Chocolate Buns Recipe
Chocolate buns are pure bliss! These fluffy, soft yeasted rolls are filled with a rich mix of brown sugar and cocoa, then topped with chocolate chips for that extra touch of chocolate goodness. Finally, they’re finished with creamy cream cheese icing.
Equipment
- 9X13 metal baking pan metal is best
- Parchment Paper
- Stand mixer
- Measuring cups or kitchen scale
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) instant dry yeast
- 1 cup (252 grams) warm milk (115°F)
- 2 large eggs room temperature, submerge in a bowl of warm water to speed up the process
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) salted butter very soft, can be almost melted but not hot
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ½ cups (500-560 grams) bread flour (divided) start with 4 cups! Can also use all purpose
Chocolate Cinnamon Filling
- 6 tablespoons (83 grams) salted butter softened, almost melted (add ¼ teaspoon kosher salt if you do not have salted butter)
- ¾ cup (165 grams) dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons (19 grams) natural cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (154 grams) dark chocolate chips for sprinkling on top of the filling
Cream Cheese Icing (if you do not like a lot of icing you can cut this in half)
- 6 oz (157 grams) cream cheese room temperature, full fat, brick style
- 4 tablespoons (60 grams) salted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260 grams) powdered sugar
Instructions
Yeasted Dough
- This recipe requires a stand mixer.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 ½ teaspoons of instant dry yeast with 1 cup of warm milk (115°F). Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it bubbles and becomes frothy.
- Place the yeast mixture in the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Add 2 large room-temperature eggs, vanilla, ½ cup of granulated sugar, and 8 tablespoons of softened salted butter to the yeast mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Gradually mix in 4 cups of bread flour and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir the mixture until it forms a rough dough. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Use the dough hook attachment and knead the dough on medium speed for about 5-7 minutes. The dough should be elastic and smooth. If the dough is way too sticky, add up to an additional ½ cup of flour (a little at a time) until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It’s okay if the dough remains slightly tacky and sticks to the bottom of the bowl, as this is preferable to being too dry.
- Try not to add extra flour, as it can make the rolls dense and bready instead of soft and fluffy.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for about 30-50 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, beat together the filling ingredients until smooth (keep the chocolate chips off to the side until ready to assemble)
- Flour your work surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little more flour. Don't add a ton of flour! Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 22x14 inches.
- Evenly spread the chocolate cinnamon filling over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the filling.
- Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly. Slice the dough into 12 equal pieces and place them in a parchment lined 9x13-inch baking pan. I used unflavored dental floss for clean cuts.
- Cover the pan and let the rolls rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Warm ½ cup of heavy cream until it’s just warm to the touch (not hot). Once the rolls have risen, pour the cream over the top, allowing it to soak in and around the rolls.
- Position it on the center rack of the oven to ensure even baking, avoiding placement too close to the top or bottom. Bake the rolls in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until they are lightly golden and cooked through in the center. You can check with a toothpick. Check at 20 minutes, if they are getting too brown, cover with foil.
- Let cool and top evenly with cream cheese icing. I recommend microwaving them for 10-15 seconds before enjoying for that melty cinnamon roll experience!
Cream cheese Icing
- Beat the butter, vanilla, and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, beat until smooth and combined.
Notes
If you want to make them the night before-Make the cinnamon rolls up to the second rise, rolled, cut, and in the pan, then cover them and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, just pull them out! Let them sit for 30 minutes to warm up before baking, remember to pour the cream on top. This way, they’ll be super fluffy and ready to enjoy!
Activate the Yeast: Make sure the milk is at 115°F (about 46°C) to properly activate the yeast. Too hot or too cold can kill it, so a kitchen thermometer is super helpful!
Watch the Flour: Be cautious with the flour! Adding too much can lead to dry, dense rolls. Use a kitchen scale for precise measurements to keep that perfect texture.
Unflavored dentil floss: Use unflavored dental floss to cut the log for super smooth and easy cutting that prevents smooshing the log.
Storage
Room Temperature
Store in an airtight container or cover with foil or plastic wrap on the counter for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator
I don't recommend refrigerating, it will dry them out.
Freezer
Wrap well and place in an airtight container for up to 2 months. That at room temperature before eating. Pop in the microwave for a few seconds before eating if you like that warm experience.
yeasted dough and cream cheese icing recipe adapted from tastesoflizzyt
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