Chocolate Rolls

These chocolate rolls are soft, fluffy, and packed with rich chocolate flavor in every swirl. Instead of a classic cinnamon-sugar filling, these rolls are filled with a chocolatey cocoa mixture and chopped chocolate, then finished with a simple chocolate glaze that melts right into the warm rolls. 

 

If you love cinnamon rolls and chocolate desserts, then these chocolate sweet rolls is the kind of recipe that feels special but still totally doable at home.

I make cinnamon rolls a lot, (like my favorite cinnamon roll recipe) and this is one of my favorite versions when I want something extra cozy and indulgent without turning it into an all-day project. 

They remind me of a chocolate babka but in cinnamon roll form. They’re rich but not heavy, gooey in the center, and perfect for weekends, holidays, or anytime you want a show-stopping breakfast bake.

Ingredients

Dough

• Milk: Warm the milk to about 120–130°F. It should feel warm to the touch but not hot. I recommend and use whole milk. For the glaze you can use any type of milk or swap for heavy cream for richness.
• Instant yeast: You can use active dry yeast instead, but plan for longer rise times. For active dry yeast I only heat the milk to 110^oF.
• Granulated sugar: Divided — a little to feed the yeast and the rest to sweeten the dough.
• Eggs: Room-temperature eggs mix more evenly into the dough. Place in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
• Unsalted butter: I used to use melted butter but softened butter makes for a more tender crumb. For the filling you want soft butter so it’s easy to spread onto the dough without tearing it.
• All-purpose flour: Spoon and level for best results. Start with the lower amount and add more only if needed. For any bread recipe I highly recommend a kitchen scale and to weigh your flour.
• Salt – I like fine sea salt but a kosher salt also works. I don’t prefer table salt for the flavor and since it’s so fine in texture I would use a little less.
• Powdered sugar – Use my homemade powdered sugar recipe. 
• Dutch-process cocoa powder: Gives the filling and glaze deeper chocolate flavor. Natural cocoa powder works if needed. Check out my post on Natural cocoa vs. Dutch cocoa.
• Vanilla extract
• Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate: Chopping the chocolate helps it melt into the filling as the rolls bake. I don’t recommend chocolate chips as they hold their shape but you could try quality chocolate chips. Mini chocolate chips would work best.

How to Make Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

Make The Cinnamon Roll Dough

Make dough. In a bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, stir together the flour (start with 4 cups), yeast, sugar and salt.

Add in the eggs and milk and stir to combine.

Then add in the softened butter a few pieces at a time and stir to combine until a shaggy dough comes together. Dough will be very sticky and shaggy at this point – do not add more flour at this point.

Knead the dough. Fit the mixer with a dough hook attachment, and knead on low speed for 8-10 minutes. If the dough is super sticky, add additional flour a little at a time if needed. I always use 4 ½ cups of flour total. If you are kneading the dough by hand, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for longer (12-15 minutes by hand).

Dough will be sticky at first, and get less sticky as you knead, so I add extra flour a tablespoon at a time if needed. The dough should still be slightly sticky to the touch but feel smooth and elastic. 

Lightly grease a large bowl, place the dough inside, and turn once to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours. If you’re using active dry yeast, the rise will take a bit longer.

Prepare the filling and shape the rolls

Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and set it aside.

To make the filling, beat together the softened butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla until you have a very soft, spreadable paste. You want it smooth enough to spread easily without pulling at the dough.

Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into an 18×12-inch rectangle.

Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the dough, leaving about a ½-inch border along one long edge. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly over the filling and gently press it in so it stays put when you roll the dough.

Starting from the long edge with the filling, roll the dough up tightly into a log. Pinch the seam to seal. Using a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 12 equal rolls. (Dental floss gives the cleanest cuts and keeps the spiral intact.) You can also cut dough into 12 equal strips and roll up each one individually.

Place the rolls into the prepared pan, spiral side up. Cover and let them rise again for about 45 minutes, until puffy and nearly doubled. If using active dry yeast, this second rise may take closer to 75 minutes.

Bake the rolls

Toward the end of the second rise, preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).

Bake the rolls for 30–35 minutes, until lightly golden brown and baked through. The centers should be soft but set, and the rolls should feel light and fluffy. They should be lightly golden on top and feel set but soft. If you’re unsure, check the center roll — it should be baked through but tender. For accuracy take the temperature of one of the center rolls in the middle. The temperature should read 190oF.

Remove from the oven and let the rolls cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before glazing.

Make the chocolate glaze

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk until smooth. You can always adjust the consistency as needed by adding a little more milk. Or if it’s a bit thin then add a bit more powdered sugar. 

Spread the glaze over the warm rolls so it melts into the swirls.

Optional: Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

If you want something extra rich and indulgent, these rolls are also amazing with a chocolate cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze.

To make it, beat together:

• softened cream cheese
• softened butter
• powdered sugar
• Dutch-process cocoa powder
• vanilla extract

I use this frosting on my chocolate chip cinnamon rolls recipe and I love the sweet, tangy contrast of the frosting and chocolate!

Storage & Make-Ahead Tips

Storage:
Store leftover rolls covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Warm before serving for best texture. If you do decide to top with a cream cheese version always store in the refrigerator.

Freezing: You could always freeze baked rolls. Just freeze in an airtight container and then defrost overnight in the fridge. I would try warming them back up in the microwave briefly to bring back to ooey gooey texture.

Make-ahead:
You can assemble the rolls, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, let them sit at room temperature for about 45–60 minutes before baking.

More Recipes To Try

Want more yummy yeast bread bakes? Try my pecan sticky buns! I love making these for the holidays especially Father’s day! Of course you can’t go wrong with my monkey bread recipe. An easy no yeast version is this Rhodes Rolls monkey bread.

I also whipping up a batch of my homemade yeast donuts recipe. Dip them in glaze or try this sugar donuts version.