These Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls are the best Christmas breakfast to share with family. They are soft, big, fluffy, and require only one 20-minute rise. Plus you can make the dough overnight for a quick Christmas breakfast. Compared to classic cinnamon rolls, they are filled with cocoa powder and chocolate chips that melt in and create a lovely chocolate cinnamon bun.
I love making cinnamon rolls, their soft dough, the rolling, even the cutting is cool and interesting. While I’ve made many versions, like my Healthy Cinnamon Rolls, Yeast-Free Cinnamon Rolls, or Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls, I’ve never made a very chocolatey version.
I decided to go for double chocolate: cocoa powder in the filling, boosted with chocolate chips inside and on the rolls. These cinnamon rolls are both simple to make and so delicious you won’t have to look at my storage tips!
Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe takes a few ingredients, but all of them are fairly standard and you probably already have them in your kitchen.
- All-Purpose Flour – Flour makes the structure of the dough, resulting in soft and fluffy rolls. You can also use white spelt flour or white whole wheat flour. Gluten-free flours don’t work well in this recipe.
- Almond Milk – Almond milk activates the yeast and binds the dough. You can use any dairy-free milk, like soy milk, oat milk, or cashew milk.
- Active Dried Yeast – Yeast leavens the dough, creating airy and soft rolls. It might work with Instant yeast but you’d have to reduce the quantity slightly and skip the proofing, but I haven’t tried this.
- Baking Powder – Baking powder speeds up the rising process, making the rolls fluffier in a shorter time.
- Dairy-Free Butter – This adds moisture and a rich buttery flavor. You can also use margarine or coconut oil. If you eat dairy, it should work fine with butter.
- Sugar – Sugar feeds the yeast and sweetens the dough. You can also use coconut sugar, brown sugar, or unrefined cane sugar.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar is used to sweeten the filling and it caramelizes slightly when baked. You can also use coconut sugar or maple sugar.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Cocoa powder brings the chocolate flavor to the filling. Carob powder might work fine as well.
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon adds the classic Christmas flavors you expect from a cinnamon roll and boosts the chocolate flavor.
- Mini Chocolate Chips – Chocolate chips make the filling more gooey with melty chocolate pockets. You can also use finely chopped dark chocolate or vegan chocolate chunks.
- Powdered Sugar – I use powdered sugar for the glaze. You can also use coconut powdered sugar or sugar-free alternatives.
- Plant-Based Yogurt – I use yogurt for the glaze. You can use any type of plant-based yogurt like coconut yogurt, almond yogurt, or cashew yogurt.
How to Make Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
These cinnamon rolls are as easy to make as my Vegan Cinnamon Rolls, but they can be made even faster. Here are pictures of all key steps.
Combine the dry dough ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Activate the yeast in a small bowl by adding it to lukewarm almond milk
Combine the cinnamon, coconut sugar, and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl.
Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and knead the dough until it forms a ball. Let it rise for 20 minutes.
Roll the dough into a large rectangle with a rolling pin.
Spread the melted plant-based butter on the rolled dough.
Sprinkle on top the cinnamon-cocoa-sugar mixture and add mini chocolate chips.
Roll the dough from the short side and cut it into 9 rolls with unflavored dental floss.
Place the rolls into a square baking dish lined with parchment paper.
Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) and let them cool down before glazing.
Carine’s Baking Tips
I have a few more tips for you to make the best cinnamon rolls.
- Temperature Matters – Ensure the almond milk is lukewarm (around 98°F/37°C) to activate the yeast without killing it. Use a kitchen thermometer for accuracy.
- Don’t Overwork the Dough – Knead just enough to form a smooth ball; over-kneading can make the rolls dense.
- Flour Your Tools – Lightly flour the rolling pin and work surface to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Ensure Even Butter Distribution – Soften the butter thoroughly before spreading it to avoid tearing the dough.
- Mind the Filling Placement – Leave a small margin around the edges of the dough when applying the filling (like on a pizza) to prevent it from spilling during rolling.
- Use Dental Floss to Cut – Unflavored dental floss slices through the dough cleanly without squishing the rolls.
- Monitor Rising Time in Cooler Kitchens – If your kitchen is cool, place the dough near a warm appliance (like a preheating oven) to ensure proper rising. You can also leave it in an oven at about (around 98°F/37°C).
- Adjust Bake Time for Oven Variations – Check for golden tops around the 25-minute mark to avoid overbaking.
- Prep Ahead – For Christmas morning convenience, make the dough and filling the night before and refrigerate.
- Customize the Glaze – Add a splash of vanilla extract or a pinch of espresso powder to the glaze for added flavors.
- Serving: These rolls are best served slightly warm to enjoy the melty chocolate. Reheat leftovers briefly in a microwave or oven.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap each roll individually and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before serving.
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes
If you like this recipe, I have many more rolls for you:
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Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour - (note 1)
- 1 cup Almond Milk - (note 2)
- 2 teaspoons Active Dried Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 3 tablespoons Dairy-Free Butter (Unsalted) - melted (note 3)
- ¼ cup Sugar - (note 4)
Filling
- 3 tablespoons Dairy-Free Butter (Unsalted)
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
- 3 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
- ⅓ cup Mini Chocolate Chips - (note 5)
Serving
- ⅓ cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Plant-Based Yogurt - (note 6)
- 2-3 tablespoons Mini Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add the lukewarm almond milk (at about 98 °F or 37 °C) and sugar and sprinkle the active dry yeast on the top. Stir with a wooden spoon, cover, and set aside for 5-8 minutes to activate the yeast. It should look foamy.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and melted butter. When the yeast is ready, add the activated yeast to this bowl.
- Stir with a rubber spatula or use the dough hook attachment of a stand mixer. If working the dough by hand, lightly oil your hands, and knead it to form a ball. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour. If it's too dry, add more almond milk. Knead for 2-3 minutes until a soft dough ball forms.
- Place the dough in a large oiled glass bowl, seal it tight with plastic wrap, and add a warm kitchen towel on the top. I warm the towel on a towel rack to help rise faster. Set it aside for 20 minutes. See the recipe note below for the overnight preparation tips.
- Lightly flour a work surface, and place the dough on it. Sprinkle extra flour on top of the dough, and roll it into a 13-inch x 10-inch rectangle shape.
- Spread the softened butter evenly onto the rectangle.
- In a small bowl, whisk cocoa powder, cinnamon, and sugar. Sprinkle the mixture and press it evenly onto the buttered dough.
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips all over the surface and press to adhere.
- Roll the dough from the short side to form a cylinder.
- Use a serrated knife or an unflavored dental floss string to cut 9 even pieces from the cylinder.
- Place each roll with the swirl facing up on the prepared baking dish.
- Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until golden brown on top.
- Let the rolls cool down at room temperature in the pan for 20 minutes, then on a wire rack before icing.
- To glaze, stir powdered sugar with dairy-free yogurt and a little almond milk if too thick, and drizzle on top of the cooled cinnamon rolls.
- Sprinkle extra mini chocolate chips on top.
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