Double Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Double Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Soft chocolate dough. A cinnamon swirl. A little more chocolate than strictly necessary.
Pillowy, chocolate-rich dough wrapped around a buttery cinnamon and dark chocolate filling, then finished with a silky chocolate cream cheese ganache. These are the kind of rolls that make the kitchen smell extraordinary and turn an ordinary morning into something worth slowing down for.
A little patience. A lot of chocolate.
Some recipes are made for busy mornings. This isn't one of them.
These double chocolate cinnamon rolls are made for slower weekends, when there's time to let the dough rise, fill the kitchen with the scent of cinnamon and enjoy something still warm from the oven.
Instead of ordinary cocoa powder, we're using finely ground 80Noir Ultra dark chocolate in both the dough and the filling, with another layer of rich chocolate in the ganache.
The result? Something wonderfully soft, deeply chocolatey and unapologetically indulgent.
Three layers of chocolate pleasure.
A soft chocolate dough, a cinnamon-rich centre and a velvety ganache to finish.
Soft Chocolate Dough
- 325g plain flour
- 25g finely ground 80Noir Ultra 87.5% dark chocolate
- 1¾ tsp instant yeast
- 45g light brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 12g cornflour (corn starch)
- 85g butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg
- 40g Greek yoghurt
- 160ml lukewarm almond milk, or milk of choice
Chocolate Cinnamon Filling
- 70g softened butter
- 75g light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp finely ground 80Noir Ultra 72% dark chocolate
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
Rich, buttery and warmly spiced. This is what gives every roll its beautiful chocolate-cinnamon centre.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Ganache
- 70g 80Noir Ultra 87.5% dark chocolate
- 35g milk chocolate, chopped
- 130ml plant-based double cream
- 45g cream cheese, softened
- A pinch of salt
Optional: an additional 2–3 tbsp of cream to pour over the rolls before baking.
Roll. Rise. Bake. Indulge.
A little time and care are rewarded with beautifully soft rolls and a rich chocolate finish.
- Wake up the yeast. Combine the lukewarm almond milk, instant yeast and 45g light brown sugar. Stir and leave for 5–10 minutes. The mixture may become lightly foamy; instant yeast does not always bubble noticeably.
- Make the wet mixture. Add the egg, melted butter and Greek yoghurt. Stir until everything is combined.
- Make the chocolate dough. Add the flour, finely ground 87.5% chocolate, cornflour and salt. Knead for 8–10 minutes in a stand mixer or 10–15 minutes by hand, until the dough is soft, elastic and smooth.
- First rise. Cover the dough and leave in a warm place for approximately 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
- Prepare the filling. Mix the softened butter, light brown sugar, finely ground 72% chocolate and cinnamon until you have a smooth, spreadable paste.
- Roll out the dough. Gently press out the air and roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 13 × 14 inches (33 × 36cm). Spread the chocolate cinnamon filling evenly across the surface.
- Shape the rolls. Cut the dough into strips approximately 2½ inches (6cm) wide. Roll each strip into a spiral and place into a greased baking dish approximately 10 × 6 inches (25 × 15cm).
- Second rise. Cover and leave for another 30–45 minutes, until the rolls look beautifully puffy. Preheat the oven to 175°C conventional (155°C fan).
- A little extra softness. If using the optional cream, pour 2–3 tablespoons gently over and between the rolls before baking.
- Bake. Place in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, until the rolls are set and the dough is baked through. Allow to cool slightly.
- Make the ganache. Heat the 130ml plant-based double cream until warm and steaming, but not boiling. Pour over the chopped 87.5% dark chocolate and milk chocolate. Leave for one minute, then stir until smooth.
- Finish with cream cheese. Whisk in the softened cream cheese and a small pinch of salt until silky and completely combined.
- The final flourish. Chill the ganache for 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk lightly by hand and spread generously over the warm, but not piping-hot, rolls.
Why stop at one chocolate?
These aren't simply cinnamon rolls with a little cocoa added. Real dark chocolate runs through every part of the recipe.
Depth in every bite.
Finely ground into the dough, our 87.5% dark chocolate brings rich cacao character to the soft rolls. It returns in the ganache for a beautifully deep chocolate finish.
The softer chocolate swirl.
Our smoother 72% chocolate blends with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to create a warming, chocolate-rich filling that complements the darker dough.
The result is a proper homemade treat with chocolate flavour at its heart — not simply sweetness.
A few things worth knowing.
- Keep the milk lukewarm. Very hot milk can damage the yeast. Aim for pleasantly warm, not hot.
- Use finely ground chocolate. The finer the 87.5% and 72% chocolate, the more evenly they distribute through the dough and filling.
- Give the dough time. A soft, well-risen dough is what makes these rolls so lovely. Follow the dough's appearance rather than the clock alone.
- Don't overbake. You want the centres fully cooked but still soft and tender.
- Ganache consistency. Allow the ganache to cool and thicken before spreading. If the rolls are too hot, the topping will become runny.
- Storing leftovers. Because the frosting contains cream cheese, refrigerate any leftover frosted rolls promptly in an airtight container. Warm gently before serving.
Make something worth getting out of bed for.
A little flour, a little cinnamon, a generous amount of 80Noir Ultra dark chocolate — and a kitchen that smells absolutely wonderful.
Grab your chocolate. Let's get baking.
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