Fluffy rolls filled with a rich chocolate-cinnamon filling and topped with swirls of toasted meringue, these chocolate cinnamon rolls are every chocolate lover's dream.
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Why make these chocolate cinnamon rolls?
If you're a chocolate lover these chocolate rolls are the bread for you. Made from the softest sweet roll base these are filled with a bitter-sweet chocolate-cinnamon filling and topped with swirls of torched meringue.
You might be thinking, with all that chocolate they must be super sweet?! But as we are using cocoa powder and chocolate with 70% cocoa, the sweetness is perfectly balanced out. Instead, these rolls are rich in chocolate flavor without being sickly sweet. Chocoholic or carb lover... these are DELISH.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Whole milk: Milk adds fat and moisture to the dough as well as acting as fuel for the yeast so they can produce gas and make the dough fluffy.
- White sugar: Sugar gives the dough sweetness! I wouldn't reduce the sugar as it is also needed as fuel for the yeast
- Instant yeast: I like to use instant yeast as it is easy and doesn't need to be activated. If you use active dry yeast make sure you activate it in lukewarm milk before making your dough.
- Salt: A pinch of salt helps to balance out the flavor of the rolls
- Egg: Egg adds flavor and fat to the dough, as well as binding it together.
- All-purpose flour: Aka plain flour, is the structural element behind the dough! These rolls don't need bread flour. In fact in this case, all-purpose flour helps them have a softer more cake-like texture.
- Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder adds that rich chocolate flavor to the dough
- Unsalted butter: Butter enriches the dough and gives it a delicious fragrance and tenderness.
Chocolate Filling
- Icing sugar: Aka powdered sugar, a touch of sugar here helps to balance out the bitterness of the cocoa powder and dark chocolate.
- Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder adds a deeper chocolate flavor while also thickening the filling
- Cinnamon: These aren't cinnamon rolls without cinnamon! You can increase or decrease the amount of cinnamon to your tastes
- Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate gives the filling that silky consistency and deep chocolate flavor. Once you melt the chocolate make sure you give it time to cool otherwise your filling will be too runny.
- Unsalted butter: Butter helps the filling become a smooth spreadable consistency. It also melts into the rolls as they bake for a softer roll. Make sure it is at room temperature otherwise it'll be difficult to incorporate.
Meringue
- Egg whites: Egg whites are the base to your meringue! Make sure you use fresh egg whites as these are not being fully cooked and only torched
- Caster sugar: Aka superfine sugar is the best kind of sugar for your meringue as it will dissolve faster due to the smaller granule size.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla takes away any egginess in your meringue and adds a sweet vanilla note
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do these last?
These are best the day they are made. Bread tends to get stale quickly and is always the softest and fluffiest when just made.
However, these will still last up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. When you are ready to eat them lightly heat them up in the microwave for 10-20 seconds or in a toaster oven until they've softened up again.
Why is my dough so sticky?
This dough is a lot sticker than regular bread dough. This is because we want the dough to have more moisture. More moisture ultimately leads to a softer bread roll, which is exactly what we want when making sweet rolls.
If the dough is way too hard to handle you can dust it with a little more flour. But the dough should still be tacky to the touch even after it's been kneaded.
Can I frost these with cream cheese frosting instead?
Of course! You are free to customize these rolls as you like, and cream cheese frosting sounds like a delicious addition.
If you're looking for a cream cheese frosting recipe try the one on my homemade cinnamon roll recipe, it's a winner!
Why are my cinnamon rolls dense and hard?
There are a couple of reasons why your rolls might be dense:
- The yeast was dead/old: Make sure your yeast is active by mixing it with some warm water and sugar beforehand. If it bubbles you are good to go.
- The milk was too hot: If the milk is too hot it can cause your yeast to die
- The dough wasn't given enough to prove: This means your rolls won't be able to rise to their full potential.
- Too much flour was added: While you can add a sprinkle of extra flour if the dough is sticky, adding too much will make your rolls dense.
Let's Get Baking
Forget about regular cinnamon rolls, these chocolate cinnamon buns are all you need. Soft, fluffy gooey, and full of rich cocoa flavor. If you want these to be even more chocolatey feel free to add chocolate chips to your dough too!
If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went.
Also, don't forget to tag me on Instagram @catherine.desserts and hashtag #cattycakes so I can see and share your desserts. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, and TikTok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy caking!
Print📖 Recipe
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Fluffy sweet rolls filled with a rich chocolate filling and topped with swirls of silky chocolate frosting, these triple chocolate sweet rolls are every chocolate lover's dream.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 9 Rolls 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 240 g Milk (1 cup)
- 105 g White sugar (½ cup)
- 2 ¼ tsp Instant Yeast
- 1 Egg
- 440 g Plain flour (3 â…”cups)
- 60g Cocoa powder (½ cup)
- 105 g Unsalted butter, softened (½ cup)
Chocolate Filling
- 15 g Icing/Confectioners sugar (2 tbsp)
- 30 g Cocoa powder (3 tbsp)
- 8g Ground cinnamon (1 tbsp)
- 130 g Dark chocolate, melted (4.5 oz)
- 120 g Butter, softened (½ cup)
- 60 g Thickened/Heavy cream (¼ cup)
Meringue
- 3 Egg whites
- 150g Caster sugar, aka superfine sugar (¾ cup)
- Â 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
Bread Dough
- In a jug add the warm milk, yeast, and sugar, leave aside and allow to foam
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment add the flour, yeast mixture and egg
- Mix on low speed until the dough comes together into a rough ball
- Turn up to medium and continue kneading for 1 minute
- (If you don't have a stand mixer you can mix this by hand in a large mixing bowl, it'll just take a little longer)
- Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, kneading between each addition
- Once all the butter has been added continue kneading the dough on medium speed for 5- 10 minutes, the dough should be super smooth and soft (if the dough is too sticky to handle you can add a touch more flour)
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel, and allow to proof in a warm place for 60 minutes or until doubled in size
Chocolate Filling
- Meanwhile, combine cocoa powder, cinnamon, icing sugar, and butter together in a medium-sized bowl, and stir until smooth
- Add the melted chocolate and mix until smooth, set aside for it to firm up as the dough proofs
- Once the dough has proofed transfer it onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin into a large rectangle, about 5mm thick
- Using a palette knife spread the chocolate filling over the dough in a thin and even layer
With the longer side of the rectangle facing you, roll the dough into a tight log - Cut the log into 12 even slices with a serrated knife or a piece of unflavored dental floss
- Evenly space the rolls in a 9 x 13 inch / 22 x 33cm baking pan
- Cover loosely with cling wrap and place in a warm place to proof for 30-60 minutes, or until doubled in size
- Preheat the oven to 170°C
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through
- Remove from oven and cool
Meringue
- Put the egg whites in a large clean bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until it reaches soft peaks
- Slowly add the sugar and whisk until it reaches stiff peaks
- Add the vanilla and whisk until well incorporated
- Spread the meringue over the warm rolls and lightly toast with a blowtorch
- If you don't have a blowtorch you can grill or broil it under high heat for a couple of minutes until lightly toasted
Keywords: Chocolate, triple chocolate, bread roll, cinnamon roll, sweet roll, chocolate scroll
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J
Is the butter for the filling unsalted or salted? Thank you!
★★★★
Catherine Zhang
unsalted 🙂
Maya
Hi Catherine! I think you may have left the egg yolk out of the ingredients list?
★★★★★
Catherine Zhang
Hi Maya, Thanks for picking that up! No egg yolk needed, just one egg 🙂