These fluffy chocolate cinnamon rolls are everything you want in a cozy bake! The yeast dough is made with Dutch-process cocoa powder, the filling's packed with brown sugar & chocolate chips, and the whole thing's finished with a drizzle of espresso glaze that keeps the sweetness in check.
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A Cozy Twist on the Classic: Double Chocolate Swirl Buns
This recipe started as a baking "what if?" moment. I thought to myself, what if I leveled-up my German chocolate-filled cinnamon rolls with cocoa yeast dough? Turns out, it creates a cinnamon-bun-brownie-hybrid that's dangerously good.
I recommend using Dutch-process cocoa powder (not natural cocoa powder) because it adds a richer flavor (think dark chocolate vs hot chocolate). And in recipe testing, Dutch-process cocoa didn't inhibit my dough's gluten formation as much, so it had a better rise.
And for the topping, I initially tested these with chocolate glaze, but the triple chocolate action was just a little too sweet. Instead, my espresso glaze enhances the deep chocolate flavor while balancing the sweetness.
Ingredients We'll Need: milk, active dry yeast, granulated sugar, salt, eggs, unsalted butter, all purpose flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and chocolate chips.
Let's Bake Cinnamon Rolls Together!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Mix the milk, yeast, and sugar.
2. Whisk in the eggs and butter.
3. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder & salt. Knead the dough.
5. Mix the filling.
7. Spread out the filling & chocolate chips.
9. Cut into 1.5-inch pieces.
11. Bake until cooked-through.
4. Let it rise at room temperature until it's doubled in size.
6. Roll out the dough.
8. Roll up the dough to a tight spiral log.
10. Arrange in a baking dish & proof.
12. Top with glaze & enjoy!
Pro Tips on Making Chocolate Dough
- Avoid Dense Dough: Cocoa powder absorbs moisture, so I increased the amount of milk in this recipe compared to my other cinnamon rolls.
- Don't Skimp on the Filling: It may seem like a lot of filling when you're mixing it, but trust me, I tested it multiple ways to find the perfect amount to keep these buns moist.
- Be Patient with the Rise: It's normal for chocolate dough to rise a little slower. Don't be tempted (like I was) to set your dough somewhere too warm to rise, which can melt the butter & make it rise even slower!
Double Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 1¼ cups milk
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (one packet)
- ⅓ cup plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 2 large eggs
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
CHOCOLATE FILLING
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
OPTIONAL ESPRESS GLAZE
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Mix & Rise the Dough
- In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk in the microwave for about 1 minute, until it's between 98°F to 105°F. Mix in the active dry yeast and granulated sugar & let sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, until it becomes frothy on top.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yeast mixture with the eggs and softened butter. (It'll look lumpy, which is normal.)
- Add the flour, salt, and cocoa powder and mix everything with a large wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy dough.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough by hand for about 7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Or knead the dough in a stand mixer with a hook attachment for about 5 minutes.) (See note below.)
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a clean mixing bowl, and cover it with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, after about 2 hours.
Fill, Shape, and Bake
- Prepare the filling by combining the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1 cm-thick rectangle (roughly 32 cm by 45 cm).
- Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to gently spread out the filling in an even layer on the dough, leaving a ½-inch gap along the edges. Spread the chocolate chips on top of the filling.
- Roll the dough into a log, starting at a long edge. Trim off any excess dough on either end of the log. Slice the dough log into 12 even (1.5 inches each) pieces with a sharp kitchen knife or dental floss (see note below).
- Cover the baking dish with a kitchen towel, and allow to rise for 30 minutes until it's puffed up a bit.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until they're puffed up and baked through.
- Optional: Whisk the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until it's smooth, then drizzle onto the warm cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Shaping: Don't roll up the dough too tightly or forget to leave a half-inch border around the edges, which can cause the filling to leak out.
- Slicing: Cutting cinnamon rolls with a knife can squish them so you lose that spiral, which is why I usually use dental floss instead - watch my video here to see how! (link to YT short)
- Kneading: Add a little sprinkle of more flour as needed to prevent your dough from sticking to your counter.
- Stand Mixer: I always knead my dough by hand for the final minute and add any extra flour as needed. This way I can feel if it's smooth and elastic before I set it aside to rise.
- Leftovers: These buns stay pretty soft for a few days, but I usually pop leftovers in the microwave for about 20 seconds to warm & soften them.
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)