Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
I’ve been having tons of fun playing around with different cinnamon roll flavors. This weekend was not exception, and I decided to make chocolate cinnamon rolls!
It’s a sneaky way to eat chocolate for breakfast and I’m all for it!
The unique chocolate filling combined with a generous drizzle of delicious chocolate glaze make this recipe a wonderful way to start the weekend.
The Secret Ingredient in These Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
To give these chocolate cinnamon rolls an intensely chocolate flavor, I use black cocoa in the filling.
Black cocoa has a slightly higher pH than Dutch-processed cocoa (8 vs.7) and is less acidic than natural baking cocoa (5-6).
This gives the cinnamon rolls a bittersweet, chocolaty taste kind of like an Oreo cookie!
It’s absolutely delicious, and pairs great with the brown sugar and hint of cinnamon in the filling.
If you can’t find or order black cocoa in time, you can also use dark cocoa powder.
Hershey’s makes a popular version of this that can be found at most large grocery stores.
You can also use regular baking cocoa if that’s what you have on hand!
How Much Flour Am I Supposed to Use??
One part of this recipe that can be a bit daunting or hard to interpret is the amount of flour this recipe uses.
As you can see on the recipe card, it isn’t a set amount.
I tried so hard to find the perfect amount, but the truth is it will vary batch to batch, and kitchen to kitchen.
I’ve made these by hand, in a stand mixer, here in NYC, and in my childhood home in Seattle.
Each time I use a slightly different amount of flour.
Now, the amount of flour you start with is set. But as you add in your wet ingredients a sticky dough ball begins to form, you will need to add in additional flour.
I do this as I knead the dough and add in a tablespoon at a time. You need enough to create an elastic, workable dough that you can roll out.
However, if you add too much flour you can end up with dense, chewy cinnamon rolls that are difficult to roll.
This is why it’s a range. When using my stand mixer with this recipe, I usually add in 2-3 additional Tbsp as the dough is kneaded.
In some batches I’ve used less, and in a few I’ve used the full additional 1/2 cup of flour.
Making These Cinnamon Rolls by Hand vs. Stand Mixer
My first couple batches of cinnamon rolls were made when I was home for the holidays, and I didn’t have a stand mixer.
This recipe can be made by hand or with a dough hook / stand mixer.
It is definitely easier to make using a stand mixer, but a little elbow grease never hurt anyone.
Whichever method you use to make the dough, just be sure to knead or mix the dough until it gets an elastic texture and pulls away from the bowl or counter.
Once you get to this point, stop, and let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.
This little break allows the gluten to relax bit and will help them bake up better.
If you continue to work the dough, the gluten strands can become too tight.
Just like adding in too much flour, this can also lead to dense cinnamon rolls.
It’s easier to sense when the dough is ready if you’re kneading by hand.
If you’re using a stand mixer keep a close eye on your dough to ensure you don’t accidentally overwork it.
Topping These Cinnamon Rolls
The finishing touch on any cinnamon roll has to be its topping!
A cinnamon roll isn’t complete without some type of melty icing. I decided to top these chocolate cinnamon rolls with a delicious chocolate glaze.
While I was tempted to use my cream cheese buttercream or my American buttercream, for some reason a chocolate glaze just felt right.
You can use a more traditional frosting if you prefer your cinnamon rolls that way though!
If you opt to make a chocolate glaze like I did, you want the consistency to be just right.
The glaze should be thick enough to drizzle over your finger and keep its shape.
I use this finger test every time I make a glaze and show what I mean in the video shared with this post.
If the glaze keeps its shape once it’s drizzled over your finger you know it’s the right consistency.
Substitutions and Swaps
While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand!
Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:
- All Purpose Flour – I haven’t tested this recipe out with gluten free flour, but it should work if you use a good blend like King Arthur’s GF flour. Just be sure to knead the dough a bit longer, to help give it structure.
- Cocoa Powder – This recipe uses two different types of cocoa. I highly recommend using a black or dark cocoa in the filling, because it gives the cinnamon rolls such an intense and delicious chocolatey taste.
- Instant Espresso or Coffee – The instant coffee in this recipe is optional, so if you hate coffee, you can omit it. However, you can’t really taste the coffee once the cinnamon rolls are baked! I just like adding a bit of coffee because it enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Instant / Rapid Rise Yeast – You can use active dry yeast in place of the instant yeast in this recipe, just allow the dough to rise for longer and activate it with water and sugar before you use it.
- Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
- Whole Milk – Most alternative milks work fine in this recipe, including soy, oat, and almond milk!
- 1 Large Egg – This is an enriched dough, so it uses an egg! You can use a flaxseed egg in its place to make eggless or vegan chocolate cinnamon rolls.
- Chocolate Chips – You can use milk, dark or semi-sweet chocolate to make the chocolate glaze! Just be sure it’s a good quality chocolate, so it will melt down smoothly.
Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
- Use a ruler to make sure your dough is rolled out to the right size (12 in. x 18 in.) and cut into even pieces.
- Use dental floss to easily cut each cinnamon roll, rather than a knife.
- Only cut 9 cinnamon rolls from your log, to create tall and fluffy cinnamon rolls
- Bake the cinnamon rolls in a greased square pan (mine is 8 in. x 8 in.)
- Let the cinnamon rolls cool for about 10-20 minutes, then add the glaze. This will allow it to perfectly melt over your cinnamon rolls.
- Store leftover cinnamon rolls or cinnamon rolls made ahead of time in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Making These Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls in Advance
If you want to make these cinnamon rolls ahead of time, be my guest! I’m all about working ahead and making life easier.
This recipe can be made the evening before and then baked the following morning.
You can refrigerate these cinnamon rolls after they have been cut in a greased or lined pan.
Cover the cinnamon roll pan tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the seal is airtight.
If the cinnamon rolls are exposed to air, they can dry out and no one wants dry cinnamon rolls!
The morning you want to bake them, take them out 1 hour before you plan to bake them, then follow the recipe instructions to bake.
You can also bake the cinnamon rolls, then let them cool and freeze them individually.
This is what I do with our leftover cinnamon rolls.
I leave the leftover rolls unfrosted, then tightly wrap each roll in a layer of plastic wrap then foil.
I move individual cinnamon rolls from the freezer to the fridge the night before I want to eat them.
Then in the morning, I unwrap the cinnamon roll and heat it up in the microwave until it’s warm and gooey (usually about 30 seconds!).
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try this recipe for chocolate cinnamon rolls, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and a comment with your thoughts.
You can also tag me on social media @chelsweets or use #chelsweets so I can see your creations!!
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar 133g
- 2 Tbsp black cocoa powder 14g
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon 3g
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 56g - to be spread on the dough
Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour + up to 1/2 cup addition flour to be added later in process 406-500g
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 50g
- 2 tsp or 1 packet instant dry yeast 7g, 1/4 oz.
- 1 tsp fine salt 6g
- 1 tsp instant espresso or coffee 2g
- 1 cup whole milk 240ml
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 56g
- 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
Chocolate Glaze
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature 8g
- 2/3 cup milk or dark chocolate chips 120g
- 3 Tbsp whole milk 45ml
- 1 cup powdered sugar 125g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4ml
Instructions
Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Filling
- While the dough rises, make the chocolate cinnamon roll filling.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons of black cocoa, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, then set aside.
Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Preheat your oven to 200 F / 95 C.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 1/4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 packet instant yeast (or about 2 teaspoons), 1 tsp instant coffee and 1 tsp salt.
- In a separate bowl, add 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup softened butter into a microwave safe bowl.
- Heat on high power for 60-90 seconds, until the mixture is warm to the touch. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Slowly add the warm milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix on medium speed with a dough hook until the dough comes together.
- Add in one large egg and mix on a low speed until a sticky dough ball forms.
- Continue to mix on a medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until the dough becomes more elastic.
- As the dough mixes, add additional flour 1 Tbsp at a time until the dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl. My favorite way to know if my dough is ready is to poke it with my finger. It should feel tacky but not sticky. As you pull your finger away, there should be no residue on your finger.
- Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough to rest for 15 minutes. This allows the gluten in the dough to relax a bit, which will make it easier to roll out. The plastic wrap should fog up a bit from the warmth of the dough.
- Generously flour your counter and roll your dough ball into a large rectangle 12 inches x 18 inches. It should be about 1/2 cm thick.
- Spread 1/4 cup of softened butter over the dough, leaving 1 inch on the long side of the rectangle uncovered. This will make it easier to seal the log once it's rolled.
- Sprinkle the chocolate cinnamon roll filling (instructions above) evenly over the buttered area, and pat down with the back of a spoon or spatula.
- Tightly roll the dough horizontally, toward the uncovered strip.
- Cut dough log into 9 equal pieces with dental floss (you can cut it into more pieces if you want smaller/shorter cinnamon rolls), and place in a greased square pan (mine is 8in x 8in).
- Turn the oven off! I REPEAT, TURN THE OVEN OFF.
- Cover the cinnamon roll pan with foil and place in a the oven for 30 minutes (or until the cinnamon rolls have risen).
- Remove the pan from the oven and take off the tinfoil. Turn the oven back on, and heat to 350 F / 175 C.
- Once the oven has preheated to 350 F / 175 C, bake for 26-32 minutes. I find the sweet spot in my oven is about 28 minutes. Bake time can vary based on how gooey or baked through you like your cinnamon rolls.
Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Glaze
- To make the cinnamon roll frosting, place 1 Tbsp of unsalted butter, 2/3 cup milk or dark chocolate chips, and 3 Tbsp of whole milk in a medium sized bowl.
- Heat in the microwave on a medium-high heat (power level 7) for 60 seconds.
- Stir the mixture together with a spoon or whisk, making sure all the chocolate is melted.
- Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix together until smooth.
- Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 5-10 minutes, then drizzle the chocolate glaze over the cinnamon rolls. Serve warm.
I can’t wait to make these! You always have the most delicious recipes! Thanks Chelsea.
These are sooo good! I was a bit intimidated by the rolling, and different components, but it actually was really easy to follow. I’ll definitely be making these again. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
if you cut the rolled dough into 12 pcs does it still have the same baking time ?
Can we use brewers yeast powder in place of the active yeast?
I gave tried the recipe yet. However I wanted to know if cinnamon can still be tasted in the recipe .
Hi Leenah,
The cinnamon is super subtle and you can’t really taste it in this recipe. The chocolate is definitely the star of the show. If you want a stronger cinnamon flavor you can totally add more! Hope that helps, happy baking 🙂
Hi!
I’m wondering if you use a convection oven o a convetionam oven to cook your cakes and cinnamon rolls.
Hi Monica,
I use a normal / non-convection oven to bake my cakes and cinnamon rolls. Hope that helps, happy baking!
What can I replace the black cocoa powder with. I do not have any
Hi Jamie,
Great question! You can use dark cocoa powder or regular cocoa powder in place of the black coca powder in this recipe. The flavor will be slightly different, but they will still bake up great. Hope that helps, happy baking!
@Chelsweets, thanks I ended up ordering some black cocoa and waiting to make them anyways.? thanks for the reply tho!
Hi. I made this today and they were very dense. Why could this be?
Hi Kristy,
Dense cinnamon rolls can be caused by adding too much flour to the dough, or if the dough is overworked! It can be tricky getting the dough just right. Did the tough feel slightly tacky to the touch once you were done adding in the flour? If it didn’t, you may have added a little bit too much extra flour. Do you think it could be either of those things? Hopefully we’ll figure it out together!
I’ve made these twice now and the second time I added espresso to the filling and espresso to my homage caramel sauce. It was like a caramel mocha late in your mouth. Sent some to work with the hubby and the guys went wild over them
Can I put these in a 9 x 9 pan as well
You totally can! They might spread out a bit and not be quite as tall, but they will still be delicious! Bake time might be a bit shorter because of this. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Can you use bread flour instead of all purpose?
Hi Morgan,
Yes, you can totally use bread flour instead of all-purpose in this recipe! It’ll give the rolls a chewier texture and a bit more structure, which some people really love. Just a heads-up—the dough might feel a little firmer and less soft, so you can add an extra tablespoon or two of milk if it seems a bit dry while mixing. That’ll help keep the dough nice and tender!
Can’t wait to hear how they turn out!
In this recipe you mention to add warm liquids. Are you able to give an exact temperature? Warm is subjective. I don’t want to kill my yeast. Would you say *110 is too hot? Also, can I substitute instant coffee for regular coffee? Thank you in advance for your reply.
Hi Nikki,
Great questions! You’re absolutely right that “warm” can feel vague, especially when yeast is involved.
For yeast doughs, I aim for liquids around 100–110°F. That’s warm to the touch but not hot. 110°F is totally fine and shouldn’t harm the yeast, but I wouldn’t go much higher than that. Once you get into the 120°F+ range, that’s where yeast can start to suffer. If you don’t have a thermometer, a good rule of thumb is that it should feel comfortably warm on your wrist, not hot.
And yes, you can absolutely substitute instant coffee! Just dissolve it in hot water first, then let it cool into that same 100–110°F range before adding it to the dough. Flavor-wise, it works just as well as brewed coffee. Hope that helps, happy baking!!
super