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High-Protein Cinnamon Roll Waffles
My Cinnamon Roll Cottage Cheese Pancakes recipe has been so popular, I knew I had to turn it into waffles, too! Adding cottage cheese helped make the waffles super fluffy while adding lots of protein without the need for protein powder. And personally, I love that 4 waffles cook in just 3 minutes flat. It doesn’t get any better than that!
The batter gets layered with a sweet cinnamon swirl that bakes right into each waffle, giving them a true cinnamon roll flavor. Then the entire things gets topped off with my creamy cottage cheese “icing” that literally tastes like cream cheese goodness. Every bite is so good, you guys are going to love these Cinnamon Roll Cottage Cheese Waffles!
RELATED: Cottage Cheese Waffles
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 15 Grams Protein – Cottage cheese gives these waffles an extra boost of protein – no complicated ingredients required!
- Fluffy Texture – Crisp on the outside yet light and fluffy in the center, I’m obsessed!
- Quick & Easy – With minimal prep time and a quick cooking time, these waffles are ready to eat in just 25 minutes. Plus, the kids love getting to help scoop the batter.
- Meal-Prep Friendly – Possibly my favorite thing about these waffles is that they can be prepped and frozen ahead of time. All you have to do is warm them up in the microwave when you’re ready to enjoy them!
You’ll Also Love: Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Waffle Batter
- Cottage Cheese – Full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese both work great. Blending it makes the batter extra smooth!
- Eggs – I haven’t tested this recipe with egg substitutes like flax eggs and can’t guarantee your results if you do.
- Milk – Use any dairy or non-dairy milk you have on hand. Non-dairy options like almond or oat milk work well. Personally, whole milk is my favorite option for creating the best texture in waffles and pancakes!
- Coconut Oil – Feel free to swap this out for canola oil or melted butter!
- Maple Syrup – Adjust to taste
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour – I use a combination of all-purpose flour and finely ground almond flour to keep the waffles fluffy while adding fiber and healthy fats. For gluten-free cinnamon roll waffles, substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder – Make sure it’s fresh, or your waffles won’t rise (trust me, I’ve been there)!
Cinnamon Batter
- Cinnamon
- Milk
- Light Brown Sugar
“Cream Cheese” Drizzle
- Cottage Cheese
- Maple Syrup
(Optional) Brown Sugar Drizzle
- Cream Cheese Glaze
- Brown Sugar – Use either light or dark brown sugar.
- Cinnamon
Best Waffle Maker
There are so many great options for waffle makers out there! Personally, I think the best waffle maker you can own is just a simple one, with a focus on ease of cleaning. I’ve been using this 3-in-1 Waffle Maker for years, and it’s still my favorite!
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Waffles
All you need is a blender, a couple of mixing bowls, a waffle iron, and about 25 minutes. Here’s how to make Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Roll Waffles:
- Combine the batter – Blend the wet ingredients in a blender. Then, combine them with the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Create the cinnamon batter – Transfer part of the plain waffle batter to a bowl, and whisk in cinnamon, milk, and brown sugar.
- Cook – Scoop a spoonful of plain waffle batter into a heated waffle iron. Then, drizzle the cinnamon batter on top, and quickly swirl it around. Cover and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Repeat, using all the batter.
- Create the topping – Blend all the cream cheese drizzle ingredients until smooth. If you want, transfer half of the drizzle to a bowl, and mix in the brown sugar drizzle ingredients.
- Serve – Spoon the drizzles over the cooked cinnamon roll waffles, and enjoy warm!
Tips
- Blend the cottage cheese – Blending the cottage cheese until it’s super smooth ensures the batter is free from curds.
- Don’t overmix – Stirring too much can make the waffles dense. I know that many recipes often say this, but it’s actually very true! Mix the batter JUST until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Swirl quickly – Swirl the cinnamon batter right away so it incorporates into the batter before it sets.
- Preheat your waffle iron – A hot waffle iron helps create that signature crispy exterior.
- Grease between batches – Lightly grease or spray your waffle iron with oil after each batch to prevent sticking.
- Watch the cook time – Every waffle maker is different! Start checking for doneness after about 3 minutes. If the waffles cook too long, they will quickly burn because of the sugar in the cinnamon batter.
Related: Almond Flour Waffles
Variations
- Nuts – Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter or on top of the waffles before serving.
- Whipped Cream – You can always skip the glazes and use whipped cream instead!
- Chocolate – Add mini chocolate chips to the cinnamon swirl or drizzle melted chocolate with the glaze.
- Frosting-Style Glaze – Mix cream cheese with powdered sugar and a splash of milk for a thicker, more traditional cinnamon roll frosting. Or use store-bought icing!
- Maple Syrup – Even with the glaze, I like to add a little drizzle of maple syrup to these waffles.
How to Store
Before storing these waffles, I like to let them cool on a cooling rack so that they don’t get soggy! This is important for the best storing texture when storing. Here’s how to store this recipe:
Refrigerator: Store cooled waffles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze waffles in a single layer (without the drizzle toppings), then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. They’ll keep for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Pop the waffles in the toaster or air fryer to bring back their crispy texture. Then, add fresh toppings before serving.
More Healthy Waffle Recipes
- Savory Protein Waffles
- Vegetarian Jalapeño Bacon Waffles
- Gluten-Free Waffles
- Easy Protein Waffles Recipe
Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Love
- Cottage Cheese Brownies
- Cottage Cheese Muffins
- Cottage Cheese Egg Bites
- Cottage Cheese Pancake Bars
- Cottage Cheese Breakfast Rounds
- Pistachio Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
Looking for more? Find 35+ cottage cheese recipes!
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Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Roll Waffles
Equipment
Ingredients
Waffle Batter
- 1 1/2 cups 4% cottage cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons milk (I used whole milk)
- 2 Tablespoons refined coconut oil (melted and cooled)
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 cup finely ground almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Cinnamon Batter
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
Cream Cheese Drizzle
- 1/3 cup 4% cottage cheese
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons maple syrup
Brown Sugar Drizzle (Optional)
- half of the Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, milk, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended mixture into a large bowl and add the flour, almond flour and baking powder. Whisk until a very thick batter forms. Don’t overmix!
- Remove 1/2 cup of the batter and transfer to a separate mixing bowl.
- To the 1/2 cup of batter, add the cinnamon, milk and brown sugar. Whisk together.
- Heat a waffle iron according to manufacturers directions.
- Scoop 1/4-1/3 cup of the plain batter into each waffle cavity. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the Cinnamon batter on top with a spoon and quickly swirl. Cover the waffle iron.
- Cook 3-4 minutes, or according to waffle iron directions.
- Repeat with all batter until you have approximately 6-8 waffles.
- Combine the cream cheese drizzle ingredients in a small blender and blend until smooth.
- Optionally, transfer half of the drizzle to a separate bowl and mix in the brown sugar drizzle ingredients.
- Use a spoon to drip the drizzle(s) over the stack of warm waffles!
Video
Notes
- Be sure to spray both sides of the iron with oil (or rub a stick of butter on both sides) to prevent burning or sticking.
- I cooked these waffles for exactly 3 minutes and they were perfect. Be careful not to cook them for too long or the waffles could quickly burn!
suzanne says:
Made these this weekend for my gym-rat son and his friend and they were wonderful! I love putting cottage cheese in smoothies and this will be my new go-to recipe for waffles for him (and I have a lot of other great waffle recipes). Of note – my Trader Joes Coconut oil made them really coco-nutty – next time I’ll do a combo of that, butter and EVOO.
JOL Team replied:
So glad you all love them!
Katie says:
These were delicious! I didn’t want to make the glaze and they were great without it!
Jillian says:
I am typically leery of trying recipes that don’t have ratings because I’ve been burned in the past, but since I’ve never made anything from JOL that I didn’t like, I decided to give it a try. These were absolutely delicious! My children raved about how amazing they were from the very first bite. I didn’t make the brown sugar glaze because they were hangry and instead topped with a light drizzle of extra maple syrup. The only thing I would change is maybe adding a splash or two of milk to the cream cheese glaze so it pours more like a glaze. Definitely adding these to our breakfast rotation!
Jar Of Lemons replied:
Thanks for the kind words, Jillian. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!