Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls

18 Servings
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls have melty chocolate chips mixed in the dough, rolled into the filling, and it’s all topped with chocolate icing!

This delicious Breakfast Recipe is the chocolate lover’s answer to Classic Cinnamon Rolls. You get all the flavors of traditional cinnamon rolls, but with the addition of rich chocolate. They’re perfect to make for the holidays or a birthday breakfast.

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Roll on plate

CHOCOLATE CHIP CINNAMON ROLLS

Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls make a beautiful breakfast. The delicious cinnamon rolls are filled with mini chocolate chips and topped with a cream cheese chocolate glaze. They’re especially amazing served freshly baked because warm cinnamon rolls will have a gooey center with melty chocolate goodness throughout.

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls collage of a trio of steps

Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls are sure to become a favorite breakfast with the whole family. They’re a new spin on classic cinnamon buns that makes them even richer. Serve the fun breakfast treat up on Christmas morning, for a birthday, or just as a surprise for a normal weekend.

While the rolls are in the oven, you can brew a pot of coffee or even make Hot Chocolate. The combination of warm cinnamon rolls and your favorite hot drink is sure to make the coziest morning ever!

MORE SWEET BREAKFAST RECIPES

TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT CINNAMON ROLLS

When it comes to making your own breakfast pastries, there are a few easy tips to ensure the recipe goes perfectly every time. If you’re new to baking, making your own dough can be stressful. But, as long as you follow a few guidelines, your rolls should turn out perfectly fluffy and light. Here are some quick tricks to avoid common pitfalls:

  1. Be careful not to overheat the milk mixture. The recipe starts by heating up milk and butter on the stove. You only want to heat it to 110 degrees. That’s just to the point of being warm to the touch.
  2. When you add the flour mixture to the dough, cover the bowl with a clean towel. This will stop any flour from flying across your kitchen, which will save you the headache of cleaning and make sure you still have the right amount of flour in the mixture.
  3. If the dough is sticking to the mixing bowl, you can add some flour to help it pull away from the edges. Just be careful not to add in too much extra flour or the cinnamon roll recipe will turn out dense.
  4. Chill the dough before forming it into rolls. This will make it much easier to shape.
  5. Use room temperature, not melted, butter for the cinnamon and chocolate filling.
  6. Place the rolls in a warm place for 20 minutes before you bake them. If you have a second oven, you can use it for this step. Heat the oven to warm when you start the recipe. Then turn off the heat and open it for a few seconds before closing again. The remaining heat will help the dough to rise. Otherwise, just keep the rolls in a warm area of your house.
  7. Bake until the rolls are just beginning to look golden brown.

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls collage of baked cinnamon rolls and chocolate frosting

VARIATIONS ON CHOCOLATE CHIP CINNAMON ROLLS

  • Chocolate Banana Cinnamon Roll: There are so many flavors you can add to basic cinnamon rolls. For banana flavor in this recipe slice two bananas into small pieces. Then add the banana to the chocolate and cinnamon mixture.
  • Berries: Raspberry or strawberry are two other flavors that would taste amazing in these breakfast rolls. Just slice the berries and add them to the filling. You could pick just one of the berries, or combine the two for a mixed berry recipe.
  • Chocolate: You can also use different kinds of chocolate chips. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate chips would all taste amazing.
  • Brown Sugar Filling: Instead of cinnamon, you can use brown sugar in the filling. This will make more sweet rolls without the contrast of the cinnamon spice.

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls cross-section in baking dish

MORE CINNAMON ROLL RECIPES

HOW TO STORE CHOCOLATE CHIP CINNAMON ROLLS

  • Serve: Any leftover Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls will stay good at room temperature for 2-3 days. Cover them in plastic wrap or tin foil so that they stay soft.
  • Store: You can also seal the pastries in an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat them in the microwave or enjoy them cold.
  • Freeze: Frozen Cinnamon Rolls can stay good for up to 5 weeks if they’re sealed in an airtight container. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat them for about 10 minutes in the oven before serving warm.

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Roll on plate

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Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls have melty chocolate chips mixed in the dough, rolled into the filling, and it's all topped with chocolate icing!
Yield 18 Servings
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

Cinnamon Roll Dough:

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup butter , room temperature
  • 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , divided
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 packets instant rapid rise yeast
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Cinnamon Roll Filling:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup butter , room temperature
  • 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Icing:

  • 12 ounces cream cheese , (1 ½ packages) softened
  • 1/3 cup butter , room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Cinnamon Roll Dough:

  • In a small saucepan heat the milk and butter to 110 degrees (warm to touch).
  • Into your stand mixer add the yeast and milk and whisk and let sit for 1 minute.
  • Add 6 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and eggs to the stand mixer.
  • PRO TIP: COVER YOUR MIXER WITH A CLEAN DISH TOWEL.
  • Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on speed 3-4 (low to medium).
  • Let it go for 5-7 minutes, you want the dough to become a ball that doesn’t stick to the walls of the bowl.
  • Add in 1 cup mini chips and mix in for 30 seconds on low speed.
  • If you find sticking add flour ¼ cup at a time until it pulls away (no more than another cup)
  • Take the dough out, grease the stand mixer bowl and put it back in.
  • Cover the dough with your dish towel you used to keep the flour in the stand mixer.
  • Let sit for 10 minutes while you set the oven to preheat to 350 degrees and you make the filling.
  • In a medium sized bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon.
  • Using a large even surface, add ½ cup of flour and roll it out onto the surface to coat the rolling pin and the surface.
  • Roll out the dough into a large rectangle about a ½ inch thick (if your space is limited do this in two halves).
  • Spread the butter over the dough (I use my hands) and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the butter.
  • Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the dough evenly.
  • Roll the dough tightly to form a long log and using a piece of thread slice off pieces.
  • The dough will make 18 large cinnamon rolls.
  • Place the rolls into buttered baking pans or jelly rolls.
  • Place the rolls into a warm place for 20 minutes (I have a second oven, so I heat it to warm when I start the recipe, then turn it off and open the door for a couple of seconds then close the door. The residual warmth is perfect for these rolls).

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • In your stand mixer beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract until creamy.
  • Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and milk, beating until light and fluffy.

To Finish:

  • Bake the rolls for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Spread the cream cheese frosting over the rolls and serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 701kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 363mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 4mg

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls pinterest collage

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

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