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hese homemade Mocha Morning Rolls are the fusion of two delicious flavors: coffee and chocolate. These rolls are super soft, filled with a layer of chocolate and coffee mixture and topped with an espresso spiked glaze.
Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast
This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast. I used their RapidRise® Yeast in this recipe and the best part is that you don’t have to activate the yeast in water or milk. This not only saves time but it makes for an easy-breezy baker experience!
With this RapidRise® Yeast all you have to do is add the yeast to the dry ingredients. Typically, you’d have to add it to a liquid and bloom it. But no need with RapidRise!
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
The weather has officially shifted. It’s crisp and chilly here in Los Angeles and I’m focusing on how to make my house and vibe as cozy as possible.
I added some cozy throws to the couch, I’ve brought out all my hoodies from storage and my 9×13-inch baking pan is getting some good use now because I’ve been baking like crazy.
Is there anything cozier than homemade cinnamon rolls? Definitely not! These are a fusion of chocolate and coffee flavors in one roll. These mocha rolls are equal parts chocolate and espresso flavored. The espresso is in the filling and in the frosting, giving you a delicious morning joe flavor.
How to Make Mocha Morning Rolls
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeastand salt.
- Pour in the warm milk and beaten eggs. And mix using a spoon. You can use your hands to knead this dough together. It’ll be quite sticky but you can brush your hands with olive oil to make it easier. Knead in the butter cubes, one at a time, until combined and smooth.
- The kneading process can be done by hand, or if you want to make it even easier and have a stand mixer, go for it! Knead it a few times on a counter (or in the bowl on medium speed for 5 minutes) for 10 minutes and add it to greased bowl. Allow it to rise for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mash together the filling ingredients and mix it until smooth.
- Flour your work surface. And dump the dough out onto the counter.
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle (exact measurements below) and spread the filling atop the filling. Roll it up and slice up the rolls. Allow them to rise for about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Bake them up and when they come out of the oven, smother them with the espresso glaze.
Tips and Tricks
- If you want to divide this work up a bit, you can absolutely make the dough the night before and stick it in the fridge overnight. After that, you can assemble the rolls and let them rise and then bake—easy!
- I found that espresso was really the most delicious option. Obviously if you only have strongly brewed coffee, use that!
If you make these mocha morning rolls, let me know on Instagram!
Looking for more recipes to make? Here are some favorites:
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Salted Parker House Rolls
- Cranberry Orange Morning Rolls
- Detroit-Style Pizza
- Apple Cheese Danish
(This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep A Cozy Kitchen cozy. )
Mocha Morning Rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, (375 g)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast, (about 1 1/2 packets)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup lukewarm milk
- 3 large eggs, (beaten in a bowl)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (cubed and at room temperature)
Filling:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, (at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon baking cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 3 ounces dark chocolate, (chopped and melted)
- 1 tablespoon espresso or very strongly brewed coffee
Glaze:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, (at room temperature)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, (at room temperature)
- 2 cups powdered sugar, (sifted)
- Pinch kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons strongly brewed coffee or espresso
Instructions
To Make the Dough:
- To the bowl of a stand-up mixer (alternatively, you can do this in a large bowl by hand), mix together the flour, sugar, Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast and salt.
- Pour in the warm milk and beaten eggs. Mix together until mostly combined and then add in the cubed butter, one cube at a time until it comes together. Knead for about 5 minutes by hand or in the machine. The dough will be slightly sticky—that’s ok! Grease a bowl with oil or cooking spray and transfer the dough to the bowl, spraying or coating the top.
- Cover with a lid or clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes. It should be soft and supple; it’ll have risen about 1/4 of the size.
To Make the Filling:
- To the bowl of a stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment) or using a medium bowl and a fork, add the butter, cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and pinch of kosher salt
- Mix until the filling is completely smooth. Pour in the cooled dark chocolate and mix it all together. Lastly, add the espresso or strongly brewed coffee and mix together until smooth.
To Assemble the Rolls:
- Remove the dough from the bowl. Lightly flour your work surface and place the dough into the center. Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll the dough into a 1/8-inch thick rectangle that measures 15“x22“ If it’s not a perfect rectangle, that’s totally ok.
- Add the filling to the rectangle of dough, spreading it out into an even very thin layer, stopping from about 1/2-inch from the edges. Roll the dough farthest from you, going toward you.
- Using a serrated knife OR a piece of unflavored floss, trim off the ends. And then cut the log of dough into 12 equal pieces. Mine measured about to be 1 1/2-inches long. Transfer to a greased 9×13-inch baking pan or baking sheet. You can also use multiple baking dishes. Whichever works best for you.
- Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for an additional 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until puffy and lightly golden brown.
To Make the Cream Cheese Icing:
- To the bowl of a stand-up mixer (or a large bowl) with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese until smooth. Next, add in the butter and beat again until smooth.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar and salt and beat for about 1 minute, until light and fluffy. Pour in the espresso and mix again until smooth.
To Serve:
- When the rolls come out of the oven, pour the half or ALL of the icing over the rolls and smother the with the icing.
Notes
- If you want to divide this work up a bit, you can absolutely make the dough the night before, place it in a bowl that’s covered with a lid OR tightly with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge overnight. After that, you can assemble the rolls and let them rise and then bake—easy!
- I found that espresso was really the most delicious option. Obviously if you only have strongly brewed coffee, use that!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These rolls were so easy and delicious! They turned out so well and I will definitely be making them again in the future. I made a double recipe and took some to work as well as to a friend’s house and everyone seemed to enjoy them. I did cut some a little smaller, so they were mini rolls and easier to eat as a midday snack. Also, the glaze for this recipe is fantastic. I’m not a big frosting fan in general and I wanted to use this glaze for everything.
This makes me so happy that these were a success for you! I love the flavor profile of these rolls so much! And yes, the frosting is the best!
Mine turned out with a good flavor but they got hard really quick and I put then on a container and baked later and they tasted a bit bitter.
Hello , why my dough is getting weird when I put butter
How can you keep them soft the next day? After the rolls were baked, they tasted good and were soft. But then after that they became so hard.
i would keep them in an airtight container. and then simply warm them up in a warm oven.
What do you mean “espresso”? Like a brewed shot of espresso?
yep! you can brew it at home if you have an espresso machine or you can buy it from a coffee shop.
These were super fluffy and deliciously rich. I added a sprinkle of cinnamon on top because I love it in my coffee and the espresso taste really comes through in these. Thanks for another great recipe!
lovely to hear!!
Just made these for my family last night and by this morning more than half were gone! Absolutely delicious, not too sweet and just the right amount of chocolate to coffee. You should 100% make these!
wonderful news!
These rolls are delicious! Highly recommend! Honestly everything I’ve made from a cozy kitchen has been delicious
These sound so good! What’s your thoughts about using espresso powder?
( since I have it in hand). Thanks!
Rachel
like instant espresso powder? i usually don’t love the flavor (unless it’s in chocolate cake and you can’t really taste it) but you can give it a try!
The best sweet rolls I have ever had!
wonderful news!