One of the biggest lessons I learned this week was to never underestimate babies. While I was making the rolls I left the chocolate on the table and didn’t realize that my daughter can actually reach them from her high chair ( you’d be surprised what they are capable of!!). She pulled the whole bag and ate half of it, by the time I noticed her whole face, hands and just about everywhere was smeared in chocolate. Ahh just one of the joys of being a mom! 😀
You know what’s better than cinnamon rolls? you guess it, chocolate cinnamon rolls. I can’t even explain how amazing warm and chocolaty cinnamon rolls right oven the oven taste! I rolled big chocolate chunks right into the rolls and the result was pieces of melted chocolate between each layer of the cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients
- Dough
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water +1 tablespoon
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 1/2 cups or more unbleached all purpose flour, divided
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise or instant yeast from 1 envelope yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Filling
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- Glaze
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- For dough
- In a small bowl combine yeast, 1 tablespoon warm water, and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl combine the milk, water, egg, oil, salt, and yeast mixture. Stir with whisk until everything is well combined.
- add the flour slowly and continue mixing until you you start to form a dough texture. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 5 minutes. Rub with 1/2 teaspoon oil and cover for 45 minutes.
- Filling
- Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, chocolate chips, and salt. Set aside.
- After the dough has doubled in size punch down and Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15×11-inch rectangle. Spread the butter over the dough. sprinkle the cinnamon mixture. Roll the dough from the long end, be sure to roll tightly.
- Cut into 3/4 inch wide slices. Place rolls 1 inch apart in two greased 9x9 pans or circular pans. Set aside for 45 minutes to rise. After the rolls have risen for 30 minutes preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes in center rack. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Glaze
- Heat cream cheese in microwave for 15 seconds. Beat cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla for 3-5 minutes until you have a fluffy creamy texture. Pipe glaze mixture on the cinnamon buns or simply spoon on and spread.
- *be sure to try one warm while the chocolate is still gooey*
Great recipe. Next time I make this, I will increase the amount of cinnamon, add nutmeg, & cut the amount of icing in half–the recommended amount is enough to thickly coat the entire top.
I agree SARAH.my dough DIDnt rise either. Lame recipe
These rolls look amazing!! Can’t wait to try them. What kind of chocolate do you use?
I may have really screwed this up, but I followed your recipe for the yeast and I don’t think 1 tbsp of water works with that much sugar! Dough didn’t rise at all.
The recipe says 1/2 cup + a tablespoon of water. Maybe try it that way. Also the yeast may be old. I keep mine in the freezer. It helps it stay fresh for a long time. Good luck.
I’ve tried at least 10 different cinnamon roll recipes and this by far the best yet. I love them sooo much
I can’t blame your daugther, who can resist chocolate when it’s whiting reach! I love cinnamon buns and the addition of chocolate is just genius, they look fantastic!
Your daughter sounds so adorable haha and such a cute kid! Maybe she’s on to something! I saw these floating around the inter web and I just knew they were yours! They look so delicious!!
Oh, my gosh, these rolls look amazing! When my oldest was a toddler, we had him in the back seat of the car next to a partially eaten chocolate sheet cake from a work pitch in party. By the time we arrived home, he was a mess…but very happy and full of chocolate cake )
they look delish!
These cinnamon buns with chocolate look to die for!
These look so fluffy and fab! I love fun twists on classic cinnamon rolls like this.
So I have a similar chocolate story…only the baby was a dog and the chocolate was a pie. Sigh. Never underestimate cute creatures! These look solo good, I absolutely need my cinnamon rolls to be stuffed and oozy gooey!
Aww that’s so cute that your dogs does that. I know dogs will grab whatever they can get their paws on!
Aaw, love that cute story of your lil girl, can’t believe how fast they can be – they really aren’t kidding when they say one second is all it takes hehe:) I love cinnamon rolls and these look insanely good with the chocolate filling! Happy Friday and hope you have a wonderful weekend:)
Yeah it’s crazy how fast they can be. Just the other day she fell off the bed because I turned away for like 1/2 a second 🙁 Have a great weekend too Kelly!
Layla, these breakfast rolls look so delicious! Love that melty chocolate in between the layers – it’s making me so hungry right now!
I wish you can taste them Julia, the chocolate is just so delicious when its melted.
Great photography!!! These rolls make me drool!
Thank you Daniela! I’m working on the photography!
Layla, I am drooling over these rolls of yours! But, oh…how I wish you captured your little sweet pea’s hand reaching for one of these rolls. In the baking, food blogging and food photography world, I don’t think there is any sweeter image. Try to snap one like that before she grows too big! Then, be sure to publish it here on your blog to share. Precious. Thanks for sharing, my friend. And, have a fabulous weekend! xo
I completely agree with you Stacy, I love it when she makes messes because she always looks so adorable doing it. One time I baked cupcakes and while I was photographing them I saw her hand through the lens going towards the cupcake!! If she tries to grab anything else ( which I’m sure she will) I will try to capture it!
These cinnamon rolls seriously look fantastic! I can’t stop staring at them!
Thank you Jocelyn! glad you liked them 🙂
Your daughter sounds like a little cook in training, I’m constantly eating the ingredients as I’m baking. I bet that was funny to walk in on. These chocolate cinnamon rolls look delicious! I love that you didn’t slop on a ton of icing, I like them light on the icing too. Pretty pictures. Have a good weekend Layla : )
Thanks Natalie! I tend to eating a lot of the ingredients while I’m eating as well but this is just too much! seriously I’m just hoping she doesn’t become constipated from all the chocolate :/
bahahahaaaa who can blame her!? 😛
I loooove how gooey and chocolatey these beauties are!
Thanks Kayle! 🙂
I have yet to make my first cinnamon rolls. Yours look just right…delicious! By the way…I made your chickpea cookies…and posted them too! Thanks, Layla, they were fantastic! 🙂 ela
I’m so glad you liked them Ela! I’m going to hop over to your blog right now and check out the cookies!
Oh my…I’m drooling right now, and I just had breakfast! Makes my boring cinnamon raisin bagel pale in comparison.
Karen, glad you liked the buns. Although now you have me in the mood for raisin bagels!
You’ve got one smart girl there. 😉 Pretty sure I’d have done the same, and then proceeded to eat the whole batch of these rolls. They look AMAZING.
Thank you for your sweet comment Stephanie! 🙂 your her partner in crime!
Your daughter is a girl after my own heart! I have been craving cinnamon rolls for whatever reason in the last couple of months. And absolutely chocolate ones! Looks so good!
Thank you so much Monica!
Omgomgomg, having a miiiiinor freak out.
I LOVE cinnamon rolls but have never had a chocolate variety. But, WHY NOT!
These look perfect Layla…and i totally would have eaten the WHOLE bag. I like the way your daughter thinks.
I’m sure your going to love them Taylor!
Ahh, this is amazing! I bet these are absolutely delicious. I would’ve eaten half the bag of chocolate too 🙂
Thank you Megan! I’m starting to imagine that you were a bad baby as well!;)