We love a good cinnamon roll, but chocolate and cinnamon just belong together. I tested a few variations before landing on the one my family asks for again and again. Soft, buttery rolls with a rich cocoa-cinnamon filling and a simple powdered sugar glaze. It's easy to make the dough in the bread machine, so most of the work happens without you.
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Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Ingredients
- Bread Flour - We use bread flour for a slightly chewier, more structured roll, but all-purpose flour works well too if that's what you have on hand, the rolls will be a touch softer, but still delicious.
- Milk - Milk and butter warmed together to about 110°F before the yeast goes in. That's the sweet spot for activating the yeast without killing it. Too hot and the yeast won't rise properly. If you are using a bread machine the butter only needs to be softened and the milk works fine at room temperature.
- Yeast - Gives the dough its rise. Once it's added to the warm milk mixture, look for it to start bubbling within a few minutes, that's your sign it's active and ready to go.
- Eggs and Salt - Key ingredients for making the cinnamon roll dough.
- Butter - Very soft butter blends more smoothly with the sugar and cocoa powder, making a filling that's easier to spread edge to edge.
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar - We use granulated sugar in the dough, but switched the filling to brown sugar. It adds a little moisture and a deeper, caramel-like flavor that pairs well with the chocolate and cinnamon.
- Cocoa Powder - Unsweetened baking cocoa gives the filling its chocolate flavor without adding extra sweetness. Want a little bit more chocolate flavor? Add an extra tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1 additional tablespoon of butter to the filling, so it stays spreadable.
- Cinnamon - The classic partner to chocolate here, mixed right into the sugar-butter-cocoa filling for that familiar cinnamon roll flavor in every bite.
- Powdered Sugar - For the glaze. Add just enough milk to make the powdered sugar drizzle-able. Start with 1 tablespoon of milk and add more a little at a time until you hit a consistency you can drizzle over the warm rolls.
How to Make Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
For me, the easiest way to make the dough is in the bread machine. I can just put all the ingredients in there and let the machine do the work.
Put the ingredients in the bread machine bowl in the order reccomended by the manufacturer.
My machine starts with the milk, eggs, and butter.
Then top with the flour, salt, and yeast.
Set the machine to the dough cycle. It should take around 90 minutes from start to finish. The dough should have risen well when it is ready.
To make the dough by hand or using a stand mixer:
- Warm the milk and butter. For best results keep the temperature around 110 degrees.
- Add the sugar to the warm milk and butter mixture. Stir and then add the yeast and set aside for a few minutes until it starts to bubble.
- In a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Whisk together.
- Add the eggs to the milk mixture and mix well.
- Add the milk and yeast mixture to the flour and stir until combined.
- Knead the dough for a few minutes. You can either turn it out onto a floured surface or use the dough hook in your stand mixer.
- Let the cinnamon roll dough rest, in an oil-coated covered bowl, until double in size.
Place the softened butter, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a small bowl.
Mix well to make the chocolate filling for the cinnamon rolls.
Roll the dough out to about 12 by 16 inches. Spread the chocolate cinnamon filling over the dough.
Roll up the dough and slice into 12 equal slices. Place the cinnamon rolls in a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Cover the rolls and let them rise until about double in size. 30 minutes to an hour.
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Bake the rolls at 350° F for about 20 to 25 minutes. You want them nice and golden brown. Cool slightly then top with the glaze if desired.
Cinnamon Roll Inspired Recipes
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls FAQs
Dry rolls usually come down to too much flour in the dough or baking them a bit too long. Cinnamon rolls are best fresh and warm, if they've sat overnight, a quick 10-15 seconds in the microwave brings them right back to soft and tender.
Yes, you've got two good options here. If you want to freeze ahead of time, form the rolls, place them in a freezer-safe baking dish, and freeze before the second rise and baking. When you're ready for them, thaw in the fridge overnight, let them come to room temperature and rise on the counter, then bake as usual.
The other way: bake the rolls but skip the frosting. Once cooled, wrap the well in plastic wrap and foil and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes to warm through. Either method holds well in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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Complete Recipe
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Equipment
- Bread Machine (optional)
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook, optional
Ingredients
For the dough...
- 1 cup Milk
- 4 tablespoons Butter or margarine softened
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Yeast
- 2 Eggs
- 3 ½ cups Bread Flour or All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For the filling...
- ¼ cup Butter or margarine softened
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Baking Cocoa
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon or more to taste
For the glaze...
- 1 ½ cups Powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons Milk just enough to make a consistency to drizzle over rolls. Start with about 1 tablespoon.
Instructions
Bread Machine Dough
- Put all the ingredients for the dough in your bread machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Set the machine for dough cycle. This will take the dough through mixing and the first rise.
Making the Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Warm the milk and melt the butter, making sure the temperature is 110° F. Add the sugar and yeast. Let stand until the yeast starts to bubble, this will take a few minutes.
- Add the eggs to the yeast mixture and mix well.
- In a large bowl add the flour and salt. Whisk together.
- Add the yeast mixture and mix with a heavy wooden spoon or the dough hook on your stand mixer.
- Let the dough knead in the mixer, or by hand on a floured surface, until the dough is soft and elastic.
Assembling the Cinnamon Rolls
- Mix together the butter, cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside until ready to use.
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle, approximately 12 by 16 inches. Spread the cocoa mixture covering as much dough as possible.
- Roll up the dough and slice into 12 pieces. Place rolls into a 13 by 9 inch baking dish that has been coated with non-stick spray.
- Let the rolls raise until double in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the risen rolls for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Cool the rolls slightly. Mix up the glaze and drizzle or spread over the top of the rolls.
- As with all cinnamon rolls, best served warm. Enjoy!
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