Move over cinnamon rolls, it's time to make chocolate cinnamon rolls! These super soft and fluffy rolls are filled with mini chocolate chips and cocoa powder and then covered in chocolate cream cheese frosting. These brioche cinnamon rolls are simple to make and perfect for chocolate lovers (which is me)
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I have so many chocolate recipes because not only are they always super popular with you guys, but they're one of my favorites to make. I will never, ever say no to a chocolate dessert at a restaurant!
These chocolate cinnamon rolls use my tried and tested brioche cinnamon roll dough but then stuffed with a chocolate filling made from cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips. And then I covered them in a simple chocolate cream cheese frosting, because how could I not?
If you want more chocolate recipes, you need to try my brown butter chocolate chip espresso cookies, chocolate walnut cake, or mini chocolate cupcakes.
If you're a cinnamon roll lover like me, then you need to try my cinnamon coffee rolls with maple espresso icing!
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe!
- Chocolate Lovers Unite! Oh, you love chocolate and need it for breakfast? I've got you. This cinnamon roll recipe is like the perfect combination of cinnamon buns and chocolate - you're welcome!
- Enriched Dough: using a mixture of eggs, sugar, and butter is going to give you super fluffy cinnamon rolls. I also pour over heavy cream just before baking to make them extra gooey!
- Ultimate Christmas Morning Breakfast: look, these are pretty over the top - I'll admit to that. So it makes them perfect for Christmas morning, or any other special occasion! You can even prep the dough the night before.
Grab your ingredients
- Flour: I'm only using all purpose flour, some cinnamon roll recipes use bread flour so you can use that in a pinch.
- Unsalted Butter: I always use unsalted butter because that way I can control the level of salt in the recipe.
- Cinnamon: now, I know these are chocolate rolls but I still use ground cinnamon in the filling.
- Whole Milk: I recommend using whole milk in this recipe and not semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. It will make a difference to the texture!
- Mini Chocolate Chips: I have tested this recipe with both regular chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips. The regular sized chocolate chips didn't stay within the filling so I recommend using mini chocolate chips if you can!
- Cream Cheese: use full-fat cream cheese for the frosting. I have tested this recipe with low-fat cream cheese (I had run out of regular cream cheese!) and the frosting got super runny, so I don't recommend it.
- Yeast: using active dry yeast is what will make your dough rise. Make sure your yeast hasn't expired!
- Cocoa Powder: I have tested this recipe with Dutch processed cocoa powder, but you could use natural unsweetened cocoa powder in a pinch. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is darker and richer.
Substitutions & Additions
- Cocoa Powder: use natural cocoa powder instead of Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Frosting: if you don't want to cover the rolls with chocolate cream cheese icing, swap it out for regular cream cheese frosting from my brioche cinnamon rolls, or the brown butter icing from my browned butter cinnamon rolls.
How to make this recipe
- Step 1: Warm up the milk in the microwave (not too hot!) and add in the yeast. Let sit until bubbling. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour in the warm milk, egg, and butter. Beat on low speed for 2-3 minutes, then medium speed for 3 minutes. Oil the bowl and cover with plastic wrap, leaving it to double in size. This takes about an hour to an hour and a half.
- Step 2: Once the dough has almost doubled in size, grease a 9x13 baking pan with butter. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, light brown sugar, and salt.
- Step 3: Roll out the cinnamon roll dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 18x12-inches long. Brush the dough with softened butter.
- Step 4: Sprinkle over the chocolate cinnamon filling, then sprinkle over your mini chocolate chips.
- Step 5: Roll the dough up from the long side, try to do this tightly if you can!
- Step 6: Using a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 12 equal-sized pieces. Some of the filling might come out, that's totally normal.
- Step 5: Place the rolls in the prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise for about an hour. While the cinnamon rolls rise, preheat the oven to 350°Fahrenheit, and warm up the heavy cream on the stove or microwave.
- Step 6: Once the cinnamon rolls have risen, pour the heavy cream over and bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy as is, or cover them with chocolate cream cheese frosting for extra indulgence!
My Baking Tips
- Adding Heavy Cream: adding warm heavy cream on top of the rolls just before baking is going to keep them super light, fluffy, and super gooey. I have tested this recipe without it and it really makes a difference.
- Room Temperature: use room temperature ingredients to make the dough, and also for the filling. It'll be so much easier for the dough to get mixed properly, and easier to brush softened butter for the filling.
- Slicing Cinnamon Rolls: This part can be a bit tricky, so I have a few suggestions for things I've tried! A serrated knife does work but doesn't do the job that cleanly. My favorite way to cut the rolls is using unflavored dental floss. Another way is instead of rolling up the log, I take a pizza cutter and slice it on the long edge. Then I roll up each roll individually!
- Make Overnight: If you want to make these chocolate rolls the night before, once they're in the baking dish only let them rise for 30 minutes. Place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, let them come to room temperature for 30-45 minutes, and then bake.
Serving Suggestions
- Ultimate Breakfast Spread: if you're hosting a huge brunch, serve these with fresh fruit, my fave buttermilk french toast, bacon, and lots of coffee!
Storage & Freezing
Keep the rolls covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. I like reheating my rolls in the microwave for 15-20 seconds before enjoying them. I find storing them in the fridge tends to dry them out!
Make these breakfast recipes next!
Made This Recipe?
Make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and review below! You can tag me on Instagram @alpineella or follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok!
Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
These chocolate cinnamon rolls are packed with cocoa powder, mini chocolate chips, and topped with chocolate cream cheese frosting!
Equipment
- 9x13 baking tray
- Stand Mixer
- Bowls
- Measuring Spoons
- Dental Floss
Ingredients
Cinnamon Rolls
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 5 cups (600 grams) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoon (85 grams) unsalted butter room temperature, cut into squares
- pinch ground cinnamon
- pinch ground nutmeg
- ½ cup (119 ml) heavy cream
Cinnamon Filling
- ½ cup (107 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- pinch salt
- ¼ cup (56 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (90 grams) mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
- ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 ¾ cup (423 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 oz (113 grams) cream cheese cold
- ½ cup (42 grams) dutch-processed cocoa powder
Ella's Baking Tip!Weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale for the best results!
Instructions
Cinnamon Rolls
- Warm up your milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, you just want it to be lukewarm. Too hot and it will kill the yeast! Pour the milk into a medium bowl and add the yeast, stirring to combine. Leave for 5-10 minutes until it has foamed and there are bubbles.1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar and mix to combine.5 cups (600 grams) all purpose flour, ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, pinch ground cinnamon, pinch ground nutmeg
- Pour the milk, butter and eggs into the stand mixer bowl bowl, and mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes. Raise the speed to medium and mix for another 3 minutes. Your dough should be smooth and not too sticky.6 tablespoon (85 grams) unsalted butter, 2 large eggs
- Take the dough out of the bowl and oil it, then scrape the dough back into it. Cover it loosely with clingfilm and let it rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about an hour to an hour and a half.
- Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
- Turn your dough onto a floured work surface and use a floured rolling pin to roll it into a large rectangle, measuring 18 inches (46cm) long, and 12 inches wide (30.5cm).
- Mix together the cinnamon, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush over the softened butter, leaving a ¼ inch margin, then sprinkle over the chocolate cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle over the mini chocolate chips.½ cup (107 grams) light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, pinch salt, ¼ cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, ½ cup (90 grams) mini chocolate chips
- From the long side, roll it into a tight spiral. Cut it into 12 pieces using either unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife. Place them into your buttered dish.
- Cover loosely with clingfilm and let rise for about an hour. You'll know the dough is ready when you poke it, it bounces back but leaves a bit of a dent. If the indentation doesn't stay, it needs longer.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C. Warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan. Just before putting it into the oven, pour your warm heavy cream on top of the rolls, and in the spaces between the rolls. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.½ cup (119 ml) heavy cream
Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar together on low speed until combined.¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, 3 ¾ cup (423 grams) confectioners' sugar
- Increase the speed to high, and beat together until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract and salt.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the cold cream cheese and cocoa powder. Mix until combined. If too thick, add a tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until you have your desired consistency.4 oz (113 grams) cream cheese, ½ cup (42 grams) dutch-processed cocoa powder
- Spread on top of your chocolate cinnamon rolls and enjoy.
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Notes
My recipes have been developed and tested in metric grams. I highly recommend using a weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. It's also much easier to measure out the brown butter with a kitchen scale instead of tablespoons! I have provided a conversion to US cups but please note that I haven't tested the recipe with this method. Just click on 'US Customary' above ingredients.
Storage: Cover the rolls and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can warm them up in the microwave or oven.
Overnight: If you want to prep these the night before, make the rolls until they're in the pan and rising for the final time. Let them rise for 30 minutes instead of an hour, then place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, let them come to room temperature for 30-45 minutes before baking in the oven.
Freezing: Let the rolls cool completely. Place in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, take them out of the freezer the night before and let them defrost in the fridge. The next morning, heat your oven to 350 and bake for about 10 minutes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @alpineella so I can see what you made!
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