Jump to recipe ↓ · Print recipe
To make chocolate cinnamon rolls, knead a soft yeast dough made with unsweetened cocoa powder and let it double, about 1 hour. Roll it into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle, spread it with soft butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and cocoa, roll it up and cut 12 rolls with dental floss. Let them puff in a 9×13 pan for 30 to 40 minutes, bake at 350°F for 22 to 26 minutes, until the center reads 190°F, and frost them warm with cream cheese frosting.
Cocoa goes into the dough, the filling and the frosting, so the whole roll tastes of chocolate, and unsweetened cacao powder works just as well. Plan about 3 hours, or shape the rolls the night before.
What makes chocolate cinnamon rolls soft and fluffy?
A slightly tacky dough, two full rises and an accurate bake. Cocoa absorbs liquid like flour, so add extra flour only a spoonful at a time. And since cocoa dough is brown before it goes in, judge doneness with a thermometer, not by color: 190°F in the center of a middle roll.
What are the ingredients in chocolate cinnamon rolls?
Makes: 12 rolls in a 9×13-inch pan · Prep: 40 minutes · Rise: about 1¾ hours · Bake: 25 minutes · Total: about 3 hours
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
- 2¼ teaspoons (7 g, 1 packet) instant yeast
- ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3¾ cups (450 g) all-purpose or bread flour, plus more as needed
- ½ cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
For the filling
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, very soft but not melted
- ¾ cup (160 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons (11 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (89 g) mini chocolate chips (optional)
For the cream cheese frosting
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups (170 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- Pinch of fine salt
Any cocoa (cacao) powder works in this recipe, natural or Dutch-process. Whisk it into the flour so no dry pockets end up in the dough.
How do you make chocolate cinnamon rolls?
- Mix the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm milk, eggs and butter and mix on low until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead with the dough hook on medium-low for 6 to 8 minutes, until smooth and slightly tacky. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time only if it sticks to the bowl.
- First rise. Cover the dough in a greased bowl and let it rise in a warm spot (75 to 80°F) until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.
- Make the filling. Stir the soft butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and cocoa into a spreadable paste. Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- Roll and fill. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle, long side facing you. Spread the filling to the edges, leaving a ½-inch strip bare on the far long edge. Scatter on the chips, if using.
- Roll and cut. Roll up snugly from the long side and pinch the seam closed. With dental floss, cut the log in half, then in quarters, then each quarter into 3 rolls, about 1⅓ inches thick.
- Second rise. Set the rolls cut side up in the pan, 3 rows of 4. Cover and let them rise until puffy and touching, 30 to 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) during the last 20 minutes.
- Bake 22 to 26 minutes, until a thermometer in the center of a middle roll reads 190°F.
- Frost. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then the powdered sugar, cocoa (if using), vanilla, salt and enough milk to spread. Cool the rolls 10 minutes and frost them warm.
How do you cut cinnamon rolls without squishing them?
Use unflavored dental floss. Slide it under the log, cross the ends over the top and pull: it cuts cleanly without pressing the swirl flat, as a knife does. Halves, then quarters, then thirds give 12 even rolls that bake at the same rate. No floss? Chill the log 10 minutes and use a sharp serrated knife.
How long should cinnamon roll dough rise?
Go by the dough, not the clock. The first rise is done when the dough has doubled and a floured finger leaves a dent that springs back slowly, about 1 hour in a warm kitchen. The second is done when the rolls look puffy and touch. Keep the milk warm, not hot: about 110°F. Yeast is damaged around 130 to 140°F, a common reason a dough never rises.
Which cocoa powder is best for chocolate cinnamon rolls?
Either kind works, because yeast, not baking soda, makes these rolls rise, so natural and Dutch-process cocoa swap 1:1. They taste different, though:
- Natural (non-alkalized) cocoa: a brighter, fruitier chocolate flavor and a reddish-brown crumb.
- Dutch-process cocoa: a darker color and a mellower, rounder taste.
The choice matters more when a recipe relies on baking soda, as in quick breads like chocolate banana bread. For the full rules, see Dutch-process cocoa powder, natural cocoa powder and our guide to baking with cocoa powder.
How do you make chocolate cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls?
Beat soft cream cheese and butter smooth, then add powdered sugar and a splash of milk. A tablespoon of cocoa turns it pale chocolate; leave it out for a white top against the dark rolls. For a darker finish, drizzle warm hot fudge sauce over the frosting, or swap in the cocoa buttercream from our chocolate frosting with cocoa powder.
Can you make chocolate cinnamon rolls the night before?
Yes, and it makes an easy holiday breakfast. Set the cut rolls in the greased pan, cover tightly and refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours; the cold slows the yeast. In the morning, let them sit at room temperature 45 to 60 minutes, until puffy, then bake, adding 2 to 4 minutes if the centers are still cool. Make the frosting ahead and refrigerate it, too.
Why are my cinnamon rolls not rising, leaking or doughy in the middle?
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dough did not rise | Milk too hot, old yeast or cold kitchen | Milk near 110°F; fresh yeast; warm spot |
| Filling leaked into pan | Melted butter or loose seam | Very soft butter; pinch seam shut |
| Doughy center | Underbaked | Bake to 190°F in a middle roll |
| Centers pop up | Log rolled too tight | Roll snug, not tight |
| Dense, heavy rolls | Short second rise | Wait until puffy and touching |
| Dry, tough rolls | Too much flour or overbaked | Keep dough tacky; check at 22 minutes |
How do you store chocolate cinnamon rolls?
The frosting contains cream cheese, so refrigerate frosted rolls within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days; warm one in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. Unfrosted rolls freeze up to 3 months; thaw, warm at 300°F for about 10 minutes and frost. A mug of hot chocolate made with cocoa powder or a stack of chocolate pancakes rounds out a chocolate brunch.
With cocoa in every layer, its flavor carries the whole roll. Grevista is a natural, non-alkalized, unsweetened cocoa (what many shoppers call cacao powder) from single-origin Vietnamese Trinitario cacao grown in Đắk Lắk, with a bright, fruity chocolate taste that pairs well with cinnamon. See sizes on the Grevista cocoa powder page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder?
Yes, swap it 1:1 in the dough, filling and frosting; yeast leavens these rolls, so nothing else changes. Cacao made from unroasted beans tastes a little more bitter and tart, so add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar to the filling if you like. Learn more in our guide to cacao powder.
Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant?
Yes, the same amount. Stir it into the warm milk, wait 5 to 10 minutes until foamy, then continue. Each rise takes a little longer.
Can I make the dough without a stand mixer?
Yes. Stir with a wooden spoon, then knead on a floured counter about 10 minutes, until smooth and springy.
Sources
- King Arthur Baking, Ingredient Weight Chart.
- King Arthur Baking, How to tell if bread is done baking (2023).
- America’s Test Kitchen, The impact of too-hot water on yeast.
- King Arthur Baking, Dutch-process vs. natural cocoa (2020).
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Danger Zone (40°F – 140°F) (checked October 29, 2026).
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety (checked October 29, 2026).
Written by the Grevista Editorial Team. Last updated November 7, 2026. How we check facts: Editorial Policy.