Chocolate Rolls

These chocolate rolls are the ultimate chocolate rolls and taste like having brownies for breakfast. They have a super soft chocolate dough full of brown sugar chocolate filling and chocolate pieces. They are also topped with a chocolate icing.

These chocolate rolls are the perfect way to start the day if you love chocolate. They are triple chocolate with chocolate bread, chocolate filling, and a chocolate glaze! These rolls are guaranteed to make any family start their day happy.

For more chocolate recipes try Chocolate Ganache Cake, Chocolate Raspberry Cake, and Brownie Cake.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredient Notes
• Step By Step Instructions -Chocolate Dough
• Step By Step Instructions - Chocolate Filling and Baking
• Overnight Rolls
• FAQ
• Storing and Freezing
• 📖 Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

• Rich chocolate flavor- These are the perfect special breakfast for chocolate lovers with a rich and satisfying chocolate flavor.
• Homemade rolls- These chocolate cinnamon rolls have the warm gooey goodness of homemade cinnamon rolls, but with chocolate!
• Perfect texture- That warm and soft consistency of rolls right out of the oven is impossible to beat.
• Prep in advance- You can use the overnight option so these rolls are ready for your special morning and you don't have to spend your morning making them!

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.

• Unsalted butter- Pull the butter out 2 hours before using so it is softened.
• Milk- Use any milk and warm it to 110F. If too hot, it will kill the yeast, if too cool then it will dramatically slow the yeast down.
• Active dry yeast- I used 1 packet of yeast.
• Eggs- Pull the large eggs out 2 hours before baking. They also need to be lightly beaten before adding to the flour.
• Brown sugar- I used light brown sugar.
• Powdered sugar- Make sure this is sifted to get a smooth icing.
• Chocolate bar- I used Lindt 70% as it is my favorite. If you use milk chocolate it will be much sweeter. You can use chocolate chips instead.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder- I recommend using a dutch process cocoa powder for a more rich chocolate flavor. This is the one I used.

Step By Step Instructions -Chocolate Dough

Here is how to make the chocolate dough for the chocolate rolls. This is for using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. For kneading by hand instructions see the notes on the recipe card.

STEP 1: Prep yeast. Heat the milk in the microwave until it is warmed to 110°F. Then, pour the yeast on top and let it sit for 10 minutes to activate. Do not heat it above 110°F as you do not want to cook your yeast.

STEP 2: Cut in butter. Sift the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl. Then, knead the butter in using a pastry cutter or your hands. It is done when the butter clumps are the size of a pea.

STEP 3: Combine. Add the yeast mixture and lightly beaten eggs to the flour mixture and mix on low speed until a dough begins to form.

STEP 4: Knead. Switch to medium speed to knead for 5 minutes. You should have a very soft and slightly tacky dough.

STEP 5: Dough rise. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Then, spray a large mixing bowl with non stick spray and place the dough in. Cover it with a kitchen towel or tea towel and place it in the oven. Next, turn the oven off and leave the door cracked open.

Let the dough rise in the oven for 1 hour. It should double in size after this first rise.

Step By Step Instructions - Chocolate Filling and Baking

Here is how to make the chocolate filling and bake these chocolate rolls.

STEP 1: Mix filling. Use a hand mixer and a small bowl to beat the butter on high speed until it is soft. Then, add the brown sugar and cocoa powder and mix on high speed until it is a smooth paste.

Chop your chocolate bar into small pieces now.

STEP 2: Roll dough. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Roll it into an large rectangle ¼ inch thick.

STEP 3: Spread filling. Use an offset spatula to spread the filling mixture on top of the dough. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the top evenly.

STEP 4: Roll log. Start on the short side of the rectangle and begin rolling it into a tight log. Use a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss to cut off the uneven edges on the ends. Then, cut the log into 12 equal pieces. Make sure to gently saw when cutting so the rolls are not squished.

STEP 5: Second rise. Spray a 9X13 baking pan with baking nonstick spray and place the 12 rolls in the pan. Cover it with a kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for 25 minutes.

STEP 6: Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake them for 25-30 minutes.

The rolls will bubble a lot when they are nearly done, and the bubbling will slow when they are done. They are done when they are 160°F in the middle of the rolls.

STEP 7: Frosting. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together in a small bowl. Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream and mix.

Wait until the rolls have been out of the oven for 10 minutes and then ice the top of the rolls.

Overnight Rolls

Once you are done kneading the dough. Place in a large bowl sprayed with nonstick spray. Then, cover with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge overnight. It needs to chill for a max of 16 hours.

Then in the next morning, you can pull it out and roll up the cinnamon rolls. Then, let it rise for 1 hour instead of the 25 minutes.

FAQ

Storing and Freezing

Store these chocolate rolls in an airtight container in the fridge. Store up to 5 days. They are best when heated in the microwave until warm

Freezing

These chocolate rolls can be frozen in 2 ways.

1. Freeze the rolled rolls. Freeze these up to 30 days. Let them thaw before baking. They won't rise as much, but will still work.
2. Freeze the already baked rolls. Freeze these up to 30 days. Thaw for 1 hour before eating.

Other Breakfast Recipes To Try

Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.

📖 Recipe