Small Batch Molten Double Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls with Gooey Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Small Batch MOLTEN Double Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls, Vegan!

These little chocolate cinnamon rolls are pure breakfast dessert magic, and once you taste that gooey molten center, you will never look at plain cinnamon rolls the same way again. YUM! This is a small batch bake, which means one pan, six rolls, and no days of leftovers staring back at you from the counter.

They are made without eggs and without dairy, yet nothing about them tastes like a compromise. The dough is rich with Dutch process cocoa, the filling is swirled with cinnamon, brown sugar, and chocolate chips, and the whole batch is finished with a dairy free chocolate cream cheese frosting that spreads on thick and glossy.

If you are baking for a small household, or you just want a treat that feels special without turning your kitchen into a full production line, this is the recipe to keep handy.

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Tell me about these gooey chocolate cinnamon rolls:

If you already love a classic vegan cinnamon roll, this is the chocolate twist you have been waiting for. The original recipe behind this bake comes from a blogger whose vegan cinnamon rolls have become a Christmas morning family request and one of the most made breakfast recipes on the site.

This chocolate version came together by taking that same small batch dough and folding in cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and a molten chocolate cinnamon filling.

Even though the recipe is fully vegan, that detail tends to disappear the second someone takes a bite. People who eat eggs and dairy every day have tried these rolls and raved about them, which is the kind of feedback that matters more than any label on a recipe card.

Here is what you can expect from the texture, the flavor, and the effort.

• Texture: soft and plush, just like a regular cinnamon roll, but extra chocolatey with a molten quality in the center.
• Flavor: dessert for breakfast. The cinnamon complements the gooey chocolate so well that it tastes like a brownie met a cinnamon roll and decided to stay.
• Ease: honestly simple, and possibly easier than standard cinnamon rolls because there is no egg to work around. The dairy ingredients are simply swapped for non dairy alternatives.

The method is a standard cinnamon roll process. You can make the dough by hand with a wooden spoon and knead it right in the bowl, or let a stand mixer with the dough attachment do the work.

Either way, the dough comes together, rests until doubled, gets rolled out on a cocoa dusted surface, spread with filling, and rolled into shape.

If you want to build your confidence with the classic first, the Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are a great place to start. Once you have the rhythm down, the Soft and Fluffy Biscoff Cinnamon Rolls are a fun next bake for a different flavor spin.

There is also an overnight option, which is the move for holiday mornings when you want the hard part already finished before anyone else is awake.

Want to make these overnight chocolate cinnamon rolls?

Holiday baking mornings go a lot smoother when the rolls are already shaped and waiting in the fridge. The overnight method is recommended for exactly that reason.

Here is how it works.

• Follow the instructions through Step 4, so the dough is rolled, filled, sliced, and shaped in the baking dish.
• Cover the dish and place it in the fridge to rest overnight.
• In the morning, set the rolls next to the oven at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour while the oven preheats. This gives them time to warm back up and finish rising.
• Bake as usual once the oven is ready.

That is the whole trick. You get the same soft, gooey result with far less morning work.

Expert Baker’s Tips:

A few small details make a big difference with this batch.

• Use a small baking dish. About 5 by 7 inches is ideal for six rolls. Individual ramekins also work, and so does a 6 inch or 8 inch cake pan.
• If the dough is not rising, it usually comes down to two things: the yeast did not bloom properly, or the dough is sitting somewhere too cool. If your yeast looked super foamy and smelled yeasty, it bloomed beautifully, and the dough simply needs a warmer spot or a little more time to double in size.
• Use a kitchen scale. Cup measurements are included for convenience, but weighing your ingredients gives the most accurate results.

If the yeast bloomed and smelled yeasty but the dough is not growing, move the bowl somewhere warmer before you assume the yeast is dead.

Then there is the molten trick. Once the rolls have risen and the oven is at 350F, you can pour 1/3 cup vegan heavy cream mixed with 1 tbsp cocoa powder in between the rolls right before baking.

The cream gets absorbed during baking and leaves those molten centers. It is optional, but it is the reason these rolls feel like a dessert.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden. Let the rolls cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving, because they will be really hot straight from the oven.

Ingredients

This recipe is built in three parts: the dough, the filling, and the frosting. Room temperature ingredients matter here, so pull the dairy free milk, dairy free yogurt, vegan butter, and vegan cream cheese out of the fridge ahead of time.

Mix the filling right before you roll the dough, and whisk the frosting together by hand or with a hand mixer.

Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Dough

• 2 1/8 cups (270 g) plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour, divided, plus more for flouring the surface
• 1/2 packet (4 g) activated yeast
• 1/4 cup (45 g) granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup (25 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup (135 mL) unsweetened dairy free milk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (57 g) salted vegan butter, melted and brought to room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup (43 g) dairy free yogurt, at room temperature

Chocolate Cinnamon Filling

• 1/4 cup (67 g) vegan butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder, for rolling the dough

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 batch vegan cream cheese, or 1/2 cup (113 g) store bought vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/3 cup (80 g) vegan chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions

You will end up with six gooey rolls. Here is the full process, step by step.

1. Prep: Measure out all of your ingredients first. Grease and line a small casserole dish, about 7 by 5 inches, or a 6 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment, or in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, yeast, sugar, and salt. Then add the warmed dairy free milk, dairy free yogurt, vegan butter, and vanilla extract. Turn the stand mixer to medium speed, or begin mixing with a wooden spoon and knead the dough right in the bowl, until a smooth ball forms, about 10 minutes.
3. Let it rest: Cover the bowl and let the dough rest in a warm area, about 85F or warmer, until roughly doubled in size, about 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Shape the cinnamon rolls: Mix the room temperature vegan butter, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and brown sugar together in a small bowl and set the filling aside. Sprinkle the extra tablespoon of cocoa powder onto a clean surface and your rolling pin, place the dough in the middle, and roll it into a rectangle about 6 inches by 12 to 15 inches. Spread the filling over the dough, then sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. You can slice the dough into individual strips before rolling, or roll the whole sheet and slice it into portions with floss or a knife. For strips, slice the dough in half to get two strips of about 3 by 15 inches, then slice each half again to get four strips of about 1.5 by 15 inches. Roll each strip tightly and place it in the prepared baking dish.
5. Rest the rolls: Cover the baking dish and let the rolls rest by the oven while it preheats to 350F, until doubled in size. For extra molten centers, pour 1/3 cup vegan heavy cream mixed with 1 tbsp cocoa powder in between the rolls right before baking, after they have risen. The cream gets absorbed and leaves molten centers.
6. Bake: Bake for 30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Let the rolls cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving, since they will be really hot.
7. Frost and serve: Whisk together the cream cheese, the melted and cooled chocolate, the powdered sugar, and the cocoa powder, or use a hand mixer. Spread the frosting over the rolls and serve.

The frosting goes on best while the rolls are still a little warm, so it settles into the swirls and melts slightly at the edges.

Notes

For extra tips and tricks, see the full post. This recipe is adapted from the vegan chocolate cinnamon rolls recipe at The Banana Diaries.

FAQs

Small Batch MOLTEN Double Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls – Vegan!

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• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Small Batch MOLTEN Double Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls, Vegan! These little chocolate cinnamon rolls are pure breakfast dessert magic, and once you taste that gooey molten center, you will never look at plain cinnamon rolls the same way again.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Dough
2 1/8 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour, divided (plus more for flouring surface)
1/2 packet (4 g) activated yeast
1/4 cup (45 g) granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup (25 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
2/3 cup (135 mL) dairy-free milk, unsweetened, room temperature
1/4 cup (57 g) salted vegan butter, melted and room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup (43 g) dairy free yogurt, room temperature

Chocolate Cinnamon Filling
1/4 cup (67 g) vegan butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 tbsp cocoa powder, for rolling the dough

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 batch (or 1/2 cup/113 g) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (80 g) vegan chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
2 tbsp cocoa powder

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Instructions

1-Prep: Prep: Measure out all ingredients. Grease and line a small casserole dish (about 7×5″) or a 6″ cake pan with parchment paper.
2-Make the dough: Make the dough: Either in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough attachment or in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, yeast, sugar, and salt. Then add in the warmed dairy free milk, dairy free yogurt, browned vegan butter, and vanilla extract. Either turn on the stand mixer to medium speed or begin to mix the dough with a wooden spoon then knead the dough in the bowl until a smooth ball forms, about 10 minutes.
3-Rest: Rest: Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest in the bowl in a warm area (about 85F or warmer) until about doubled in size (about 20-30 minutes).
4-Shape the cinnamon rolls: Shape the cinnamon rolls: Mix the room temperature vegan butter, cinnamon, cocoa powder, brown sugar together in a small bowl and set aside. Sprinkle the additional tablespoon of cocoa powder onto a clean surface and rolling pin, and place the dough in the middle. Roll the dough to be about 6″ by 12-15″. Spread the chocolate cinnamon roll filling onto the dough, followed by sprinkling the chocolate chips on top. I like to slice the dough into individual strips before rolling, but you can also just roll the dough and slice it into 4 cinnamon rolls with either floss or a knife. To roll them into strips, slice the dough in half so have two strips of 3×15.” Then slice them into half again so you have four strips of 1.5×15.” Then roll each strip tightly and place the rolled cinnamon roll into your prepared baking dish.
5-Rest the rolls: Rest the rolls: Cover the baking dish and rest the rolls by the oven while it preheats to 350F. Let the rolls double in size. For extra molten centers, pour 1/3 cup vegan heavy cream mixed with 1 tbsp cocoa powder in between the rolls right before baking after they’ve risen! The heavy cream will be absorbed and leave molten centers.
6-Bake: Bake: Place the chocolate cinnamon rolls into the oven to bake for 30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Let the chocolate rolls cool for 10-15 minutes before serving, as they’ll be really hot!
7-Frost and serve: Frost and serve: Whisk together the cream cheese, chocolate, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder (or use a hand mixer). Spread on top of your chocolate cinnamon rolls, and enjoy!

• Cook Time: 30 min
• Method: bake

Keywords: Small Batch Molten Double Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls