Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

A hand spread chocolate cream cheese frosting with a spoon on top of chocolate cinnamon rolls.

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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!

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Resting Time2

Total Time2 55

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: rolls

Calories: 714kcal

Author: Ella Gilbert

Equipment

9x13 baking tray
Stand Mixer
Bowls
Measuring Spoons
Dental Floss

Ingredients

Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup whole milk
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 large eggs room temperature
5 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature, cut into squares
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
½ cup heavy cream

Cinnamon Filling

½ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
pinch salt
¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
½ cup mini chocolate chips

Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
3 ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 oz cream cheese cold
½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder

Metric - US Customary

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 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 all purpose flour, ¼ cup 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 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 light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, pinch salt, ¼ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup 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 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 unsalted butter, 3 ¾ cup 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 cream cheese, ½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
Spread on top of your chocolate cinnamon rolls and enjoy.

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.

Nutrition