Start your morning with a tray of warm chocolate cinnamon rolls—soft, fluffy sweet rolls filled with chocolate chips and finished with a rich chocolate cream cheese icing. This chocolate-filled cinnamon roll recipe is indulgent and perfect for breakfast or dessert.
This recipe is a straightforward cinnamon roll dough enriched with a chocolatey filling and a cocoa cream cheese glaze. If you enjoy making rolls from scratch, also consider trying other variations like bread machine cinnamon rolls or quick canned roll versions for a shortcut.
Table of contents
- 🍫 Ingredients
- 🍴 How to Make
- 👩🍳 Storage and Freezer Directions
- Freezer Friendly
- 📌 Expert Tips
- 🍞 Recipe FAQs
- More Roll Recipes
One of the best combinations is cinnamon and chocolate—these rolls capture both with a tender dough, a buttery cinnamon-sugar filling, and plenty of chocolate chips.
These Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls Are…
- Soft, fluffy sweet rolls
- Filled with mini chocolate chips
- Topped with chocolate cream cheese icing
- Delicious for breakfast, brunch, or dessert
- Made from scratch with simple ingredients
🍫 Ingredients
- Water
- Milk
- Bread flour
- Granulated sugar
- Active dry yeast
- Egg
- Butter (salted for dough and softened for filling)
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Mini chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark)
- Cocoa powder
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla (paste or extract)
- Powdered sugar
🍴 How to Make
Step 1: Make the starter by whisking water and bread flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add milk and cook until the mixture thickens into a slurry. Remove from heat and cover to cool.
Step 2: Proof the yeast by combining a small amount of warm milk (100–105°F) with a teaspoon of sugar and the yeast. Let it sit 5–10 minutes until bubbly and frothy.
Step 3: In a mixing bowl combine the frothy yeast, remaining sugar, reserved starter, the rest of the flour, warm milk, egg, and salt. Mix, then knead until combined. Add the softened butter in portions and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Step 4: Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about an hour. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough into an 8×20 inch rectangle.
Mix the filling: softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Spread it evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Roll the dough tightly and slice into 10–12 rolls.
Place the rolls in a greased 9×13 pan, cover, and let rise again until puffed, about 1–1½ hours. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the tops with a bit of the reserved warm milk to help them brown, then bake 20–30 minutes until cooked through.
Finish: Let the rolls cool slightly, then prepare the chocolate cream cheese icing by beating together softened cream cheese and butter, adding powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over the warm rolls and serve.
👩🍳 Storage And Freezer Directions
Store finished rolls in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese icing. They keep well for about 4–5 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a warm oven before serving.
Freezer Friendly
Unfrosted rolls can be frozen for up to three months. Place them in an airtight container or freeze individually on a tray then transfer to a sealed bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm before icing and serving.
📌 Expert Tips
- Always proof the yeast in warm (not hot) milk and sugar so it becomes bubbly—if it doesn’t bubble, the yeast may be inactive.
- Use mini chocolate chips so they distribute evenly and melt perfectly into the spirals.
- Adding butter in portions during kneading gives a tender, enriched dough and a glossy crumb.
- Allow both rises to complete for light, fluffy rolls; rushing the rises yields denser texture.
🍞 Recipe FAQs
A chocolate cinnamon roll is a sweet roll made from enriched cinnamon roll dough, filled with a cinnamon-sugar butter mixture and chocolate chips, baked and finished with a chocolate-flavored icing.
Sticky buns are baked on top of a caramelized glaze and often include nuts in the pan, which become the topping once inverted. Traditional cinnamon rolls are usually baked without that sticky pan glaze and are finished with icing instead.
Combine warm milk (100–105°F) with a small amount of sugar and the yeast. Stir and let sit for 5–15 minutes until the surface is bubbly and foamy—this indicates the yeast is active.
More Roll Recipes
- Pumpkin Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls
- Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
- Blueberry Sweet Rolls
- Swedish Tea Ring
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Starter
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup bread flour
- ½ cup milk
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- ¼ cup granulated sugar divided
- ½ cup milk 100-105 degrees
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 2⅔ cup bread flour
- ½ cup milk warm; reserve ¼ cup for brushing tops
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips milk or dark chocolate
Chocolate Icing
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 oz butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
Instructions
-
Combine water and 1/3 cup bread flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth, then slowly whisk in 1/2 cup milk until thickened. Remove from heat and cover to cool.
-
In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar with warm milk and the yeast. Let sit 5–10 minutes until frothy.
-
In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine the frothy yeast, remaining sugar, reserved starter, rest of the flour, the rest of the warm milk, egg, and salt. Mix until incorporated.
-
Knead on low with the dough hook for about 5 minutes. Add the 4 tablespoons of butter in four portions, kneading 5–6 more minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball.
-
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
-
Roll the dough into an 8×20-inch rectangle. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter for the filling. Spread evenly over the dough and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
-
Roll tightly, slice into 10–12 pieces, and arrange in a greased 9×13 pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 1–1½ hours. Preheat oven to 350°F.
-
Brush tops with a little reserved warm milk to promote browning. Bake on the center rack for 20–30 minutes until set and golden.
-
Let the rolls cool slightly, then make the cream cheese chocolate icing and drizzle over the warm rolls. Slice and serve.
Notes
Instant Pot proofing: Grease the Instant Pot liner, use the yogurt or proof setting for about 20–30 minutes with a lid to speed up rising if desired.
Choose milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips. White chocolate also works if you prefer a sweeter contrast.
Equipment
-
9×13 pan
-
Stand mixer with dough hook or a mixing bowl for hand kneading
Nutrition
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