Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe Guy
Baking | Desserts | Merienda and Bakery
Cocoa and cinnamon share the filling in these soft rolls, with mini chocolate chips tucked through the spiral and a chocolate glaze on top. The dough itself stays simple and lightly sweet, leaving the brown-sugar filling to carry most of the richness.
About This Recipe
Milk, butter, egg, and vanilla enrich the yeast dough without turning it into cake batter. Knead until workable, then let it double before rolling the rectangle. Keep extra flour restrained so shaping does not leave you with a stiff, dry dough.
The filling needs an even layer and a small bare edge for sealing. Mini chips distribute more readily through the spiral than large pieces. After the shaped rolls become puffy and bake through, a brief cooling period lets the chocolate glaze settle over their tops.
Ingredient Notes
Cocoa
Unsweetened cocoa gives depth without making the rolls too sweet.
Chocolate Chips
Mini chips distribute better than full-size chips inside the spiral.
Glaze
Adjust the milk slowly so the glaze stays thick enough to cling.
Cooking Notes
- Scatter the mini chocolate chips evenly over the cocoa-cinnamon filling before rolling. Keep chips away from the bare sealing edge so they do not open the seam.
- Add the glaze's extra milk slowly, only as needed. It should flow from the spoon while retaining enough body to cling to the warm rolls instead of disappearing underneath.
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Chocolate cinnamon rolls with cocoa in the filling, mini chocolate chips, and a soft chocolate glaze.
Shopping List
- all-purpose flour
- instant yeast
- whole milk
- unsalted butter
- egg
- brown sugar
- ground cinnamon
- cocoa powder
- mini chocolate chips
- powdered sugar
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more only as needed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk, about 105 to 110 F
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Cinnamon Filling
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, very soft
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- Pinch of salt
Chocolate Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons milk, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Whisk warm milk, sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl or stand mixer bowl.
- Add flour, yeast, and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding only enough extra flour to keep the dough workable.
- Cover and rise in a warm place until doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes.
- Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Mix the filling's brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, and salt.
- Roll the dough into a 14 by 10-inch rectangle. Spread with the filling's very soft butter, sprinkle with the cocoa-cinnamon sugar, and scatter the 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips evenly over it. Leave a small bare edge on one long side.
- Roll from the opposite long side, pinch the seam, and cut into 12 rolls. Arrange in the pan, cover, and proof until puffy, about 35 to 50 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350 F during the final rise. Bake once for about 22 to 26 minutes, until golden and the middle roll's dough is set, about 190 F. Check dough rather than a melted chocolate pocket.
- Cool briefly. Whisk powdered sugar, cocoa, the measured milk, melted butter, vanilla, and salt for the glaze; add extra milk only a little at a time if needed. Spoon over the warm rolls.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate values per roll based on the listed ingredients and yield. Actual nutrition will vary by brand, exact portion size, and cooking changes.
Tips For The Best Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
- Measure the flour carefully: Too much flour is the main reason cinnamon rolls bake dry.
- Roll evenly: A rectangle about 14 by 10 inches gives a balanced swirl and even baking.
- Cut cleanly: Unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife keeps the spirals round.
- Frost at the right time: Use glaze on warm rolls for a melty finish, or frosting on slightly cooled rolls for a thicker layer.
How To Serve And Store
Serve warm for breakfast or merienda. Unglazed rolls can be covered at room temperature for 1 day. Refrigerate milk-glazed rolls and unused glaze within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 F, and use within 4 days; shelf stability of the glaze is not established.
Common Questions
Can I make the rolls overnight?
Yes. Shape the rolls, cover the pan, refrigerate overnight, then bring them close to room temperature before baking.
Can I use active dry yeast?
Yes. Bloom it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar for 5 to 10 minutes before mixing.
How do I know they are baked?
The centers should be set and the middle roll should register about 190 F if checked with a thermometer.
Can I freeze them?
Yes. Freeze baked unfrosted rolls, then thaw, warm, and glaze before serving.
How do I keep the cinnamon-roll spirals from flattening when cut?
Use the sharp serrated knife or unflavored floss suggested for the dough, working without heavy downward pressure. Cut similar portions so they fit the pan evenly and the center rolls are not much larger than the outside ones.
When should the chocolate glaze go on the rolls?
Let the baked rolls cool briefly, then spoon the smooth glaze over them while warm. Very hot rolls make a thin glaze run quickly, so keep its consistency thick enough to coat before adding it.
Technique and food-safety references: sallysbakingaddiction.com; ask.fsis.usda.gov.
