Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

bursting with Christmas flavor

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 1h 20m
Cook Time: 25m
Total Time: 1h 45m
Temp.: 350 °F
Servings: 12
Difficulty: Easy
4.8 (19 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

For dough:

For filling:

For orange juice glaze:

For garnishing:

Nutritional Information

424
сalories
15,8g
fat
66,8g
carbohydrates
5,4g
protein
48mg
cholesterol
206mg
sodium
Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe Description

Celebrate the most delicious Christmas flavor combo with these Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls! Chocolate, orange, and cinnamon, it’s as good as it gets! These rolls are festive, soft, pillowy, deliciously sweet, and so delightful. For sure, a crowd-pleaser during the holidays! I like to serve them right out of the oven while the chocolate is still gooey and the rolls are warm.

What’s great about these chocolate cinnamon rolls is that there’s no need to let the dough rise a second time. Just place the rolls in a cold oven, shut the door, and turn the oven on to 350 °F. The dough will complete its final rise while the oven preheats. Plus, this will cut down the overall cooking time. Win-win! Serve these chocolatey melt-in-your-mouth rolls fresh out of the oven garnished with sweet orange glaze and fresh orange zest, and enjoy!

To make the Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Warm milk

    1 min
    Step 1 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    Warm 1 cup whole milk to 110 °F.

  2. 2

    Dissolve yeast

    10 min
    Step 2 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    In a large bowl, stir together 2 ¼ teaspoons yeast and ¼ cup granulated sugar. Gently pour the warm milk over and leave to proof for about 10 minutes.

  3. 3

    Add egg and butter

    1 min
    Step 3 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    Whisk in 1 beaten egg and 2 tablespoons melted and cooled butter.

  4. 4

    Add flour and salt

    2 min
    Step 4 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    Stir in 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon kosher salt with a wooden spoon until a smooth and wet dough has formed.

  5. 5

    Rise

    1h
    Step 5 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    Cover the bowl tightly with a plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in size.

  6. 6

    Roll out dough

    2 min
    Step 6 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    Once the dough has doubled, use a well-floured rolling pin to roll the dough to a 15×20-inch rectangle.

  7. 7

    Make filling

    2 min
    Step 7 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    Stir together ½ cup melted butter, 1 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons cinnamon until well combined.

  8. 8

    Fill rolls

    3 min
    Step 8 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    With a spatula, spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough leaving out about ½-inch from the edge. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons orange zest and 1 cup chocolate chips.

  9. 9

    Shape into rolls

    2 min
    Step 9 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    Beginning at the longest 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, discarding the very ends that have less filling.

  10. 10

    Arrange in baking pan

    1 min
    Step 10 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    Arrange 12 roll slices, cut side down, slightly apart in a well-buttered 13×9-inch baking pan.

  11. 11

    Bake

    25 min
    Step 11 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    Place the pan in the oven and turn the oven to 350 °F. The rolls will rise as the oven preheats. Bake for about 25 minutes total until the rolls are lightly browned on top. Check after 15 minutes of baking and if the rolls are already lightly browned on top, cover them with a piece of foil and continue baking until baked all the way through. Leave the rolls to rest in the pan while you prepare the glaze.

  12. 12

    Make orange juice glaze

    2 min
    Step 12 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and ¼ cup orange juice until smooth but still pourable.If the glaze is too thick, add additional orange juice. If the glaze is too thin, add additional powdered sugar.

  13. 13

    Glaze

    2 min
    Step 13 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    Drizzle glaze over still warm rolls and garnish with 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest.

  14. 14

    Serve

    Step 14 - Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls

    Serve warm and enjoy!

These Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls are pillowy, gooey, and dripping with orange juice glaze. There is nothing like a freshly baked cinnamon roll, so give this recipe a go soon, and please come back to tell us what you think!

About the author

Lilly Mathuse

Lilly is an enthusiastic and cheerful young mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Lilly's going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8 out of 5 (19 reviews)
Ethan
April 13, 2025
Verified

Man, these Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls are fire! Made 'em for a small holiday get-together, and everyone was hyped. The dough was easy to work with, and the combo of flavors hit different. Def gonna make them again.

Isabella Jones
January 1, 2025
Verified

I made these rolls for a small Christmas gathering, and everyone loved them. The chocolate and orange work so well together. I liked that there wasn't a second rise, it saved me time! Serving them warm with the glaze was the best part, such a hit.

Zach
December 7, 2024
Verified

These Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls were a family hit at Christmas! My wife and kids loved them fresh from the oven. So easy!

Jessie
October 29, 2024
Verified

I made these rolls for Christmas morning and my kids couldn’t stop smiling. The chocolate and orange combo was a hit. So soft and gooey! I love that I didn’t have to wait long for them to bake. A new family tradition for sure.

Zoe
October 26, 2024
Verified

So very yummy

Ivy
October 22, 2024
Verified

Yum!

Leo
June 9, 2024
Verified

Made these Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas breakfast, and they were a hit! No fuss with rising dough, and the orange glaze is just lush. Proper taste of the holidays right there.

Victor Anderson
March 2, 2024
Verified

Deliciously easy rolls

Zachary
October 4, 2023
Verified

Delightful! My wife and I loved baking these together for Christmas.

Judy
April 5, 2023
Verified

Heavenly!

Jade
December 15, 2022
Verified

These rolls were a hit at our Christmas party. So good.

Melody
August 23, 2022
Verified

Heavenly and delicious! Made these for Christmas and they disappeared so fast! Chocolate and orange is the best combo ever!

Ruby
July 28, 2022
Verified

Softer than expected!

Paula Thompson
May 27, 2022
Verified

Made these rolls for our holiday brunch. The kids loved the chocolate and orange together. So easy to whip up and delish!

Kenny
April 17, 2022
Verified

Mate, these Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls are the absolute bees knees! Made 'em for the kids' mates last Christmas and they vanished like magic. Easy peasy to whip up, and they taste unreal. Can't recommend enough! 🍊🍫

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