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Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

January 26, 2015 by Joy the Baker 110 Comments

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Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

[H]ow can I do the least amount of work, but still get the most amount of cinnamon rolls into my mouth?  Super valid question.

How long would it take to go through airport security and stand in line at the Terminal C Cinnamon?  Is that time shorter than the time it would take to make yeasted dough, roll it, fill it, slice it, rise it, and bake it?  

How can I go from zero to cinnamon roll in one hour flat?  

Here’s how!  Ready.  Set.  You know…. 

Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

There’s no time to waste here.  We have a singular focus.  

Milk is heated in a small pan with granulated sugar and butter.  Heat just until the butter melts then remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly before adding the yeast.  We want the yeast to feel warm and cozy enough to bloom and activate in the warm, sweet liquid, not hot hot hot.  Yeast doesn’t like that. 

Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

Flour, salt, and an egg yolk are added to the milky yeast mixture.  I didn’t add all the flour at once.  I may not need the entire 2 cups. 

Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

My handheld KitchenAid mixer has a dough hook attachment.  Thaaaaank you! 

Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

A warm soft little dough ball with 1/4 cup flour left over.  

Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

Because I want cinnamon rolls on the quick, the dough ball only rests for 10 minutes before being rolled out.  

Is that sort of thing even allowed?  Yes it is.  We’re the boss. 

Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

Rolled and buttered.

Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

Sugared with cinnamon and espresso powder and cocoa powder.  Lots of chocolate chips too.  Why not? 

Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

Coiled up right. 

Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls (10)

And sliced! 

I placed the rolls in a lightly buttered pan, covered them with plastic wrap and allowed them to rest and rise for 30 minutes.  

Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

In the oven for 20 minutes and ZING! 

Cinnamon rolls.  And we didn’t even have to stand in line at the airport.  

Quick and Dirty Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

It’s not like a little espresso glazed ever hurt anyone! We’re reasonable people. 

Print
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Quick and Dirty Chocolate and Espresso Cinnamon Rolls

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 40
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 1x
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Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough

  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg yolk

For the Filling

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

For the Glaze

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream or enough to make a pourable glaze

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan combine milk, butter, and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted completely. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool from hot to just warm.
  2. Place sweet milk and butter mixture in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast over the liquid. Stir to incorporate. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes to allow to yeast to activate, foam, and froth.
  3. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and the egg yolk to the milk and yeast mixture. Use a wooden spoon or hand beaters with the dough hook attachment and stir or beat until incorporated. Add more flour, a few tablespoons at a time if the dough feels to wet. Bring the dough together into a ball and knead a few turns with your hands.
  4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a roughly 9 x 12-inch rectangle.
  6. Spread with about 4 tablespoons of butter. In a small bowl stir together sugar, cinnamon, espresso powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Generously sprinkle over the melted butter. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Roll starting at the longer edge into a tight coil.
  7. Slice into 6 pieces.
  8. Use remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch baking pan. Place rolls in the pan leaving about 1/2 inch of room between them. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
  9. While the rolls rise, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  10. Remove plastic wrap and bake the rolls for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown, puffed, and bubbling.
  11. Remove from the oven, allow to cool just slightly.
  12. In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, espresso powder, and heavy cream. Drizzle over warm rolls and enjoy!!

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Reader Interactions

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Questions
  1. Elena

    November 22, 2021 at 8:07 pm

    Made them this morning they turned out amazing. I took them to work and most of them were gone by the time I got round to take a photo.

    Reply
  2. Charly

    June 8, 2019 at 11:10 am

    These are delicious. My father loves cinnamon rolls more than any other sweet thing. These are the request for birthdays, brunches, father’s day. Thank you.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Jenna

    December 24, 2018 at 7:00 pm

    Made these today for a Christmas Eve brunch, and my husband ate three (yes three!!!) and no shame in that! Thank you for such an extra special holiday treat!

    Reply
  4. Cindy

    March 29, 2018 at 4:21 pm

    Will this recipe double ok?

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      March 30, 2018 at 1:52 pm

      Yes!

      Reply
  5. Ariane

    July 16, 2016 at 6:47 pm

    Delicious and not to complicated. Cuts down on the resting and rising time. Thanks Joy!

    Reply
  6. Jayne | Tenacious Tinkering

    December 24, 2015 at 3:45 am

    I’m gonna make this for my mom. So fast and easy! Helps that it’s small batch too. She’s been craving cinnamon rolls but hates places that overload on frosting. She’s trying to watch her sugar. This is absolutely perfect!

    Reply
  7. Datin Sri (@nayliimran)

    December 20, 2015 at 8:45 am

    Is it okay if i use instant yeast?

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      December 20, 2015 at 9:19 am

      yes!

      Reply
  8. Jessica

    November 14, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    Hi Joy- I’m planning to make to make these for a bake sale. I was wondering if I made them the night before and waited to put the glaze on until the morning, if these would keep well either wrapped on the counter or in the fridge? Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Allysa

    July 17, 2015 at 6:35 am

    I’ve mentioned this post on my blog today (and praised everything about that is awesome)! They look phenomenal!!
    (side note..I dislike the video advertisements on your posts…they make the page jump up (or down) to it ever 30 seconds when a new one starts and I have to scroll back to where I was reading…this will not, however, deter me from visiting your pages!!!)

    Reply
  10. Missbuggz

    April 17, 2015 at 6:55 pm

    …. I realise you don’t know me and this is sudden, but I think I love you. <3

    Reply
  11. Michele

    February 13, 2015 at 9:53 pm

    I have to ask… The only other time I did short cut rolls they turned rock hard in an hour. How do these guys hold up?

    Reply
  12. Sreelu

    February 10, 2015 at 10:26 pm

    Loved the recipe, indeed very easy to make. Made two batches and they came out very delicious. thanks again.

    Reply
  13. Jenn

    February 9, 2015 at 11:00 am

    So, I just made these after an hour of serious cross country skiing this morning, and they are PERFECT. I plan to eat the whole pan then take an epic nap.

    Reply
  14. Amanda D

    February 8, 2015 at 6:35 pm

    Yessss gonna make these soon!!

    Reply
  15. Nadia

    February 8, 2015 at 11:32 am

    Can I swap out instant coffee for espresso powder? I haven’t any and I NEED these!!!

    Reply
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