Protein Cake Rolls with Sugar Free Glaze

The truth about some of my more creative recipes is that they’re usually accidents. These high protein cake rolls, for instance, started out as an attempt to make danishes. And while I’m still on a mission to make amazing danishes, these cake rolls are a very welcomed slip up.

Naming this recipe took some time. Eventually, I went with cake rolls because they’re exactly like cinnamon rolls, except cake.

I like to joke about my goal of keeping ingredient lists countable on one hand, and these cake rolls pass the test. The actual cake rolls only call for three ingredients, with the sugar free glaze being the other two. If it sounds like these cake rolls are simple, that’s because they are.

How to Make Cake Rolls with Cake Mix

For the cake rolls, all you’ll need is a bit of sugar free yellow cake mix, protein powder, and Greek yogurt. That’s it.

I buy my Pillsbury sugar free cake mix from Walmart or Kroger. If you have trouble finding it, you can always order it from Amazon if it’s in stock. You can use in lots of other recipes, too. (Pineapple Upside Down Mug Cake, 30-Second Chocolate Cake, 3-2-1 Cake)

You can use any protein powder you’d like for these cake rolls, but I used Vanilla Cupcake Dymatize 100% Whey. It’s my go-to for baking with protein powder at the moment. I’m not affiliated with Dymatize, I just like the product.

Once you have your cake rolls ingredients in order, it’s as easy as mixing them together and forming a dough. Then slice ’em, roll ’em, and bake ’em.

How to Make the Sugar Free Glaze and Chocolate Glaze

This glaze is, as MC Hammer would say, too legit to quit.

If you’re familiar with my recipes, you know about my affinity for Swerve, a sugar substitute. They have granular, powdered, and even brown sugar substitutes now. It’s the best tasting and functional sugar substitute I’ve used. Again, I’m not affiliated with the company.

Here’s a quick rundown about Swerve directly from their site.

Swerve is made from ingredients found in select fruits and starchy root vegetables, and contains no artificial ingredients, preservatives or flavors. It’s zero-calorie, non-glycemic and safe for those living with diabetes, since it has no effect on blood glucose or insulin levels.

Okay, but what if you don’t have any Swerve on hand and want to avoid using real powdered sugar? Well, you could frost these cake rolls with a protein frosting like I use in my high protein birthday cake cupcakes recipe. Or there’s always my 2-ingredient protein frosting. And finally, you could always use a store bought sugar free cake frosting. As always with my recipes, ya got options.

All right, that’s all you need to know. When you make these high protein cake rolls, be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram. #picsoritdidnthappen

Continue to Content

High Protein Mini Cake Rolls with Sugar Free Glaze

Yield: 12 cake rolls

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

A 5-ingredient recipe for lower calorie glazed cake rolls. 

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Ingredients

Mini Cake Rolls

• 1 1/2 C (180g) Pillsbury Sugar Free Yellow Cake Mix, about 4/10th the package
• 2 scoops (68g) Protein Powder, vanilla
• 3/8 C (85g) Fat Free Greek Yogurt, plain or vanilla (vanilla may be too sweet with the glaze)

Sugar Free Glaze

• 1 Tbsp (15mL) Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1/4 C(36g) Swerve Confectioners, or powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the cake mix and protein powder together in  large bowl before adding the Greek yogurt. Use a rubber spatula to fold and press the dough flat to incorporate the remaining dry ingredients. It will seem as if you need more yogurt but continue working the dough until you can form a large ball of dough.
3. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Use a rolling pin or the backside of the spatula to flatten the dough. (Spray the top of the dough with a bit of nonstick cooking spray to make it easier to work with.) 
4. The dough should take up most of a 13x9 baking sheet. If you don't have a rolling pin and have trouble getting the dough this thin, no worries. Your cake rolls will just be a bit thicker (cook time may vary slightly). 
5. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the dough into 12 slices. (It shouldn't be an issue, but you can spray the sides of your pizza cutter or knife to avoid any sticking as you cut the dough.) 
6. Tightly roll each strip into the mini cake rolls. If you roll at a slight angle (think: top right corner to bottom left corner), you'll get the slightly elevated center. 
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
8. While the cake rolls bake, mix the almond milk and Swerve or powdered sugar together in a small bowl. 
9. After the cake rolls have cooled a bit, spoon the glaze on top and give it a few minutes to set. 

Notes

• Each cake roll has 1 Smart Point.
• For the chocolate glaze, substitute 1 tablespoon Swerve for 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Any differences between calories and macros are due to the Swerve which has 9 grams of carbs per tablespoon but zero calories. My advice for net carbs and things of this nature: track the label and move on. You'll drive yourself crazy trying to calculate fractional calories from sweeteners and net carbs. 
• If you're using another glaze, the macros for the cake rolls only are: 72 calories, 5.4 grams of protein, 13 grams of carbs, and 1.2 grams of fat

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 cake rolls Serving Size: 1 cake roll
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 73Total Fat: 1.3gCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 5.4g

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Eat Your Dinner First

Here’s a handful of my favorite main dish recipes to balance things out:

• Cuban Style Baked Pork Tenderloin
• Carolina BBQ Crockpot Shredded Chicken
• Fajita Chicken Burrito Bowls
• Pan Fried Naked Chicken Tenders
• Low Carb Copycat KFC Famous Bowls