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These Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls are extra indulgent thanks to the cocoa, espresso powder, and cinnamon filling. They’re the rich, pillowy, and chocolatey breakfast of your dreams!Â
Is there anything better than starting your day with indulgent Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls? I don’t think so! Think of them as soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls but upgraded with a cinnamon sugar, cocoa powder, and espresso filling.
Espresso is one of my favorite baking ingredients. It enhances the chocolate flavor of desserts, like chocolate cake and brownies, and gives these cinnamon rolls an added boost of caffeine. It’s the treat you want in your hands when the cold brew coffee isn’t enough to get you through the day.
As a bonus, you can prepare the chocolate cinnamon rolls the night before and bake them the next morning. Don’t forget to decorate them with the sweet 2-ingredient icing before indulging!
Recipe features
- Adding chocolate and espresso to the filling is the best way to upgrade these sweet and pillowy cinnamon rolls!
- Enjoy them for special weekend breakfasts or during the holidays when you need an extra boost of caffeine.
- Swap the dairy for dairy-free ingredients to make vegan espresso cinnamon rolls!
Ingredients
Active dry yeast - I haven’t tested this recipe with instant yeast.
Milk - You can use cow’s milk or the dairy free milk of your choice (I used almond milk).
Flour - Use all purpose flour for the best results.
Sugar - It just wouldn’t be a cinnamon roll recipe without sugar! I used cane sugar for the filling and dough but white sugar or coconut sugar can be used as substitutes. You also need powdered sugar for the glaze.
Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon is great or you can go all out and grate the cinnamon sticks yourself.
Cocoa powder - Natural cocoa powder will work well or, for a milder and richer chocolate flavor, use Dutch process cocoa powder.
Espresso powder - This is similar to instant coffee, as it dissolves easily and doesn’t taste gritty. Do not use ground espresso beans as a substitute. If you don’t have espresso powder, use instant coffee instead (use 1 extra tablespoon as it isn’t as strongly flavored as espresso).
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Start the dough. Proof the yeast in a bowl with the sugar and warm water until it is foamy and bubbly. Warm the butter and milk on the stove next, and whisk the flour and salt together in a separate bowl.Â
Step 2: The first rise. Stir the melted butter/milk in the bowl with the yeast. Pour the wet mix into the bowl with the flour, and gently stir with a wooden spoon until you end up with a sticky dough. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and place it in the oven (turned off) until the dough doubles in size.
Step 3: Make the filling. Add the melted butter to a bowl and mix the cinnamon, cocoa, and espresso in a separate bowl.
Step 4: Finish the dough. Stir the remaining flour into the risen dough. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangular shape.
Step 5: Add the filling. Brush the melted butter onto the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon/cocoa/espresso mix on top and gently press it into the dough with your hands.
Step 6: Roll and slice. Starting on the short side, roll the dough into a log shape. Cut into rounds and place the cinnamon rolls cut-side-down in a baking pan.Â
Step 7: The second rise. Lay a clean kitchen towel over the pan and place the dish in the oven (turned off). Leave the rolls to double in size once more.
Step 8: Bake. Afterward, bake the cinnamon rolls in the oven until the dough is set and the cinnamon filling is bubbling.
Step 9: Ice and serve. Mix the icing ingredients in a bowl while you wait. Once the rolls are out of the oven, drizzle the icing over top. Sprinkle chopped chocolate or more cocoa powder and cinnamon on top and enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
- If the yeast doesn’t foam, it means your yeast has died/is expired. It’s best to start from scratch with fresh yeast.
- Make sure the water isn’t too hot or else it will kill the yeast. It should feel like warm bath water.
- These rolls are vegan-friendly, as long as you use dairy-free butter and milk!
- These cinnamon rolls are big and fluffy! The recipe doesn’t make very many, so if you need extras, either double the recipe or roll the dough starting from the long side rather than the short side.
- Want to double the chocolate? Sprinkle a chopped dark chocolate bar over the filling on the dough before rolling it up.Â
- You can dissolve 1 tablespoon of espresso powder in the icing to make an espresso glaze.
- For a festive Christmas feel, sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of the iced cinnamon rolls and serve during Christmas morning breakfast!
Why didn’t my dough rise?
If the dough isn’t rising properly (for the first or second time), heat your oven to 200°, then turn it off. Place the covered cinnamon rolls in the oven and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
Can I leave them overnight and bake them the next day?
Sure! Once the rolls are cut and in the baking dish, cover with a lid and leave them in the fridge for up to 12 hours. Leave them to rise at room temperature for another 1 to 2 hours before baking.
Can they be made gluten free?
I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, unfortunately.
Storing
Room temperature: The baked and iced cinnamon rolls are at their best when they’re served fresh out of the oven. If you end up with leftovers, store them in a sealed container on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days.
Freezer: The baked cinnamon rolls can be frozen without the icing for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge before re-warming them in a 350ºF oven. Add the icing, then serve!
More indulgent sweet treats
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
- 2 tablespoon cane sugar
- ¼ cup warm water
- 6 tablespoon butter
- 1 ¼ cup milk
- 3 ¼ cup all purpose flour plus more once the dough has risen* (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
For the icing:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or more as needed
- chopped chocolate for garnish optional
Instructions
- Combine yeast and sugar in a bowl, then slowly pour in the warm water (make sure it's warm like bath water and not hot), stirring everything together. Allow mixture to sit until yeast starts to foam/bubble on top, around 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine butter and milk over medium-high heat on the stove, stirring occasionally until butter has melted, but making sure not to let them come to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Next, stir flour and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
- Pour melted butter and milk into the bowl with the yeast and stir to combine, then pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the flour. Use a wooden spoon to stir mixture together for at least 1 minute, or knead dough with your hands for 2-3 minutes. The dough will be a little sticky and that's ok.
- Grease a separate large bowl with a bit of coconut oil, and then transfer dough into that bowl. Place a towel over the bowl, and then put the bowl in the oven and allow the dough to rise and double in size, about 1 hour. NOTE: to ensure my dough rises, I usually heat my oven to 200°, then turn it OFF and put the bowl in the warm oven.
- Right before the hour has passed, make the filling. Start by melting butter, and setting it aside, then combine cinnamon, cocoa and espresso in a separate bowl and set them aside as well.
- Remove dough from the oven (it should be double in size, or at least close) and stir in an additional â…“ cup flour. This will make the dough less sticky and easier to roll out.
- Next, set up your work space. Flour a baking mat (or your kitchen table), and then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rectangle, being careful not to let the dough get too thin. Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving about a ½ inch border around the edges. Next, sprinkle the sugar on top, then the cinnamon, cocoa and espresso mixture, using your hands to press everything gently into the dough.
- Starting with the short side of the rectangle, gently roll the dough up into a short, fat log. Then, using a knife, cut the log into 1" cinnamon rolls, placing them cut side down into a baking pan. You should end up with about 10 larger rolls.
- Once all the rolls are cut, cover the dish back up with the towel and place the dish back in the oven, allowing the rolls to rise for 30 minutes.
- Once the 30 minutes have passed, remove rolls from the oven (but keep the towel on top) and preheat the oven to 350°.
- Bake rolls for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until dough has set and cinnamon is bubbling.
- While rolls are baking, make the icing by combining the powdered sugar and milk together with an electric mixer until icing is smooth.
- Once rolls are done, drizzle icing over top and sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in December 2017. It was updated with new text and photos in December 2022.
Keisha Taylor says
It looks delicious ! Thanks for sharing !
Coren says
Do you add the sugar to the yeast or the butter? You have it listed in step 1 and 2. My guess is the butter and milk in step 2?
Erin says
Whoops!--thanks for catching that. So you want to combine the yeast and sugar, then in step 2 you melt the butter and milk together. I've changed the recipe write up to reflect that.
Brittany says
These look delicious!
Lucia Wright says
Oh my goodness, look at that fluff! So good! I consider cinnamon rolls to be breakfast dessert - like I eat something savory for breakfast, followed by a cinnamon roll. But like I probably wouldn't have one after dinner. Does that even make sense?! hahaha. Happy New Year, Erin!
Diane Wilkins says
OMG YESSSSS! Look amazing 🙂 absolutely going to make these for christmas morning brunch!!!