I could not think of a more perfect breakfast than these Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls. As with the original Cinnamon Rolls recipe, these beauties are quick gluten free cinnamon rolls that are yeast free, egg free and still super delicious. To make them dairy free (vegan...because they’re already egg free), swap out the milk with a non dairy milk of choice, use vegan baking sticks instead of butter and make sure your gf flour does not contain dairy.
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that my daughter and I are chocolate obsessed. I absolutely love taking our beloved recipes and making them chocolate. Cinnamon Rolls are an absolute favorite in our house. What could possibly be better than quick and easy cinnamon rolls? CHOCOLATE CINNAMON ROLLS. I mean the originals are delicious enough as it is, but these babies are seriously the next level. They are insanely delicious, decadent and are still as easy to make as No Yeast Quick Cinnamon Rolls. Like the original yeast free recipe, these only take 20 min to cook and the result is amazing. Cinnamon and chocolate is an amazing combination like in my Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies.
For more cinnamon roll recipes, check out my Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls and my Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls.
For more breakfast recipes, check out my Mini Pancakes.
So how do we make these?
Just like with the regular recipe, I’ve broken it down step by step for you guys:
Make the Filling
- Use a small microwave safe bowl to soften the butter or vegan baking stick for the cinnamon filling. Since it’s only 4 tablespoons, place the butter or vegan baking stick in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 15 seconds or so. You just want it soft enough so you can work it into the other ingredients with your clean hands. You don’t want it melted.
- Add the light brown sugar, the ground cinnamon and cocoa powder to the bowl with the softened butter and using your hands, work all the ingredients together. This takes a few minutes because you want the texture to be nice and crumbly and well combined. You don’t want hard chunks of brown sugar that haven’t been well mixed. You really cannot over mix the filling so don’t be concerned about that.
- Once it’s all combined, sprinkle some of the mixture into the bottom of your greased baking dish. In the recipe, I say to use ⅓ of the mixture but you can just gently sprinkle some all over to cover the bottom. You will still see the baking dish underneath, it isn’t meant to be a thick layer. Just sprinkle it all over. You can use less than ⅓ if you prefer.
Make the Dough
- Then in a large bowl, whisk together your gluten free flour, your granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Soften another 3 tablespoons of butter or vegan baking stick. Again, you don’t want it melted at all, you just want it soft enough to break apart. Once softened, using clean hands, rip teeny tiny pieces of butter into the dry ingredients. I usually make my pieces the size of my fingernails and scatter them all over. Once the butter or vegan baking stick is all in the dry ingredients, use your clean hands to work it all together. You are going to be using a squeezing motion with your hands until all those little butter pieces are well incorporated throughout. Once it’s all combined nicely, add your 1 cup milk of choice.
- Use a spatula to mix the milk in. It might be super sticky so if it is, use your hands to mix it completely.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface, your hands and your rolling spatula. Take the dough and knead it a few times just so it comes together, on your clean work surface. If it seems super sticky add some more gluten free flour so it is easier to work with. Then roll it out into a rectangular shape. If you notice it sticking as you roll, sprinkle some more gluten free flour on it. You want to roll it out to about ¼ inch in thickness.
- Once it is rolled out. Start sprinkling your filling all over. You want to cover the entire area. Once it is sprinkled everywhere, I like to use my hands to very gently pat the filling down into the dough. Once that’s done, it’s time to roll.
Let's Get Rolling
- Roll the dough away from you into a tight log. Once it’s in a log shape, I like to take a sharp knife and cut off the two end pieces. Now you can cut your log into your 12-18 pieces. Sometimes I cut 18 but usually I cut about 15 slices.
- Take your beautiful cut slices and place them into the baking dish. You want the swirl to be face up and all the pieces will be touching one another tightly.
- Place in the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When you take the dish out of the oven, leave the rolls alone. Don’t try to take them out. Now you’re going to make your glaze.
- Whisk all your glaze ingredients in a medium bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the warm buns...as much as you like. There is no correct amount here. Wait a few minutes for the glaze to begin to harden before serving and enjoy!
Sure, Triple Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls may not be something you’ve heard much about but if you love chocolate, you need to make these! I think it’s an elevated version of the original (not that I don’t love the original, because I do...but I am seriously chocolate obsessed). They’re so delicious and just as simple to make as the original. And as I said at the start, this recipe can easily be vegan by using a non dairy milk of choice, vegan baking sticks and a dairy free gf flour. Enjoy!
Other Breakfast Recipes You'll Love
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 ⅔ cups Gluten free flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder I like to fill the ⅓ cup with half Dutch and half dark cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick softened
- 1 cup of milk of choice
For the filling:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder I like to use 1 teaspoon Dutch and 1 teaspoon Dark cocoa powder
For the glaze:
- 1 ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder I like to use 2 tablespoons Dutch and 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
- ¼ cup water plus 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. With vegetable oil, grease a 9 inch round or square baking dish.
- For the filling: In a small bowl combine the filling ingredients and work them together with clean hands to form a crumbly mixture.
- Sprinkle ⅓ of the filling mixture into the 9 inch pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, the granulated sugar, the baking powder and the salt. Cut or rip in the softened butter. Once again, using clean hands, work the butter into the mixture. Once combined, pour in the milk of choice and combine using a spatula to form a soft dough.
- Lightly flour a clean surface, your hands and a rolling pin. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle about ¼ inch thick. If you notice it sticking, dust with more gluten free flour.
- Spread the remaining filling onto the rolled out dough. Tightly but gently roll the rectangle into a log and using a sharp knife, cut into 12-18 pieces depending on how big you want them. I cut mine into 15.
- Place the rolls into the baking dish with the cinnamon swirl facing up.
- Bake for 20 min.
- When done, remove from the oven and start to make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and the water. Once combined, pour it over the warm rolls that are still in the dish. Use a little spatula to spread the glaze around if needed. Let the glaze harden for a few moments and then you can begin to take the rolls out of the pan and serve warm. Enjoy!
- NOTE: If you don't have dutch cocoa powder, natural unsweetened works perfectly,
Frederik
Tried this recipe, 10/10 highly recommend. It was heavenly, will certainly make this again!
Lee
SO glad thank you!