Double Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
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.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 rollCalories: 469kcalCarbohydrates: 76gProtein: 8gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 270mgPotassium: 208mgFiber: 3gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 409IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 3mg
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