Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls. Soft and fluffy rolls with a touch of cocoa powder added for a slight chocolate flavour with a cinnamon, brown sugar and chocolate chip filling. Covered in an optional cream cheese drizzle! These are soft and fluffy but ooey gooey in the middle. The cream cheese drizzle isn’t optional in my opinion but if you want rich chocolate cinnamon rolls, you go right ahead and leave off the drizzle.

If you can’t tell, I’m a little obsessed with cinnamon rolls. Since making my own cinnamon rolls for the first time last October, I have been dreaming up new ways to adapt them! It’s lead me to create maple pecan sticky buns and now, these Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Chocolate in cinnamon rolls?! Whaaaat? But trust me, it works! Like really works.

The buns are the same mixture as my cinnamon rolls dough. A very easy dough just with a touch of cocoa powder added. This means we still have the fluffy buns we so love just with a very slight sweet, chocolate flavour. Now when I say slight, I’m talking two tablespoons slight. We don’t want rich chocolate bread. Just enough to give a hint of chocolate before the gooey chocolate middle!

The filling for these rolls are again very similar to the original cinnamon rolls. Melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. However, we cut down on the cinnamon a touch and also add a sprinkle of chocolate chips. That way when we roll them up, you will get the ooey gooey buttery, cinnamon goodness oozing from the middle with the addition of runny melted chocolate. #dreamy.

Like I said above, you can added an optional cream cheese drizzle which I find balances the whole dish but it is optional if you just want rich chocolate cinnamon rolls. Or you could smother them in a dark chocolate ganache… #justsaying

I hope you enjoy this recipe and remember to #lightscamerabake on Instagram if you make this or any of my other desserts!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

Soft and fluffy rolls with a touch of cocoa powder added for a slight chocolate flavour with a cinnamon, brown sugar and chocolate chip filling. Covered in an optional cream cheese drizzle! These are soft and fluffy but ooey gooey in the middle.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Resting Time2 hours hrs

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate, Chocolate Buns, Chocolate Cinnamon Buns, Cinnamon Buns, Cinnmaon Rolls

Servings: 12 Rolls

Calories: 393kcal

Author: Emma Burton

Ingredients

Dough;

• 1 Cup Luke Warm Milk
• 3 Tbsp. Butter, Melted (40g)
• 2 and 1/2 Tbsp. Sugar (30g)
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Tbsp. Dry Active Yeast (9.3g)
• 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour (375g)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder (12g)

Filling;

• 1/3 Cup Melted Butter (75g)
• 1 and 1/2 Tbsp. Cinnamon (12g)
• 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar (140g)
• 3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips (135g)

Cream Cheese Drizzle;

• 1/2 Cup Cream Cheese, Softened (125g)
• 1 and 1/2 Cups Icing Sugar (180g)
• 1/4 Cup Butter, Softened (55g)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 Tbsp - 1/4 Cup Milk

Metric - US Conventional

Instructions

• In a bowl combine the luke-warm milk, melted butter, sugar, egg, yeast and salt.
• Add the flour and cocoa powder and using a dough hook on a stand mixer, mix on low speed to incorporate the flour into the dough. Turn onto medium speed and mix until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
• The mixture will be soft and slightly sticky but not stick to your hands.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl and cover with a towel and let rise in a warm, dry place until it doubles or nearly doubles in size. (Around an hour)
• While the dough is rising mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar and set aside.

Make The Cream Cheese Drizzle;

• Beat the butter until smooth. Add in the cream cheese and beat.
• Add in the vanilla essence and icing sugar and mix.
• Add in two tablespoons of milk and add more if you want a thinner more pour-able icing.
• Set aside.
• Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured bench.
• Roll the dough into a large rectangle. I roll into a large, thin rectangle. You could roll it smaller and thicker less rolls in each bun.
• Brush the dough with the 80g of melted butter and sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top of the melted butter.
• Sprinkle over the chocolate chips.
• Roll up tightly lengthwise so you have one long roll.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into around 12 pieces
• Place the buns onto a lightly greased 9"x13" pan and cover to let them rise for 30 to 45 minutes. (Mine didn't rise too much so don't be alarmed if they don't double in size).
• Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F) and bake the rolls for around 12-15 minutes.
• The buns should be just lightly golden on top.
• Drizzle the buns with the cream cheese drizzle and serve immediately while warm and gooey or allow them to cool completely.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Roll | Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 328mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 2mg