Pumpkin Protein Cinnamon Rolls
Featuring Garden of Life’s Plant-Based SPORT Protein in Chocolate
Disclaimer: I am so honoured to be in a partnership with my good friends at Garden of Life, who sponsored this blog post. Although I was provided with the products featured in this blog post at no additional cost, all thoughts & opinions are 100% honest and completely my own.
When I think about my favourite straight-out-of-the-oven, healthy, high-protein dessert, my mouth waters thinking about these Pumpkin Protein Cinnamon Rolls!!
Typically, cinnamon rolls take a fair bit of time to prep - because you usually need to wait for the yeast to rise and proof before you can start rolling out your dough. But, you know I love an easy recipe... and this was just that - no active yeast, so no waiting for this gooey, delicious pumpkin bliss.
WHICH PROTEIN POWDER DO I USE?
I absolutely loved making these, but wished I had the Vanilla Protein Powder from Garden on Life on hand when we were shooting this recipe. Instead I used their chocolate flavour (which is actually technically my fave flavour!), and it still tasted just as great! The only difference was that it came out with more of a darker, richer, “mocha” look - while the Vanilla would have really brought out the orange colour from the pumpkin for a more vibrant look. But as I said, SAME GREAT TASTE!
FOR ALL MY VEGAN FRIENDS:
If you’re currently eating a vegan diet, I promise, you’re not left out of this one at all! The base of the cinnamon rolls is entirely vegan since I found the butter easily interchangeable with plant-based butter. For the icing, simply swap out the one I used for this recipe with another plant-based icing (a quick Google search will do!) and you’ll be good to go!
OTHER HELPFUL TIPS:
Did I mention how much I loved making this recipe? Well, let me quickly say it again (I LOVED it!). However, I had a few bloopers I’d like to share so it’s a smoother process for you all:
When creating the cinnamon filling to go inside the roll, try not to be too heavy on the butter to avoid butter leaking from the sides when you roll.
Make sure not to roll too tightly! (Again, this is to avoid any filling from seeping out the sides and eliminating all that goodness in between each layer.)
I cannot wait until you all try this to share the excitement with me!
Recipe and details are available below.
INGREDIENTS
For the dough:
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 scoops Garden of Life plant based SPORT Protein
2 tbsp. cold butter (or plant based butter)
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. cinnamon
For the filling:
1 tbsp. melted butter (or, plant based butter)
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
For the icing:
1/3 cup light cream cheese
1/3 cup 0% Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Add all your cinnamon roll dough ingredients to a medium mixing bowl (or food processor, if you want it even faster) and mix until fully combined. Let refrigerate for 20 minutes to cool.
Meanwhile - prep your filling by mixing all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Once your dough has cooled, lightly flour your rolling surface, add your dough and then sprinkle a little bit more flour on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out your dough into a rectangle shape that’s about 0.5in in thickness.
Using a pastry brush (or your fingers!), lightly brush your frosting all over your rolled-out dough to cover it all. (Remember: This does not have to be too thick of a layer! Be sure to cover the entire surface in a light layer of filling!)
Carefully roll your cinnamon roll. Try not to squish it too tightly or you’ll lose all that filling!
Once your cinnamon roll is formed, slice it into 8 equal size cinnamon rolls.
Spray an 8-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (or a cast iron skillet, if you have one!), then add your rolls to it. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden.
Once done, let it cool for 10 minutes. Then, add your frosting on top and enjoy!
NUTRITION FACTS
Makes 8 servings.
Calories per serving: 177
Fats, 6g
Carbohydrates, 21g
Protein, 8g
