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Chocolate Nutella Cinnamon Rolls

Deep, rich, and pillowy chocolate rolls are filled and topped with Nutella spread for the ultimate hazelnut chocolate cinnamon roll.
Course: Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, snacks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate, cinnamon rolls, nutella, yeast
Servings: 12

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 1- ¼ Ounce Pack of Instant or Dry Active Yeast (.25 ounce is weighing)
  • ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 ⅓ Cups Whole Milk, warmed to 110°F
  • ⅔ Cup Salted Butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • ¾ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, sifted
  • 2 Tablespoons Black Cocoa Powder, sifted
  • 4 Cups All Purpose Flour, plus more for dusting and rolling the dough out

For the Filling:

  • ½ Cup Salted Butter, softened to room temperature
  • ⅓ Cup Dark Brown Sugar (light or golden is fine too)
  • ⅓ Cup Nutella, slightly softened
  • 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

For the Nutella Glaze:

  • 2 Tablespoons Salted Butter, softened to room temperature
  • ⅓ Cup Nutella, slightly softened
  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
  • ½ Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Paste
  • 2 Tablespoons Half and Half, optional

Toppings:

  • Extra Nutella for swirl
  • Ferrero Rocher for garnish, optional

Instructions

  • For the Dough:
    In the bowl of you standing mixer, combine the instant or dry active yeast, the sugar, and ½ cup of the warmed milk. Let it sit for about 10-20 minutes until it becomes frothy.
    In a medium sized bowl, add the flour and both sifted cocoa powders. Mix to combine and set aside. 
    To the yeast mixture, add the remaining milk, softened butter, eggs, salt, and a cup of the flour / cocoa mixture. 
    Attach the paddle to your mixer. Mix on low and slowly add the rest of the flour mixture until a soft dough forms.
    Knead the dough in your mixer on low for 5 minutes on by hand on a floured surface for about 5-8 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. If it's too sticky, add a bit more flour as needed, ¼ cup or so, but you want a very soft dough. 
    Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 ½ - 2 hours or until it has doubled in size. 
  • For the Filling:
    In a bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, Nutella, and cinnamon. Mix until you have a smooth paste.
    Assembling the Rolls:
    Once the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface into a large rectangle, about ¼-inch thick.
    Spread the Nutella filling evenly over the dough.
    Using a pizza cutter, cut twelve equal slices prior to rolling the dough, and roll each piece up individually. You can also tightly roll the dough into a log and cut the log into 12 equal slices with a sharp knife. Either way is perfectly fine and entirely up to you and your preference. 
    Place the slices in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
    Cover the dish with a kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for another 30 minutes.
  • Baking:
    Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
    Before baking, pour the ⅓ cup of heavy cream over the risen rolls.
    Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
  • For the Nutella Glaze:
    While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze.
    In a bowl, beat together the softened butter, Nutella, powdered sugar, vanilla paste, and half and half until smooth and creamy.
    Finishing:
    Once the rolls are out of the oven and slightly cooled, drizzle the glaze over the tops of each roll. Swirl with additional Nutella if desired and garnish with a chopped hazelnuts or a Ferrero Rocher candy.  
    Serve these chocolate Nutella rolls warm and enjoy!

Notes

See blog for dietary substitutions regarding dairy and gluten.