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Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls


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  • Author: Jolene
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 9 1x

Description

These incredibly soft and delicious Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls come together in under 90 minutes. Buttery soft, homemade dough is layered with a sweet chocolate brown sugar cinnamon filling. The warm sweetness of the cinnamon complements the rich flavor of the chocolate, creating the perfect balance of flavors. You can top these rolls with a velvety smooth fudge icing, or choose another topping from the options listed in the recipe.


Ingredients

Units Scale

Dough:

  • 1 cup warm whole milk (warmed to 110F) (240 grams)
  • 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant dry yeast (7 grams)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 3/4 cups bread flour, or all-purpose
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (3 grams)
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

After Rising:

  • 1/3 cup heavy cream (80 grams)

Filling:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (165 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Fudge Frosting:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the warm milk, yeast, sugar, flour, salt, egg and softened butter. Knead the dough for 5 minutes on medium-low speed. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand. If kneading by hand, knead the dough for 10 minutes. Please note, the dough is soft.

2. Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl. Spray the top of the dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes (I recommend turning your oven on. Once the temperature reaches 100F, turn your oven off. Place the covered dough in the warm oven).

3. Make the filling. In a bowl, beat together the cocoa powder, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

4. Punch the dough down and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a 12×18 inch rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the dough. Roll up into a log, starting at the short end.

5. Cut the log into 9 roughly equal pieces. Place into a greased 9×9 inch pan. Cover with plastic wrap.

6. Turn oven on to 350F. Once the oven reaches temperature, uncover the cinnamon rolls. Pour heavy cream over tops of cinnamon rolls. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

7. Make the icing. Using a handheld mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. If the icing is too thick, you can add 1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream.

8. Spread the icing over the cinnamon rolls while they are warm. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Measuring the flour: Make sure you use a spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup. Gently pile it into the cup until it forms a heap at the top. You do not want to pack the flour in, as this can lead to tough rolls. Use the back of a knife to level off the cup of flour.

What type of yeast should I use? This recipe calls for instant yeast. Instant yeast does not need an activation time. I still like to add the yeast to my mixing bowl followed by the warm milk and sugar. I let it sit for a minute or so while I measure out the flour. Just make sure the milk is between 108 – 112 degrees F.

Active Dry Yeast: If you have active dry yeast on hand, feel free to use this instead. Substitute in a one to one ratio. The active dry yeast, DOES need an activation time. Add the yeast along with the milk and  sugar to your mixing bowl. Whisk to combine and allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture is frothy in appearance. This means the yeast is active and ready to use. Active dry yeast does rise slower than instant, so you will have to add an additional 15 minutes of rise time if using active dry yeast.

What if my dough doesn’t rise? If your dough does not rise, there are only a couple of different reasons for this. If you use active dry yeast, you need to make sure it is active and frothy in appearance before using. If it does not get frothy in appearance, it means the yeast is not working, and you will have to discard it. This could happen for two different reasons. Either the yeast was old and expired, or the warm milk was too hot. I recommend keeping the milk temperature between 108-112F.

Second rise I know it seems weird that the second rise is very minimal. The reason they don’t need a long rise is because a longer second rise can make the rolls too airy. This is great for some things like pizza dough, However, you want your cinnamon rolls to have more of that tighter crumb and softer, denser texture. You don’t want large air pockets in your cinnamon rolls. The rolls do continue to rise and expand in the oven as they bake, which gives them the perfect amount of softness.

What type of flour should I use? Bread flour has a higher protein content, which means the flour is able to form a stronger structure in the cinnamon roll dough than all-purpose flour. This results in taller, softer, fluffier cinnamon rolls. All-purpose flour works great, though too! I have made plenty of rolls with just all-purpose flour. You can also use a blend of half bread flour and half all-purpose flour.

Freezing the Cinnamon Rolls: After baking the cinnamon rolls, allow them to fully cool to room temperature. Once they are cool, place them in a zip-top bag and close. Place in your freezer until they are ready to use. The night before you are ready to eat these, place them in the refrigerator to thaw. You can reheat the cinnamon rolls in your oven or in the microwave. Make the icing fresh and spread over top of the warm rolls.

  • Prep Time: 55
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American