Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls Recipe- a Hungarian Treat
If you remember from my earlier post, I had the occasion to visit Hungary in my twenties and became addicted to chocolate cinnamon rolls which were unexpectedly and ruthlessly taken from me. After reading the story (and hearing about it countless times) my wife looked at me with a thoughtful finger pressed against her lips and said, “Maybe we should try to recreate them.”
I’m a fat guy who enjoys food to no small amount, so when my wife said this to me, it was roughly the emotional equivalent to any other guy walking with his wife in the mall and suddenly she suggests going into the lingerie shop. I was just that excited.
So we experimented. Lights flickered. Lightening struck our kitchen. A Catholic Priest crossed himself and prayed for the sake of the whole world. There may have been maniacal laughter. In the end, even Doctor Frankenstein couldn’t have been as overjoyed at his creation as we were about ours. And everybody wins because my dear wife, who makes the most amazing (sans-chocolate) cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had, unlocked the secret. In an effort to thumb my nose at that Hungarian shop-keeper, I’m going to share it with the world!
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Preparation time: Approximately 4 hours
- 1 1/2 Tbsp dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 beaten eggs
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 5-6 cups flour
Combine yeast, warm water and 2 Tbsp sugar in mixer bowl and let sit to activate yeast. While letting yeast sit, melt butter in saucepan and add milk to heat. Let cool to lukewarm. Add milk mixture to yeast mixture and then add eggs, salt and remaining sugar. Mix well. Add flour slowly until you get a slightly sticky dough.
The flour is the tricky part. You don’t want to add too much, but if you don’t add enough the dough will not hold its shape. I usually do about 5 cups and let it mix really well, and then add about 1/3 cup more at a time until I get a good texture. Remember that as you let the dough rise it gets more firm, so it’s okay to leave it a tiny bit stickier than you can handle at first.
Let the dough rise to double its size twice (about 30 minutes each time). So, let it rise and beat it down and then let it rise again.
Now you are ready to roll it out. I usually spread a little vegetable oil on the table and the cookie sheets to keep the dough from sticking. I roll about half of the dough at a time. Roll it into a rectangle. Spread melted butter (1/4 – 1/3 cup) over the dough. Use REAL butter! The chocolate filling is actually really easy. Mix together 5 Tablespoons cocoa with 10 Tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle this over your buttered dough. Roll the dough into a log and cut into rolls. I do mine about 1 1/2 inches thick. I use dental floss to cut the dough so that it doesn’t squish the rolls. Think of attacking the log with a garrote, and you’ve got the general idea.
Place on cookie sheet cut side up. I keep mine separated so that they don’t touch when they rise. Some people like them touching to keep all of the edges soft. I just think they look better when they are nice and round, and I like the crust they get when separated. I use my hand to flatten the rolls a little bit. Then let them rise until double in size (about 20-30 minutes depending on temperature of your kitchen). Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. You want them to be a nice golden-brown color. Move to a rack to cool (if they make it that far).
The Hungarians do not frost these delectable wonders, as the filling tends to suffice.
Jo’ E’t Vagya’t!
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tbsp dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 beaten eggs
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 5-6 cups flour
Instructions
- Combine yeast, warm water and 2 Tbsp sugar in mixer bowl and let sit to activate yeast.
- While letting yeast sit, melt butter in saucepan and add milk to heat.
- Let cool to lukewarm.
- Add milk mixture to yeast mixture and then add eggs, salt and remaining sugar.
- Mix well.
- Add flour slowly until you get a slightly sticky dough.
- Let the dough rise to double its size twice (about 30 minutes each time).
- Roll it into a rectangle. Spread melted butter (1/4 – 1/3 cup) over the dough. Use REAL butter!
Chocolate filling
- Mix together 5 Tablespoons cocoa with 10 Tablespoons sugar.
- Sprinkle this over your buttered dough.
- Roll the dough into a log and cut into rolls.
- Place on cookie sheet cut side up
- Then let them rise until double in size
- Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.
- You want them to be a nice golden-brown color.
- Move to a rack to cool
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Oh my that looks amazing. Now I want one for lunch!
Oh my gosh! Chocolate AND cinnamon rolls? I must try this!
We are craze about Cinnamon rolls here too!
The recipe doesn’t look complicated so we might try this!
These look amazing! I can’t wait for the weather to cool down so I can start using my oven again – I have to try these!
Combining my two favorite treats! Yummy!
Oh no, more sugar cravings for me. LOL! These look amazing. My son would LOVE them.
How is it possible that it never occurred to me to put chocolate in my cinnamon bus? I love chocolate, I love cinnamon buns. They seem made for each other! Thanks for the recipe!
I will be pinning this one! Yum
those look heavenly! I never would have considered making them from scratch but they look very easy!
OK, so this is something I would love to make from scratch. Looks yummy!
I was wondering when this copycat recipe would turn up….I can’t wait to try it this weekend!
I don’t like chocolate (crazy, i know) but my bf would love these i bet. Never heard of using chocolate in a cinnamon roll before!
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls.. Oh my gosh…. shoot me now! I would love, love these. I bet they smell wonderful while baking.
I just saw these on Pinterest! Yummmmm
Pinning this recipe while I drool
Yes, I’ll take a tray full right now please. I pinned these and will be making them soon.
These look so yummy! Maybe breakfast on the go would be when I would enjoy them ๐
I like Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast once in awhile.
I buy then at the stupid market.
Oh WOWOWOW these look good! I was looking in the store at a cinnamon roll earlier but didn’t get one perhaps I need to bake up a storm instead ๐
These look amazing! I love cinnamon rolls! I will have to try these, thanks!
These sound great!
mmmmm these look amazingly delciious!
I have never heard of Chocolate cinnamon rolls. Sounds like it would be a winner and your picture sure makes them look delicious.
Oh those look and sound fantastic! I haven’t tried anything like that before but I want to try them. I love making cinnamon rolls. I also use dental floss to cut mine as well.
11 am with coffee. I think that is my favorite time for this kind of stuff
Amber, you have some amazing recipes and this one is going on my list to try. Thanks for sharing.
You’re getting me hungry!
Yum, I’ve never seen them with the chocolate, just the white icing. I’ll have to give these a try.
Oh my gosh! These look so yummy! I am so ready for some cinnamon rolls! Pinned this for later!
Such a great combination! A great idea for this weekend.
I just pinned these. They look so good!!!
These look so good. They remind me of the ones we buy at the mall but I love that they are much cheaper to make.
I know this is yummy because of the combination of chocolate and cinnamon. It’s looks delicious and easy to make as well. Thanks for the recipe.
yum! i love cinnamon and chocolate! i bet this would taste divine!
looks yummy ๐ gonna have to give these a try. need new snackies to snack oN~
OOOH, those look delicious… and Hungarian! I love trying things from other cultures.
I’m sure this recipe is delicious! I’m not a huge fan of chocolate (I know, shocking, right? I’m sure I’m the only woman who feels this way haha) but I know my husband would love them!
These sound amazing! Thanks for sharing! ๐
Can’t wait to make these for my family
These Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls look. So yummy. Since I’m not Hungarian I just might drizzle a little icing glaze on them.
My great grandmother would make something that was similar to this when I was a little girl, this brings back memories!
Did you do the mixing in a mixer? What kind? Did it have a dough hook?
You can make it in a mixer or a mixing bowl. If mixing in a mixer you can use a dough hook. It can be made with a KitchenAid mixer, or a Bosch mixer, or done by hand in a regular bowl. Just depends on your preference of making dough.