I have a huge sweet tooth, I really nippy chocolate and dessert in any form. Though I don’t really care for pie, or any hot fruit dessert, I don’t mind it when it’s been in the fridge but other than that, my go to is always chocolate.
I was undecided between chocolate cinnamon rolls or chocolate chip hot cross buns. Of course the the 5yr, Harrison, wanted cinnamon rolls so that was the winner. And these were so good, he loved them and had two for breakfast when he isn’t one for eating a lot.
I began making these at 6:30am, as they have a 1hr and 30min rise time, though I did half the 1hr rise time to just 30min again and they still turned out great for a nice brunch at 9am, when everyone was finally hungry.
The first rise time is 30min in the fridge and then later after they’ve been rolled cut and placed in a baking dish with a dish towel over top. I chose to cut my cinnamon rolls into long strips and then roll them up, instead of rolling the whole thing at one time. I found this to be so much easier to handle and they turned out exactly the same as if I had rolled up the whole thing at one time.
The chocolate frosting was also really easy to make, and turned out so well. I did not follow the recipe for this and winged it instead as my dairy free cream cheese doesn’t come in an 8oz container and I did not want an overly cream cheese frosting.
So, last note. I am dairy free not by choice, so all my recipes will usually be in the regular form with additions and notes for dairy free substitutes and I made it work. I will always have dairy free recipes too, but as I still cook regular dairy for four other people I use regular recipes most of the time. For this recipe I used plant butter and almond milk, both which left no odd taste and worked very well. Do keep in mind that almond milk is thinner than regular milk so you don’t need the same amount as regular milk. when it came time to add in the milk, I simply added a little at a time to get the right consistency which can be hard with dough or any other recipe. I added milk until my dough was tacky but not sticky, I used most of the milk but had a little left over.
Dairy Free Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time:30min
Cook time: 25min
Rising time: 1hr and 30min
total time: 2hrs and 30min
Makes 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
CHOCOLATE CINNAMON ROLLS
2 ¼ cups bread flour*, regular or gluten free
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp quick instant yeast
1 tsp sea salt
10 tbsp warm water
½ cup whole milk, or heavy cream
1 egg
3 tbsp melted unsalted butter
FILLING
3 tbsp melted unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup chocolate chips
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 tbsp cocoa powder
INSTRUCTIONS
- First, make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the bread flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, yeast, and sea salt. Stir to combine.
- Then, add in the warm water, milk, egg, and melted butter. Mix for 2 minutes or until a thick dough is formed. Spray a spatula with nonstick spray and scrape the dough down the sides of the bowl to the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the bowl from the fridge. Lightly flour a large cutting board topped with parchment paper. Lightly flour a rolling pin. Place the dough in the middle. Gently roll out into a rectangle that is about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide.
- Next, make the filling. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the melted butter all over the dough. Then, sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon mixture on top. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly on top.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut 6 long strips of dough that are each 1 inch wide. Carefully roll up each strip into a cinnamon roll. Place in a heavily sprayed baking dish.
- Once all 6 rolls are in the baking dish, place a kitchen towel on top. Place in your oven with the oven light on for 1 hour (the oven will be OFF at this point).
- After 1 hour, the rolls will have grown slightly in size. Remove from the oven and remove the towel. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once preheated, bake for 25 to 27 minutes, or until the edges are lightly bubbly.
- Once the cinnamon rolls are just about done baking, make the frosting. Combine the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, cream cheese, and cocoa powder. Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat until creamy.
- Finally, remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven. While hot, top with the chocolate frosting and serve!
NOTES
- This recipe can be made with King Arthur Flour gluten free bread flour or regular bread flour. I can’t say how it will come out with another gluten free flour, but please leave a comment if you use another flour so we can share with others.
- FYI: King Arthur gluten free bread flour contains wheat, but not gluten. If you are wheat free, do not use this recipe.
- Bake until the rolls are baked through and no longer gooey.
- You can allow to cool for a few minutes before adding frosting or add immediately.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave.
