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These black cinnamon rolls are soft, pillowy brioche-style rolls dyed a deep, dramatic black with black cocoa powder, so every bite tastes like a rich, grown-up Oreo cookie. If you thought regular cinnamon rolls were indulgent, this jet-black twist takes it even further. They’re part of my monthly cinnamon roll flavor series, where I drop a brand-new flavor every month.
A warm heavy cream soak poured over the rolls right before baking keeps the centers ridiculously soft and gooey. Top them with tangy cream cheese frosting tinted orange for Halloween, or leave it white and make these any time of year. Kyle and I have zero self-control around these.
Why this recipe works
- The heavy cream soak poured over just before baking keeps every center soft and gooey, even a day later.
- Black cocoa gives the dough its dramatic color and an Oreo-like flavor without any of cocoa’s usual bitterness, the same trick behind my Oreo cinnamon rolls.
- Despite the dramatic look, these follow the exact same steps as a classic cinnamon roll. No special technique required.
Key Ingredients
Most of what’s in these rolls is standard pantry stuff, milk, yeast, butter, flour, brown sugar, cream cheese, you’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below. A few ingredients are worth calling out because they’re doing the real work here:
- Gel Food Coloring (optional) — tints the cream cheese frosting orange or neon green. Skip it for plain white icing.
- Black Cocoa Powder — gives the dough its dramatic Oreo-like flavor and deep black color. Don’t sub in regular or Dutch-process cocoa, you’ll lose both. It’s the same ingredient behind my black cocoa brownies and chocolate chip black cocoa cookies.
- Espresso Powder (optional) — deepens the chocolate flavor without adding any coffee taste.
- Warm Heavy Cream — poured over the shaped rolls right before baking. This is what keeps the centers so soft and gooey.
Substitutions/Additions
Can’t find black cocoa? Regular or Dutch-process cocoa will still work, you’ll just lose some of that deep black color and the Oreo-like edge. Splitting it half and half with black cocoa is a good middle ground if you want to stretch what you have.
No espresso powder? Instant coffee granules do the same job.
Skip the gel food coloring entirely for a plain white icing, the flavor doesn’t change either way. Same goes for the black food coloring in the dough, it’s optional and just deepens the color.
More ways to change these up:
- Add mini chocolate chips to the filling and a chocolate glaze on top for a triple-chocolate version.
- Swap half the cinnamon in the filling for pumpkin pie spice for a warmer, autumn-leaning flavor.
- Sprinkle chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts over the filling before rolling for crunch.
- Want fewer rolls? My small batch cinnamon rolls use the same basic technique in a 6-roll batch.
Step by Step Instructions
- Whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and sugar in your stand mixer bowl, then add the egg, egg yolk, and black food coloring if using. Let it sit about 5 minutes, this is when the yeast starts to foam if it’s active.
- Add the flour, black cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder. Mix on low with the dough hook for about 2 minutes, just until absorbed and the dough starts turning black.
- Add the softened butter and increase the speed to medium. Knead until smooth, elastic, and a deep, even black, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.
- Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and black cocoa powder into a smooth, spreadable paste.
- Roll the doubled dough into a 12×14.5-inch rectangle. Spread the filling to the edges and sprinkle with chocolate chips if using. Slice into 9 strips, about 1.5 to 1.6 inches wide, and roll each one up individually into a spiral.
- Place the rolls in a greased 9×9-inch pan, cover, and let them rise again until puffy and touching, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Just before baking, pour the warm heavy cream between and around the rolls. This is the step that keeps the centers so soft and gooey.
- Bake at 350°F for 22 to 25 minutes, until just set and the centers are puffed but still tender. While they cool slightly, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, add powdered sugar and vanilla, then milk until spreadable, and gel food coloring for the orange version.
- Spread the frosting over the slightly warm rolls so it melts into the spirals. Finish with Halloween sprinkles and candy eyes for the monster look.
Expert Tips
- Chill the dough before shaping. It’s not in the original steps, but if you’ve made any of my other cinnamon roll flavors, you know this trick: an hour in the fridge after the first rise makes the dough firmer and much easier to roll and slice cleanly, especially with a soft, enriched dough like this one. Again this is definitely not a must for this recipe, but if you want something easier and has an even more developed flavor go for it!
- Go by internal temperature, not just time. Pull the rolls when the centers hit 190–200°F rather than eyeballing “puffed but tender.” It’s a more reliable doneness check than the timer alone.
- Let the rolls cool 10–15 minutes before frosting. Warm enough that the frosting melts slightly into the spirals, not so hot that it slides off into a puddle.
Black Cocoa Cinnamon Rolls FAQs
Almost always too much flour. Weigh it with a kitchen scale if you have one, and add it gradually, stopping as soon as the dough pulls away from the bowl, it should feel slightly tacky, not stiff.
Once the dough is rolled to about 14.5 inches long and filled, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice it lengthwise into strips. Each strip becomes one roll.
Yes. Shape the rolls, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, let them sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before baking.
Airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5. Warm 20 seconds in the microwave before serving.
Yes, but the rolls will bake a bit taller and slightly denser, and may need a few extra minutes with the edges watched (loosely tent with foil if they brown too fast).
More Black Cocoa Recipe Favorites!
These are the kind of rolls people remember, so if you make them, tell me. Leave a star rating, drop a comment, or tag me @chahinez_tbt with your photos, I read every single one and it genuinely makes my day to see your version. If black cinnamon rolls aren’t already on your Halloween baking list, let this be the sign to add them.
Black Cocoa Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Black Cocoa Dough
- ¾ cup whole milk Warm (100–110°F)
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast
- ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temp
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2-1 tsp black food coloring optional
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup black cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor (optional)
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips Measure with your heart! (optional)
Cinnamon–Black Cocoa Filling
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1½ tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp black cocoa powder
Cream Soak
- ¼ cup warm heavy cream
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp milk for consistency
- Gel food coloring: orange or neon green
Instructions
Black Cocoa Dough
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.¾ cup whole milk , 2¼ tsp instant yeast, ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar
- Add the egg, yolk, and black food coloring if using, and mix to combine.1 large egg , 1 egg yolk, 1/2-1 tsp black food coloring
- Add flour, black cocoa, salt, and espresso powder. Mix for about 2 minutes, then add in the softened butter.2½ cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup black cocoa powder, ½ tsp salt, 1/2 tsp espresso powder, ¼ cup unsalted butter
- Knead on medium speed for 8–10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and shiny black.
- Shape into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled (about 60–90 minutes).
Cinnamon–Black Cocoa Filling
- Mix butter, sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa until it forms a smooth paste.5 tbsp unsalted butter, ½ cup dark brown sugar, 1½ tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 tbsp black cocoa powder
- Once the dough has doubled, roll it into a 12×14.5-inch rectangle.
- Spread the filling evenly all over the surface, reaching close to the edges. Sprinkle some chocolate chips if you'd like.1/3 cup chocolate chips
- Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice the dough into 9 long strips along the 14.5-inch side. Each strip should be about 1.5-1.6 inches wide. Working one strip at a time, roll each one up from one short end to another to form individual cinnamon rolls. This method is a little less messy and helps keep the filling in place while rolling.
- Place the rolls in a greased 9×9-inch pan. Cover and let rise for 30–45 minutes until puffy. Right before baking, pour the warm heavy cream between and around the rolls, this keeps them extra moist and rich.¼ cup warm heavy cream
- Bake at 350°F for 22–25 minutes, until just set and the centers are puffed but still soft. Don't overbake!
Instructions:
- Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.4 oz cream cheese, 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla, then beat until fluffy.¾ cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Mix in milk until you reach a spreadable consistency. Add as much or as little milk as you want to make sure the cream cheese icing fits your preference!1-2 tbsp milk
- Optional: Add food coloring until your frosting is vivid and Halloween-ready. Top with Halloween sprinklesGel food coloring: orange or neon green
- Spread generously over slightly warm rolls so it melts a little into the spirals. Decorate with sprinkles and enjoy!
Notes
• Top with candy eyes or black sprinkles.
• Drizzle neon green or orange white chocolate over the frosting for a “gooey slime” look.
• Swirl black cocoa into the colored frosting for a marbled spooky effect. Keep them regular by not adding any of the food coloring or sprinkles on top!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The cream soak is the whole thing here. Pour that warm heavy cream in around the rolls right before they go in the oven and the centers come out gooey in a way regular cinnamon rolls just don’t. The black cocoa gives them that Oreo flavor without the bitterness, and the espresso powder is worth adding even though it’s optional, you won’t taste coffee, it just makes the chocolate hit harder. Fair warning, we couldn’t leave them alone and I ended up handing the tray off to friends before we finished it ourselves.