cane sugar, and cinnamon. Stir the ingredients well, then set aside.
Step 2. Blend the cottage cheese until it’s smooth, then add it to a large bowl. Next, add the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla.
Whisk everything together.
Step 3. In another bowl, stir the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, add it to the wet ingredients.
Combine until it creates a thick batter.
Step 4. Pour half the batter into the loaf pan and level it out using a spatula. Then, add half of the cinnamon mixture on top and press it.
Step 5. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Pour the batter, level it out, and then spread the cinnamon mix.
Step 6. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with foil to let it bake for another 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove it from the oven and let it cool down completely before slicing.
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Pin ItHow I Would Modify This Recipe
- Add more fiber: Stir in 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or chia seeds into the batter.
- Boost the protein: Add a scoop of unflavored or vanilla protein powder to the dry ingredients. You might need to reduce the almond flour slightly.
- Make it chocolatey: Add dark chocolate chunks to the middle, along with the cinnamon mix.
My Tips & Tricks
- Blend the cottage cheese thoroughly. If you leave any curds, you may end up with a lumpy cake instead of a silky one.
- Press the cinnamon swirl. This is going to help hold it together as the bread bakes instead of sliding when you slice it.
- Don’t skip the cooling time. The loaf needs to set fully before you slice it.
My Storage Tips
Place any leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 7 days.
If you want to keep them for longer, wrap them individually, and place them in a freezer-safe container. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Roll Bread
Cals: 407 Protein: 12.1 Carbs: 30.5 Fat: 28.7
Ingredients
Bread
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup cottage cheese blended
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- ⅓ cup tapioca flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
Cinnamon swirl and topping
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- ¾ cup raw walnuts finely chopped
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, assemble the cinnamon swirl. Mix the almond flour, tapioca flour, walnuts, melted butter, cane sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Set it aside.
- Blend the cottage cheese until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk it with the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- In another bowl, stir together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, and salt. Add it to the wet ingredients and mix until you have a thick batter.
- Spread half of the batter in the loaf pan and level it out. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture on top and press it in.
- Repeat with the rest of the batter and the rest of the cinnamon mixture.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Then, cover with foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let it cool down completely before slicing. It needs that time to set, and a warm loaf will fall apart on you out of spite.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
