Nutella Cinnamon Rolls are soft, sweet, warm rolls with a cinnamon and Nutella filling and cream cheese frosting. It’s the perfect holiday breakfast!
When it comes to decadent Breakfast Recipes one favorite that always comes to mind is Cinnamon Rolls. They’re soft, rich, sweet, and filling. With this version, you get the added flavor of melty chocolate and hazelnuts.
Nutella has quickly become a staple in so many homes. The creamy, chocolate spread can seriously take anything to a new level. Serve it up with fruit, spread it over toast, or use it in baked goods like in this Cinnamon Roll recipe. Interested in more ways to use Nutella? Give Nutella Brownies and Pastry Twists a try!
If you’re looking for a yummy recipe to serve for a holiday breakfast or treat to make on a weekend morning, these sweet rolls are the next recipe you have to try! Along with the usual cinnamon swirl that you’d have in cinnamon rolls, this one also has decadent chocolate. The Nutella filling goes great with the cinnamon and is wonderfully melty in the warm rolls.
How to Make Nutella Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep the Dough: For the best pastry dough, you want to use warm milk. Heat the milk in a saucepan until it’s 110 degrees. This isn’t too hot, just warm to the touch. Once the milk is warm add the dry yeast and milk into your stand mixer. Let the yeast mixture sit for 1 minute before you add in the bread flour, sugar, salt, eggs, and orange zest.
- Mix the Dough: Use the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer to mix the dough together. Put a dishtowel over the mixer so that the flour doesn’t get everywhere while you mix on a low to medium speed. Continue mixing the soft dough for 5-7 minutes. The dough will form into a ball that doesn’t stick to the walls. However, if it is sticking to the walls add flour until it stops. Take the dough ball out of the mixer, grease the bowl, and then put the dough back in. Cover it in your dish towel again and let it sit for 10 minutes. While the dough is sitting turn your oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll: Add ½ cup of flour to your kitchen counter or another flat work surface, then coat your rolling pin in flour so that the dough doesn’t stick to either. Place the dough on your floured surface and roll it out into a large rectangle that’s about a ½ inch thick. You can separate it into two halves if you don’t have a large enough work surface. Spread butter over the dough. Try using your hands for this part because it’s the easiest way to not tear apart the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the butter and then spread the Nutella over the dough.
- Shape: Shape your dough by rolling it together into one long log. Then use a piece of floss to slice it into separate rolls. There should be enough for 18 rolls.
- Rise: Place the 18 rolls onto the buttered baking dish or jelly rolls. Let them sit in a warm place for 20 minutes while the dough rises.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: While the dough rises add cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk to your stand mixer. Beat them together until the icing is light and fluffy.
- Bake: Put the rolls in your preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until they’re golden brown. Spread the cream cheese glaze over the top and serve them warm.
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls (Copycat)
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
Frequently Asked Questions About Nutella Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Roll dough is made with yeast, and yeast is what makes dough rise up into delicious baked goods. Yeast will begin to ferment in warm temperatures so setting the rolls in a warm place will allow the dough to rise up into tender, fluffy Cinnamon Rolls.
This recipe calls specifically for instant rapid rise yeast. Only use that type because different types of yeast will require different methods to ensure your dough rises properly.
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Variations on Nutella Cinnamon Rolls
- Peanut Butter Rolls: Instead of a chocolate, hazelnut spread, try making Peanut Butter Sweet rolls, by spreading creamy peanut butter over the dough instead of Nutella. You might not like the taste of peanut butter and cinnamon together, so take the cinnamon out of the filling and just use the peanut butter.
- Mini Rolls: Try making this Nutella Cinnamon Roll recipe into mini, portable cinnamon rolls by baking them in muffin pans. Roll up the dough into smaller sizes that will fit into the muffin pan and spray the pan with cooking spray to prep it.
- Brown Sugar Topping: You can replace the cream cheese frosting with a crumbly brown sugar topping. To make the topping combine ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup flour, 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ¼ cup cold butter. Cut them into coarse crumbs with a pastry blender and sprinkle the topping on the rolls before baking.
- Nutella and Banana Rolls: You can also add ripe bananas to the recipe. Peel and dice the bananas. Then sprinkle the pieces of the bananas over the Nutella before rolling the cinnamon rolls.
- Nuts: Another addition you can make is sprinkling crushed nuts into the filling like hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, and almonds.
Can Nutella Cinnamon Rolls Be Made Ahead?
For an easy holiday morning, prep the dough a day in advance. Then you can leave them on the baking sheet in the fridge until you bake the rolls in the morning. Be sure. to cover them while they sit overnight. This is an easy way to enjoy a rich, delicious dish.
More Special Occasion Breakfasts
Gingerbread Crumb Cake
Blueberry Buckle
Sheet Pan Pancakes
Maple Bacon French Toast Bake
How to Store Nutella Cinnamon Rolls
- Serve: You can keep these sweet rolls at room temperature for 1-2 days. Cover them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to keep them fresh.
- Store: Once the rolls have cooled, you can also store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll stay good for up to a week.
- Freeze: You can also freeze the Nutella Cinnamon Rolls in the freezer for 2-3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating them in the oven to enjoy.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup butter , room temperature
- 6 1/2 cups flour , divided
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 packets instant rapid rise yeast
- 2 large eggs
For The Filling:
- 1/2 cup butter , room temperature
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 12 ounces Nutella , about 1 ½ cups
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
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- In a small saucepan heat the milk and butter to 110 degrees (warm to the touch).
- Into your stand mixer add the yeast and milk and whisk, then let sit for one minute.
- Add 6 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, and eggs to the stand mixer. Attach the dough hook.
- PRO TIP: COVER YOUR MIXER WITH A CLEAN DISH TOWEL.
- 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.
- If the dough is sticking, add flour ¼ cup at a time until it pulls away (no more than 1 additional cup).
- Take the dough out, grease the stand mixer bowl, and put it back in.
- Cover the dough with the 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.
- 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 ½ inch thick (if your space is limited do this in two halves).
- Spread the butter over the dough (use your hands), sprinkle on the cinnamon, and gently spread on Nutella spread.
- Roll the dough tightly to form a long log. Using a piece of thread, slice into 18 pieces.
- Place the rolls into buttered baking pans or jelly roll pans.
- Place the rolls into a warm place for 20 minutes (with a second oven, heat it to warm when you start the recipe. When you get to this step turn it off, open the door for a couple of seconds, then close the door. The residual warmth is perfect for these rolls).
Cream Cheese Icing:
- In your stand mixer, beat all the ingredients together 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
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I am skeptical of a roll recipe that only requires a total of 30 minutes rest time, but I’ve committed to it. Even made my own hazelnut spread. Did you forget to add rise time?
So, how did your cinnamon rolls turn out Daniel?
can you omit the nutella or use something else that’s chocolate like chocolate spread
Maybe you would enjoy my Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls instead? https://dinnerthendessert.com/chocolate-chip-cinnamon-rolls/
There is orange zest in the instructions but not in the ingredients. Is this a typo?
It was, thanks for catching it!