Citrus, cinnamon and chocolate come together in these fluffy homemade Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls that will bring the sleepiest of heads out of their beds in the morning!
Oh, ya know, just over here baking up some pillowy soft cinnamon rolls filled with melty chocolate & the fresh zest of an orange with a simple, sweet orange juice glaze. No big deal!
I mean big deal. These buns are a big deal, y’all! Like blow your mind delicious and so easy to make. From scratch. You can do it! And then you’ll wanna do it over & over an& over again.
These cinnamon rolls were inspired by one of the best cinnamon rolls we’ve ever eaten when we were bakery hopping in Ventura, California last fall. The combo of chocolate and orange won me over in cinnamon roll form and I’ve been dreaming about it ever since. It’s a shame it took me so long to recreate it, but my shame is all our gain because these rolls are the real deal.
Super soft dough, buttery sweet cinnamon filling, oozing with rich chocolate and the tang of orange in every bite. I just die over how delicious they are.
And how simple they are to make. Seriously,
It all starts with the dough. One bowl, simple ingredients and a few minutes of mixing and you’re well on your way to a fluffy soft dough that’s rolled up with all that deliciousness I just described…
The dough will be wet at first but just watch as it fluffs up when it sets in a warm place for an hour…
Next up is the rolling out and the filling. Once you have the dough rolled into a rectangle, you’ll spread it with the butter-cinnamon filling and sprinkle it with orange zest and chocolate chips…
And then you’ll roll it all up tightly and cut it into large slices before placing them in a well-buttered baking pan.
As they bake, your home will be filled with the most irresistible aroma that will have any sleepy head scrambling out of bed to take part in the deliciousness…
The glaze is so simple (just powdered sugar and orange juice) yet adds so much to the greatness that is these cinnamon rolls…
Sprinkled with more orange zest and these radiant rolls are set to be served…
I want to bake and serve them every weekend and holiday from here on out…
There’s just something so special about a homemade cinnamon roll and when you add chocolate and orange to the occasion it becomes momentous. Enjoy!
xoxo,
Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins
- Yield: 12
- Category: Breakfast
Description
Citrus, cinnamon and chocolate come together in these fluffy homemade Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls that will bring the sleepiest of heads out of their beds in the morning!
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup warm whole milk (110°F degrees)
- 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast (2–1/4 teaspoons)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
- 2–1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Filling:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 cup chocolate chips (I use dark chocolate chips)
Glaze:
- 1–1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, for garnishing
Instructions
- Warm milk on the stovetop or in the microwave to 110°F.
- In a large bowl, stir together the yeast and sugar. Gently pour the warm milk over the sugar and yeast. Allow to proof, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk in the beaten egg and melted butter. Stir in the flour and salt with a wooden spoon until a smooth wet dough is formed. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Using a well-floured rolling pin, roll dough to a 15×20-inch rectangle.
- For the filling, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until well combined. With a spatula, spread filling mixture evenly over dough almost to the edges. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons orange zest and then the chocolate chips.
- Beginning at the 20-inch side, roll the dough up tightly and pinch the edge against the side of the roll. Using a serrated knife, cut the roll into 12 slices, roughly 1-1/2 inch cuts, discarding the very ends that have little filling in them.
- Place the roll slices, cut side down, slightly apart in a buttered 13×9-inch baking pan.
- Place the pan in the oven and turn the oven to 350°F. The rolls will rise as the oven preheats. Bake until rolls are lightly browned on top, about 25 minutes total. Check the rolls after 15 minutes of baking and if they’re already lightly browned on top, cover them with foil and let them continue to bake until baked all the way through. Let rolls rest in the pan while you prepare the glaze.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth and of drizzling consistency. If the glaze is too thin, add additional powdered sugar. If the glaze is too thick, add additional orange juice.
- Drizzle glaze over warm rolls. Garnish with 1 tablespoon orange zest. Serve.
Notes
Leftover cinnamon rolls can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat for 5-10 minutes in a warm oven.
Mine looked ugly because they were spaced farther apart even though I used a 9×13 inch pan and the dough was a bit tricky to work with but the taste was yum. Thank you.