These chocolate pecan cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey, and loaded with a buttery spiced chocolate filling, chopped pecans, and a generous drizzle of melty cream cheese frosting. They’re simple to prepare the same day, or you can assemble them the night before and bake in the morning for a special breakfast.
How to Make Chocolate Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Making these cinnamon rolls requires a little time, but the steps are straightforward. Start by preparing an enriched yeast dough with milk, sugar, butter, eggs, salt, and flour. Knead until smooth, let the dough rise, then roll it into a large rectangle. Spread the chocolate-cinnamon filling, sprinkle chopped pecans and chocolate, roll the dough into a log, slice into rolls, and let them rise a second time. Bake until golden, spread with cream cheese frosting while still warm, and enjoy.
If you prefer a visual guide, there’s a video demonstration embedded in the original post.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few common reasons rolls may not rise properly:
1. The yeast was damaged. Make sure the milk you add the yeast to is warm, not hot. If the liquid is too hot it can kill the yeast. Also, salt inhibits yeast; add salt to the dough after the yeast has bloomed rather than directly into the milk and sugar mixture.
2. The environment is too cold. Yeast prefers warmth. If your kitchen is chilly, the dough will rise slowly or not at all. Place the covered dough in a warm spot so it doesn’t form a dry skin that can prevent rising.
Tip: A reliable trick is to preheat the oven to the lowest temperature, then turn it off and place the covered dough inside to rise in the residual heat.
To keep your spirals neat and intact:
Use a very sharp knife. A dull blade will squash the rolls.
Use a serrated knife. If you doubt the sharpness of a straight blade, a serrated knife cuts cleanly with less pressure.
Use dental floss or thread. Unflavored floss or strong thread pulled under each roll gives a clean slice without the dough sticking to a blade.
While some recipes mix the pecans into the filling, it’s easier to spread the butter, brown sugar, cocoa, and spices first, then sprinkle the chopped pecans and chocolate on top before rolling. This makes the filling easier to spread evenly.
Cream cheese icing balances the sweetness with a pleasant tang and works best slightly runny so it melts into the rolls’ crevices. To make it, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add vanilla, a pinch of salt, and powdered sugar. If it seems grainy at first, keep mixing until smooth.
You can knead by hand, but the dough will be sticky at first and should become smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky after sufficient kneading. Under-kneaded dough may lack structure and could collapse after baking, so knead until the dough feels elastic.
Yes. After slicing the rolls and placing them in the pan, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours (you can also freeze them and thaw in the fridge). In the morning, bring them to a warm spot to finish rising until doubled, then bake.
To revive day-old rolls, warm them briefly. Microwaving for about 10–15 seconds usually restores moisture and gooeyness, but adjust timing to your microwave.
Enjoy!
Alyssa
Check Out these other Delicious Brunch Ideas:
- Banana Cinnamon Rolls
- Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
- Lemon Almond Scones
- Fluffy French Toast
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Chocolate Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 package) active yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 ¼–4 ½ cups flour
Filling
- ⅓ cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup chopped chocolate
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Frosting
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- Dash of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- Dissolve yeast in warm milk with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Let stand 10 minutes until foamy.
- In a mixer (or by hand), combine the yeast mixture with remaining sugar, then add eggs, melted butter, salt, and vanilla.
- Add flour and knead into a smooth ball. The dough will be soft and sticky—knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes by mixer.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place 1–1½ hours until doubled.
Filling & Assembly:
- While dough rises, mix the filling ingredients (except pecans and chocolate) until smooth.
- Turn the risen dough onto an oiled surface. Roll into a 15″ x 10″ rectangle.
- Spread the filling evenly, then sprinkle with chopped pecans and chocolate. Starting on the long side, roll tightly into a log.
- Slice into 12 even rolls, place in a greased 9×13 pan, cover, and let rise 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 20–25 minutes until golden.
Frosting:
- While rolls bake, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar and beat until creamy.
- Allow rolls to cool a few minutes, then spread frosting while rolls are still warm so it melts into the swirls. Serve and enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 78 g |
Protein: 7 g |
Fat: 12 g |
Fiber: 6 g
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